Melon pan (crispy Japanese brioche)

Ingredients

• 240 g T45 pastry flour
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 25 g sanding sugar
• 4 g active dry yeast
• 2 g baking powder
• 100 ml whole milk
• 1 piece egg
• 70 g unsalted butter
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Warm the milk until it is barely warm to the touch, then mix it with the yeast and a portion of the sugar; let rest until a slight foam appears and it smells yeasty.
2. Add the brioche flour, salt, beaten egg, and remaining sugar, then knead until the dough comes together; incorporate a portion of the softened butter and continue until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly elastic.
3. Cover the brioche dough and let rise in a warm spot until well puffed and airy; it should slowly spring back when poked lightly with a fingertip.
4. During the rise, prepare the cookie dough by creaming the remaining butter with the sugar, then adding the vanilla, a little beaten egg, the remaining flour, and the baking powder; stop as soon as the dough is homogenous, then chill until firm but malleable.
5. Gently punch down the brioche dough, divide it into even balls, and roll them under your palm to stretch the surface taut; let rest under a kitchen towel until soft to the touch.
6. Roll out the cookie dough into thin discs, place a disc on each brioche ball, and wrap it around without completely closing the bottom; press gently to adhere without crushing the crumb.
7. Roll the tops in the sanding sugar, then score a shallow grid pattern with the back of a knife; the lines should mark the crust without cutting into the brioche.
8. Let rise a second time on a baking sheet until the buns feel lighter and the score lines open up slightly, then bake in a preheated oven until the crust is golden and cracked, and the bottoms sound hollow.
9. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving; the ideal contrast is reached when the crust is still crunchy while the crumb remains soft and fragrant.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

473.4 kcal

Protein

9.04 g

Carbohydrate

69.81 g

Fat

16.9 g

Fibre

2.03 g

Calcium

85.8 mg

Iron

0.82 mg

Magnesium

19 mg