Name: How to Make Handmade Melon Pan (Japanese Sweet Bun Recipe)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 30g Unsalted Butter (for the cookie biscuit dough); 55g Sugar (for the cookie biscuit dough); 25g Beaten Egg (for the cookie biscuit dough); 95g All-Purpose Flour (for the cookie biscuit dough); 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (for the cookie biscuit dough); 160g Bread Flour (for the bread dough); 40g All Purpose Flour (for the bread dough); 4g Instant Dry Yeast (for the bread dough); 30g Sugar (for the bread dough); 26g Beaten Egg (for the bread dough); 105-115ml Milk (for the bread dough); 2g Salt (for the bread dough); 30g Unsalted Butter (for the bread dough); Sugar (for decoration)

How to Make Handmade Melon Pan (Japanese Sweet Bun Recipe)

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“Melon Pan” is an iconic classic sweetbread and a beloved treat among all generations in Japan. From convenience stores to high-end artisanal bakeries, it is a staple of Japanese food culture. What makes it so special is the delightful contrast in textures: it features a unique combination of a thin, crispy, cookie-like crust on the outside and a cloud-like, fluffy bread roll on the inside. Its charming round shape and sweet aroma are enough to make anyone smile at first bite.

Interestingly, despite the name “Melon Pan,” it usually does not contain any actual melon. Instead, the name comes from its appearance. The cross-hatched pattern scored into the cookie dough resembles the rind of a musk melon—a fruit considered a luxurious, high-class delicacy in Japan. While most traditional versions taste of sweet butter and vanilla, some modern bakeries now add melon juice or green coloring to align the flavor with its famous name.

The Japanese obsession with this bread is immense. In Tokyo, there is an annual Melon Pan Festival that attracts thousands of fans. The bread's cultural impact is so deep that you can find bakeries specializing exclusively in Melon Pan, famous animated characters designed after the bread, and even catchy songs dedicated to it. If you visit Japan, trying a warm Melon Pan straight from the oven is a mandatory culinary experience!

The history of Melon Pan is as rich as its flavor, with several fascinating theories regarding its origin. The most prominent story tells of an Armenian baker at the Imperial Hotel who, in 1910, combined the techniques of French galettes with soft Russian bread. Another popular theory originates from a bakery in Kobe, which created a sweet bread shaped like the rising sun. To this day, some traditional bakeries in Western Japan still refer to it as “Sunrise Pan.” If you’re a fan of unique doughs, you can explore more in our dedicated article on the diverse world of Japanese breads.

If you’ve become curious about this legendary treat, why not bring the scent of a Japanese bakery into your own kitchen? We are excited to introduce a classic, traditional Melon Pan recipe that you can easily master at home. In this guide, we will demonstrate the handmade process to show you the authentic feel of the dough, though a stand mixer is a great time-saver if you prefer. We’ll also share professional tips—such as how to achieve the perfect golden-brown crust—to guarantee your success.

The heavenly aroma of freshly baked butter and sugar will surely make your family’s and friends’ mouths water, leaving them eager to devour your creations immediately. We hope you enjoy the process of baking and eating this Japanese favorite!

Overview

Prep time: 40 minsCook time: 1hr 20minsTotal time: 2hrs 0mins

Total servings: 6

Difficulty: Medium

Main Ingredients

Cookie biscuit dough

Unsalted Butter

30g

Sugar

55g

Beaten Egg Salt

25g

All-Purpose Flour

95g

Nisshin Violet Special Flour for Tempura and Confectionery 1kg

Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp

Bread dough

Bread Flour

160g

All Purpose Flour

40g

Nisshin Violet Special Flour for Tempura and Confectionery 1kg

Instant Dry Yeast

4g

Sugar

30g

Beaten Egg

26g

Milk

105-115ml

Salt

2g

Okinawa Blue Sea Salt Roasted Seawater Salt 50g

Unsalted Butter

30g

Decoration

Sugar

Appropriate amount

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredients

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Gather all the ingredients together and bring them to room temperature.

(Picture 1: Ingredients for the biscuit dough, Picture 2: Ingredients for the bread dough and decoration.

Tip: Using both bread flour and all-purpose flour will make the texture of melon pan soft and fluffy, but feel free to use only all-purpose flour.

2) Making the Melon Pan Biscuit Dough

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Place your room temperature, softened butter and sugar into a large bowl and whisk them together until creamy. Add the beaten egg and vanilla essence, and mix well to combine.

Sift the flour into the dough and lightly mix with a spatula until the flour is evenly incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the dough.

Expert's Tip

This All-Purpose Flour works perfectly to create a fluffy texture for bread, a crisp texture for biscuits, and can also be used when making butter cake, sponge cake, cookies, and even for frying foods like tempura or karaage. It is a must-have item at home.

3) Preparing the Melon Pan Bread Dough

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In a large bowl, add half of the bread flour, all-purpose flour, instant dry yeast, and sugar. Add the beaten egg to the opposite side of the bowl from where the yeast is. Pour the milk directly on top of the yeast. (See the first picture for reference.) Mix the dough thoroughly with a spatula until it becomes smooth.

Once smooth, add in the remaining bread flour, salt, and butter. Then continue mixing the dough. When the dough is no longer powdery, transfer it to a clean work surface. Use the palms of your hands to push and knead the dough. (See the fourth picture for reference.)

This dough is quite sticky, but once the butter has fully absorbed into the dough, it will eventually become very smooth. (It can take up to 10 minutes to reach this point.)

When the dough is smooth, stretch it out to see if the gluten has developed enough. If you don’t know how to check, basically, the dough should not tear when stretched. (See the fifth picture for reference.)

Tip: Pouring the egg over the yeast will prevent it from dissolving properly into the dough, so please be sure to add the egg on the opposite side of the yeast.

Note: If you are using a stand mixer, add flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and egg directly into the bowl. Then, turn the machine onto a low speed and stream the milk in very slowly. After about 1.5 minutes of kneading, add in the butter. 2-3 minutes of kneading by machine will be enough to proceed to the next step.

4) Resting the Bread Dough

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put the dough in a warm place (at around 40°C or 104°F) for 25-35 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

5) Cutting and Shaping the Bread Dough

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After the bread dough has rested, dust your index finger with flour and poke the center of the dough. (See the first picture for reference.) If the hole does not spring back, the dough is ready.

Punch the dough to release the built-up gas that was created while it was resting. (See the second picture for reference.)

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a work surface. Measure the weight of the dough (it should be around 390-400g) and cut the dough with a dough scraper into 6 equal pieces (each should be 65-66g).

Knead each piece nicely and shape them into evenly round and smooth balls. (See the fourth picture for reference.)
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for an additional 15 minutes at room temperature.

6) Kneading and Shaping the Biscuit Dough

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Roll out the cookie biscuit dough and cut it into 6 pieces.

Knead it well until it becomes smooth and slightly stretchy. Shape each piece into a round circle and then flatten them with a dough scraper. (Each piece should be around 10cm wide.)

After 15 minutes of resting, roll out the bread dough again and shape it into rounds.

Place the cookie biscuit dough onto the bread dough. Repeat this process with all 6 pieces.

Dip the top of the now-formed melon pan into a bowl of granulated sugar. Hold the bottom side of the biscuit dough to spread the sugar around evenly.

Using a dough scraper or knife, score the biscuit dough surface diagonally in a 3 by 3 pattern to give the bread its melon appeal.

Note: Making the cookie biscuit dough can be a bit tricky. It is important to knead, smooth, and stretch out the biscuit dough before shaping it to avoid cracks while baking.

7) Resting the Melon Pan

Place the shaped melon pan onto a baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap. Put the dough in a warm place (around 40°C or 104°F) for 20-25 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

8) Baking the Melon Pan

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 160°C (320°F) and bake for another 5 minutes until done!

Tip: You’ll know your melon pan are fully baked when the bottom of the bread turns light brown. If it remains white, bake for another 1-2 minutes.

Notes about storing melon pan: Melon pan tastes best when eaten fresh. If you can’t consume them all at once, you can freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag for 2-3 weeks. Reheat them by microwaving for 30-50 seconds or popping them into your toaster oven for a minute or two to crisp up.

Ayako Kidokoro

Ayako is a recipe writer based in Frankfurt, Germany. Though she is originally from Japan, she has lived across five countries both in America and Europe. She loves writing dessert-related recipes and sharing them with Japanese Taste readers, but she also loves educating people about Japanese tradition, culture, and language. She loves exploring and making new recipes from scratch, but other than food, she also loves doing yoga to help her stay in shape and relax.

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