Kawaii (cute) Japanese Turtle Melon Pan Recipe by Herman Huang

Herman Huang first had Japanese melon pan in a Japanese coffee bakery shop in Sydney, Australia. A foodie and well-traveled baker, Herman finds inspiration wherever he goes, and in different foods he enjoys. This simple and easy recipe will have you making the cutest turtle melon pan. Note that melon pan is named for looking like melons, and they usually are not made with melon. Have black sesame seeds ready to add eyes for the cute turtles. A pastry scraper or dough cutter is great to used for scoring the tops of the cookie crusts, in diamond pattern.

Use matcha or food coloring to change the color of the turtle’s shells. Picture by Herman Huang

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Cute Japanese Turtle Melon Pan

Yield

6 melon pan

Author

Herman Huang

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

120 Min

Total time

2 H & 24 M

I first tried Japanese Melon Pan in a Japanese coffee bakery shop in Sydney. I loved the cute look of the bread and the taste was really yummy and unforgettable. I attempted to make it at home and it turned out awesome. I also made the turtle in more colors besides the traditional one.

Ingredients US Metric

For the Dough

• 230 g bread flour [1 ½ cup] 
• 40 g sugar powder [⅓ cup] 
• 4 g salt [⅔ tsp] 
• 5 g instant yeast [2 tsp] 
• 8 g egg (room temperature) [1 ½ tsp] 
• 80 ml water [⅓ cup] 
• 30 ml milk [2 tbsp] 
• 24 g butter (room temperature) [1 ¾ tbsp] 

For the Crust

• 30 g unsalted butter (room temperature) [2 tbsp] 
• 40 g sugar powder [⅓ cup] 
• 30 g egg (room temperature) [2 tbsp] 
• 95 g all purpose flour [⅔ cup] 
• 2 g baking powder [½ tsp] 

For the Colours

• (pink food colour & ½ tsp matcha powder) 

For the Custard Filling

• 12 g custard powder [1 tbsp] 
• 15 g sugar [1 tbsp] 
• 120 ml milk [½ cup]

Instructions

Make the bread dough

1. Combine the bread flour, sugar powder, salt, dry instant yeast, egg, milk, and water in a large bowl. 
2. Knead until less sticky then add the butter and continue to knead until soft. Rest for 40min. Meanwhile...

Make the crust

1. Combine the unsalted butter, sugar powder, and egg. Then add the all-purpose flour and baking powder.
2. Make 3 colours, 1/3 dough mix with pink food colour, 1/3 dough mix with 1/2 tsp matcha powder and another 1/3 dough stay with original colour, then refrigerate.

Make the custard filling

1. Combine the custard powder, sugar and milk in a pot, then cook until thick over medium heat, then cool it completely. 

Assemble Turtle Melonpan

1. Cut the bread dough into 12 (6 for main bread and the other 6 for turtle head and legs). 
2. Flatten the main dough then add custard filling, wrap and seal, form into ball shape to make turtle body. 
3. Cut the crust each colour into half then flatten. 
4. Wrap the turtle body with crust then cover the it with sugar, give diamond-cut pattern on the top. 
5. Cut the rest 6 bread dough into 3 each, and cut 2 pieces in half. Use 1 big piece for head and 4 small pieces for the legs.  
6. Place head, legs and body on a baking tray in turtle shape. 
7. Proofing time 40 minutes. - Give some eggwash on the head and legs part and bake in preheated oven 170’C for about 12 minutes.

Recommended Products:

Modern Asian Baking at Home Cookbook

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Japanese melon pan recipe

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The insides of the melon pan filled with delicious custard. Change things up by adding salted duck egg yolk to the custard!

About the baker

Herman is an Indonesian living in Quebec City Canada. He is a breakfast cook and has passion in cooking and baking all kind of cuisines. He often makes Asian food at home, especially Vietnamese dishes as he loves to cook for his partner, a Vietnamese. Herman loves everything about this country, Vietnam.

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