メロンパン - Melon-Pan
I put this recipe together a long time ago. In England, since Melonpan is so hard to get, I made my own. After a while I put the recipe on Bukisa hoping it would be of interest to people, but so far it has been impossible to publish the post. So, here it is on my blog. I hope you like it.
メロン (Meron) = Melon
パン(Pan) = Bread
If you have ever been to Japan, you have probably come across this confectionery delight in almost every bakery, sweet shop, cafe and supermarket you visited. There are many varieties of Melon-Pan. Some plain, some with a filling. Some mixed with 抹茶 (Maccha/Green Tea Powder). In Asakusa you can even get Giant Melon-Pan.
This delicious treat can be found all over Japan, but in other parts of the world can be a little harder to obtain. But, with this recipe, and possibly a little importing of flavourings, you can make your very own Melon-Pan at home.
WARNING: One ingredient, Melon Essence, can be hard to come by in some parts of the world. In the UK, I had to have my wife's family send me some from Japan. If you can't find Melon Essence, you can exchange this for any readily available essence you like the taste of. The results will still be delicious. But, Melon is best.
INGREDIENTS
Cookie Topping
Plain Flour -160g
Unsalted Butter -60g
Sugar -60g
Baking Powder -1/2 Tea Spoon
Egg -1
Melon Essence - To taste
Pan/Bread
Strong Plain Flour - 160g
Plain Flour - 20g
Dried Yeast - 2.5g
Sugar - 15g
Salt - 2g
Skimmed Milk - 4g
RECIPE
Cookie Topping
The cookie topping should be prepared the the day before, and left in the fridge for upto 24hours before being added to the bread.
Sieve the flour and baking soda into a bowl and set aside for use later (step 4).
Add the egg to the butter and mix.
Add the flour. This is best done in 3 equal parts to make mixing easier.
Add the melon essence. You may need to make a few batches to find out how much suits your tastes.
Mix together thoroughly then pack into a long sausage shape in cling-film. Wrap it up, and place it in the fridge for 24hours.
It may seem like a long time, and if you are in a rush you can take it out in 5 hours. However, if too short a time, the cookie may not set correctly, or be hard to handle later.
Pan/Bread
Sieve the plain flour and strong flour into a bowl and add the salt.
In a separate bowl, mix one egg with water to a weight of 100grams.
Add the sugar and yeast to the egg/water mixture and stir.
Add the egg/water/sugar/yeast mixture to the flour and mix thoroughly into a smooth dough that's not sticky. You may need to add a little more flour while mixing to take away the sticky texture.
Kneed the dough on the bench then place into an oven at 60degrees for 30 minutes to rise.
Split the dough into 9 equal parts and kneed to remove the air.
Leave the dough balls under a damp cloth for 30 minutes to rise a little more.
Kneed and fold 2 to 5 times to remove any access air, and roll into balls again.
Putting it all together...
Cut the melon cookie topping into 9 equal parts, and roll each one into a ball.
Place one ball onto a piece of cling film, and wrap the film loosely over the top. Now, roll the ball into a flat disc.
Unwrap the melon-disk and place a dough ball in the centre. Gently wrap the dough ball in the melon-disk leaving the bottom free.
Repeat this process until all 9 balls are wrapped in melon cookie.
Place the Melon-Pan onto a baking tray and score the tops in a cross-hatch design (#) using a plastic knife or cutter.
Place the Melon-Pan into the oven at 60degrees for another 15 minutes.
Turn the oven upto 180 degrees, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cookie top becomes hard and a little brown.
Your Melon-Pan should now be done. Leave it to cool a little on a wire rack, and eat. If you keep it in a sealed container, it should last 2 to 3 days. But....you probably wont leave it that long.
Enjoy.
