Melonpan (Japanese Melon Bread)

Cookie dough:

1. Whisk the butter until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until dissolved.
2. When the color turns white, gradually add the beaten egg and mix (do not add all at once or the butter will separate). Bring butter and egg to room temperature (approx. 20 C/68 F) first.
3. Add the baking powder to the cake flour and mix, then sift the mixture twice.
4. Add one third of the flour to the butter mixture and lightly mix with a spatula; add another third and mix, then the rest, stirring just until the flour is combined. Do not overmix.
5. Place the dough on a tray covered with plastic wrap, dust your hands with bread flour and shape into a cylinder. Cover and chill in the fridge for over 1 hour.

Bread dough & 1st fermentation: 6. Add the sugar, salt, dry milk powder and yeast to the bread flour and whisk well. Dilute the beaten egg with the warm water and gradually stir into the flour until evenly mixed. 7. Turn out onto a pastry board, gather into a ball and briefly knead. 8. Throw the dough on the board, fold it away, grab a side and throw again; gather with a scraper and knead using your body weight until less sticky. 9. Flatten the dough, spread on the butter, gather the rim toward the center and knead in the butter, then form a ball. 10. Continue throwing and rolling the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and glossy. 11. Shape into a ball, return to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes. 12. When risen by 50%, dip a finger in bread flour and poke a hole; if it quickly disappears it needs more time. Weigh the dough. 13. Dust the board with bread flour, flatten the dough to remove gas, roll into a cylinder and divide into 5 equal pieces by weight. 14. Shape each piece into a ball with a tightly closed bottom. Line up on a floured tray, cover and rest 20 minutes at room temperature.

Shaping cookie dough: 15. Divide the cookie dough into 5 equal pieces by weight; dust hands with bread flour and shape each into a ball. 16. Place a ball on plastic wrap, cover with more wrap and press with the side of a scraper into a round sheet (a 9 cm/3.5" template under the wrap helps). 17. Line the cookie sheets on a floured tray and chill in the fridge while the bread dough rests.

2nd fermentation & baking: 18. Reshape each bread dough into a ball, cover with a cookie sheet and adjust the shape; hold upside down and stretch the cookie sheet up to the center. 19. Pinch the bottom closed, dip the cookie side in sugar, then score a diamond pattern on top with a scraper. 20. Line up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 21. Let sit in a warm place (about 37 C/99 F) for a second rise of about 40 minutes until nearly doubled. 22. Preheat the oven to 170 C (338 F) and bake about 12 minutes until slightly browned on top. Cool on a rack and serve.

Notes: If johakuto or powdered sugar is unavailable, grind granulated sugar in a blender/food processor, or use granulated sugar mixed until not grainy. Keep egg and butter at room temperature. Watch the fermentation time so the dough does not over-rise.