History

Melonpan emerged in Tokyo's bakeries in the early 20th century, with the cookie-topped form attributed variously to Kobe and Tokyo bakers in the 1910s and 1930s. The dish is now a national bakery staple, and Asakusa's Kagetsudo (opened 1945) is widely credited with making the city's most famous outsized melonpan. Tokyo bakeries push variations (matcha, melon-cream filled, chocolate-chip) but the canonical form is the plain bun with the grid-scored cookie top, baked twice a day and sold warm.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 8Hands-on 45 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the bun dough: 280g strong bread flour
  • 6g instant yeast
  • 40g caster sugar
  • 4g fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg (50g)
  • 130ml whole milk (warm)
  • 30g unsalted butter (softened)
  • For the cookie topping: 120g plain flour
  • 60g unsalted butter (softened)
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2g baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Caster sugar, for sprinkling

Method

  1. Make the dough: combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the egg and warm milk; mix to a shaggy mass. Knead 8 to 10 minutes by hand (or 6 minutes in a stand mixer) until smooth.
  2. Knead in the butter a piece at a time until fully incorporated. Cover; rise 60 to 90 minutes until doubled.
  3. Make the cookie topping: cream butter and sugar until pale. Beat in the yolk and vanilla. Fold in the flour and baking powder to a soft dough. Shape into a log; chill 30 minutes.
  4. Divide the bun dough into 8 pieces (about 60g each); shape into smooth balls.
  5. Divide the cookie dough into 8 pieces (about 30g each); roll each between sheets of cling film into a 10cm disc.
  6. Drape a cookie disc over each ball; press gently to adhere. Sprinkle the top with caster sugar and score a diamond grid with a bench scraper or knife.
  7. Place on a lined baking sheet; rest 30 minutes (the dough rises while the cookie cracks naturally along the grid lines).
  8. Bake at 180C for 13 to 15 minutes until the cookie top is just golden and the bun base sounds hollow.
  9. Cool 10 minutes on a rack; eat warm.

Tip from the editors. Roll the cookie disc as thin as you can; thick tops bake too dry and crack into shards rather than the clean grid. Rotate the tray halfway for even colouring.

Where to eat melonpan

Melonpan in Tokyo

Nakamise-dori snack street ★ 4.1

Street food¥Daily 09:00-19:00 (vendor hours vary)Cash only

Nakamise-dori in Tokyo's Asakusa is the 250-metre snack street between Kaminarimon gate and Senso-ji temple. Ningyo-yaki, agemanju, senbei since 1685.

Try: Ningyo-yaki, agemanju, senbei rice crackers

Tip: The ningyo-yaki at Kimura-ya Honten and senbei at Tokiwa-do are the historic picks. Eat on the spot, do not walk-and-eat.

Tokyo 111-0032, Japan

Centre The Bakery ★ 4.7

Bakery¥Mon-Sun 10:00-19:00Shokupan and Western breads

Centre The Bakery in Tokyo's Ginza is the shokupan-only counter where queues form for the milk bread tasting flight by 11:00 most days. Cafe seating upstairs.

Tip: The cafe side seats a toast-tasting flight; the takeaway counter sells loaves whole. Closed New Year.

Worth the queue: Three-style shokupan tasting (Pullman, mountain, raisin)

Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Pelican Bakery ★ 4.5

Bakery¥¥

Pelican Bakery in Tokyo: 1942 Asakusa bakery that bakes only shokupan and rolls, sells out by 14:00, and locals reserve loaves two days ahead.

Why locals love it: 1942 Asakusa bakery that bakes only shokupan and rolls, sells out by 14:00, and locals reserve loaves two days ahead.

Tip: Phone-reserve a loaf two days ahead, or arrive by 10:00 on a weekday. The Pelican Cafe serves the same loaves toasted.

Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0042, Japan

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