Hot Cross Gingerbread Melon Pan

hotcrossgingerbreadmelonpanthumb.JPGJapanese Melon Pan is a kind of sweet bread roll, with a crumbly, sugary cookie crust.

Here's a new twist - a fruited hot cross bun, wrapped in gingerbread - Hot Cross Gingerbread Melon Pan!

The Recipe

Makes 12 buns

Ingredients:

  • For the fruited bun centre
  • 300g White bread flour ('strong' flour)
  • 200ml Warm water
  • 100g Raisins
  • 100g Candied citrus peel
  • 40g Caster sugar
  • 30g Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered milk
  • 1 Sachet (6g) instant dried yeast
  • 1 Heaped teaspoon ground mixed spices (this is a blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice)
  • For the gingerbread crust
  • 200g Self raising flour
  • 90g Caster Sugar
  • 80g Butter
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 Heaped teaspoon ground ginger
  • Additionally
  • Sugar for dusting (I used a mix of white granulated and demerara)

Method (Video):

(Scroll down further if you just want to read the method in written form)

Method:

Start the fruited dough

Sift the bread flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar, yeast, milk powder and mixed spice. Mix these dry ingredients together.

Add the raisins and peel. Mix again.

Melt the butter and add this along with the water. Mix thoroughly until a dough is formed. Cover and leave in a warm place for half an hour.

Make the gingerbread

Soften the butter by warming it to room temperature (but don't melt it completely) and put it in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and blend it to a smooth paste with the butter.

Add the egg and mix this thoroughly with the butter/sugar - go carefully at first to avoid splashing; once it has blended a little, beat it to a batter-like consistency.

Mix the flour and ginger together - sift half of this into the bowl and mix it in, then sift in and mix the second half.

Mix until it forms a stiff, dryish dough - form this into a ball, then cover the bowl and put it in the fridge.

Form the buns

Retrieve the fruited dough and knead it on a floured board for a minute or two, then divide it into 12 equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball, then space these out on the board - cover with plastic film and leave again in a warm place for half an hour.

Wrap the buns

Divide the gingerbread dough into twelve equal pieces and roll each one into a ball. Roll each one of these flat between two sheets of plastic, using a rolling pin (the dough will be too fragile and sticky to roll thin on its own, but can be rolled thin between plastic)>

Peel off one layer of plastic and place a ball of fruited dough on top of the rolled out gingerbread. Use the plastic to gather up the flattened gingerbread and wrap it around the filling.

Aim for about three-quarters coverage.

Peel off the other layer of plastic and roll the top part of the gingerbread in sugar, then place it (sugar side up) on an oiled baking tray. Leave space for it to double in size.

Using a sharp knife, press a cross cut into the top of each bun. Leave them again in a warm place for a final rise before baking - 15 minutes should do it.

Preheat the oven to 170C (340F or Gas Mark 3).

Place the trays in the oven and set a timer for 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven when baked to an even light brown colour - transfer immediately to a wire rack.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving - the inside will be very hot and may seem doughy until cooled.

hotcrossgingerbreadmelonpan1.JPG

Melon Pan

hotcrossgingerbreadmelonpan2.JPGMelon Pan is a Japanese baked bun - named for its resemblance to the netted skin of a melon - although having acquired this name, it is now also commonly flavoured with melon extract.

This recipe can be used to make a more traditional Melon Pan as follows:

Leave the fruit and spices out of the bread dough.

Leave the ginger out of the crust; add a few drops of melon or other fruit flavouring extract.

Use white sugar for dusting.

Press a grid of lines into the top of the buns before final proving, rather than a single crosscut.

Note

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