Japanese Melon Pan Ingredients: (makes about 12 buns) Bread Dough: 300g bread flour 6g instant yeast 36g

caster sugar 5g salt 6g skim milk powder (I used my boy's milk powder) 200g warm water (37~38 degC) (I didn't bother, just made sure water is not cold) 30g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature) Pastry layer 80g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature) 90g caster sugar 80g egg, lightly beaten (oh, I hate weighing eggs!) 200g cake flour 2g baking powder some melon extract (I leave this out as I don't have this) some caster sugar for dusting/coating How I made them:

1. Sift bread flour, caster sugar, salt, milk powder into a mixing bowl. Add in instant yeast and mix the powdered mixture a little. 2. Add in warm water. DO NOT add in all the water at one go, leave a little bit so as to adjust the texture of the dough. 3. Mix the ingredients with hand and slowly form into a dough. Add the remaining water if it is too dry. 4. Transfer dough to work surface. Knead until the dough longer sticks to the work surface. This should take about less than 5 mins. 5. Flatten the dough and add in the butter. Continue to knead. Initially, the dough will be very oily, after a few kneads, the butter will be absorbed by the dough. Continue to knead until the dough no longer feel sticky to your hand and will not stick to the work surface. This should take about 15 to 20 mins. 6. Place dough in a lightly greased (with butter) bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof for about one hour, or until double in bulk. 7. While the dough is proofing, prepare the pastry layer. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until mixture turns pale. 8. Add in a few drops of melon extract if desired. 9. Add in lightly beaten eggs in 3 addition. Beat well after each addition. 10. Sift over cake flour and baking powder. Mix with a spatula until flour mixture is fully incorporate. Divide into 12 portions, about 35~40g each. For the chocolate chips version, wrapped some chocolate chips into each pastry dough. Place in a tray and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins. 11. Punch out the gas in the bread dough and divide into 12 portion, about 45g each. Roll into rounds. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and let the dough relax for 10mins.

12. Remove chilled pastry dough from the fridge. Roll out each dough in between 2 layers of cling wraps (I used clear plastic bags). Roll the bread dough again into rounds again. Remove the top layer of the cling wrap and place the bread dough onto the pastry dough. With the bottom layer of the cling wrap still intact, wrap the pastry dough around the bread dough. Carefully remove the bottom layer of the cling wrap, at the same time, smoothing the edges of the pastry dough. NOTE: DO NOT cover the Entire bread dough with the pastry dough. Leave the bottom 2 ~ 3 cm uncovered. The dough needs the space to expand, otherwise the pastry dough will burst and the resulting appearance will not be very pleasing. 13. Coat the exterior with caster sugar, stamp patterns on the surface with cookie cutters or decorate as desired. Leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 40 ~ 50mins. 14. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 deg C (I set mine as 180 deg C) for 10 ~ 12 mins. Note: mine took 20mins to brown!

Bread Ingredients:
2 Cups bread flour 1/4 Cup baker's sugar 1 Teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon nonfat milk powder 2 Teaspoons yeast 3/4 Cup warm water 2 Tablespoons butter (softened)

Pastry Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons butter (softened) 1/2 Cup baker's sugar 1-2 Tablespoons melon flavoring 2 Medium eggs 1 1/2 Cups cake flour 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder 1/2 Cup granulated sugar (for dipping)

INGREDIENT

16 BUNS

BREAD DOUGH water egg butter bread flour powdered milk + cup 1 5 Tbsp. 2 cups 5 Tbsp.

salt sugar dry yeast

1 tsp. 3 Tbsp. 1 tsp. COOKIE DOUGH

butter sugar egg cake flour baking powder granulated sugar

scant 6 Tbsp. heaping cup 2 2 cups heaping tsp. to coat

Melon Pan Recipe

03/09/11

Melon pan is an oddity (at least for most of us in the U.S.) in that its basically a sweet bun surrounded by a cookie crust. Despite what Id initially heard about melon pan, the cookie dough actually isnt flavored with melon, but rather vanilla and perhaps a little lemon zest. The first step is the cookie coating. Youll need: 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) softened butter 3.25 ounces (scant half cup) sugar 7.5 ounces (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon zest Superfine sugar for dusting In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the beater, beat the butter and sugar until light in color. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in one bowl and the egg, egg white and extract (if you have it) in another. Add the egg mixture in two additions, beating well and scraping the bowl as needed. Once the egg is incorporated, slowly add in the flour and beat on low until its

incorporated. Roll the dough into a log and place it in the refrigerator, covered, for at least half an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the buns. Youll need: 10.5 ounces (scant 2 cups) bread flour 1/4 ounces (1 tablespoon) milk powder (dry milk) 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast 1.25 ounces (3 tablespoons) sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 6 ounces (3/4 cup) lukewarm water 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter (bring to room temperature) Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle (beater). Stir to combine, then add the water. Continue to stir until all the ingredients are moistened, then switch to the dough hook and knead on medium until a ball forms, about three minutes. Add the softened butter and knead until its incorporated. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and let rise about an hour until doubled (youll want to cover it with plastic wrap or towel to keep it from drying out). When the dough has risen, divide it into twelve equal portions and roll the pieces into balls. Cover them with a slightly moistened towel and let them sit about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the cookie dough balls from refrigerator. One at a time, roll them out between two layers of plastic wrap, to a diameter of about three inches. When you finish one, remove the top layer of plastic, place a ball of dough in the center and enclose it in the cookie dough (youll want to leave a small hole at the top, which will actually be the bottom, to allow for expansion). Invert the ball onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and carefully remove the plastic wrap. With a sharp knife, score the cookie dough in a criss-cross pattern (or any pattern you like, really). Let the balls proof for another 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375. When the balls have swelled slightly, sprinkle superfine sugar all over them. Insert the pan into the oven and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

No Knead Pizza Dough Ingredients: 1 cup water 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup caster sugar (I used 40g) 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (I used 1 teaspoon Instant yeast) 2 (250g) cups plus 1/4 cup (30g) plain flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (heaping) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (scant) 1/4 tablespoon salt (heaping) extra flour for dusting pizza toppings and grated mozzarella cheese Method:
1. Mix water, sugar and vegetable oil in a pan. Scald (heat until just before boiling) the mixture. Leave to cool for 45mins ~ 1 hour. 2. Place 250g (2 cups) plain flour and Instant yeast in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the above mixture. Stir with a spatula until the mixture comes together to form a thick batter. (If using Active Dry Yeast, sprinkle the yeast into the mixture and let it sit for a minute before adding it to the plain flour.) Cover and let the batter sit for at least 1 hour. Add in the remaining 30g (1/4 cup) flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until the mixture comes together. Either go ahead to make the pizza or cover and leave to chill in fridge over night or until needed. If left to chill, check the dough and punch it down by folding with a spatula if the dough rises almost to the rim of the mixing bowl. (Note: dough will be easier to handle if left over night.) 3. When ready, place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray. Dust parchment paper generously with flour, transfer dough onto parchment paper. Dust dough freely with flour, dust hands with flour, flatten and roll out the dough into a thin round or rectangular shape, as desired. 4. Spread dough with a layer of pizza sauce, top with some grated mozzarella cheese. Arrange toppings over the surface evenly. Top with more grated mozzarella cheese, bake in preheated oven at 200degC for about 15 mins or until the pizza base turns golden brown and the cheese melted.

A great Neo-Neapolitan pizza crust recipe comes from Peter Reinharts book American Pie, which I heartily recommend. It goes like this: 1 lb. 9 ounces (5 cups) all purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar or honey 2 teaspoons salt (or 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt) 1 teaspoon instant yeast

2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 3/4 to 2 cups room-temperature water 5. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or mix in an electric mixer for 4 minutes. After youve combined all of the ingredients, set the dough aside to rest for 5 minutes. Stir again for 2 more minutes. The dough should be a bitt stickier than youd normally expect. If youre using an electric mixer, it should pull away from the sides of the bowl, yet stick some to the bottom. 6. For Neapolitan-style pizza, you want your dough pieces no heavier than 7.5 ouncesso divide the dough into five pieces. Form into a rough ball, then put the balls into individual ziploc bags that youve lubed with nonstick spray. Let the bags sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then put in the refrigerator overnight. 7. Take the dough balls out of the fridge 2 hours before you plan on making pizza to take of the chill and let them rise. 8. NOTE: Try this in your home oven too! The results wont be identical, but theyll be darn tasty. Just put your pizza stone directly on the floor of your oven and turn your oven as high as itll go. Bake for about 7 minutes. If youre not getting the browning on top you need, finish it under the broiler!