🍞 Thai Tea Custard Melon Pan 🍊✨

A Japanese classic with a Thai twist—soft melon pan filled with aromatic Thai tea custard and topped with a crunchy cookie crust!

Ingredients

For the Melon Pan Dough

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp dry active yeast
• ½ cup warm milk (110°F / 45°C)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup warm water

For the Thai Tea Custard

• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp Thai tea leaves (or powder)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cookie Crust

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

Instructions

1. Prepare Custard: Heat milk and cream, steep Thai tea 5–7 min, strain. Whisk yolks, sugar, cornstarch. Slowly add tea mixture. Cook until thickened. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cool completely.
2. Make Dough: Activate yeast in warm milk + water. Mix flour, sugar, salt. Add yeast mix, egg, vanilla, then butter. Knead 10 min until smooth. Let rise 1–1.5 hrs until doubled.
3. Cookie Crust: Cream butter + sugar. Add egg, vanilla. Mix in flour + baking powder. Divide into 8 disks.
4. Assemble: Punch down dough, divide into 8. Flatten, fill with custard, seal into balls. Top with cookie crust disks. Score criss-cross pattern.
5. Second Rise: Cover and rise 30 min until puffed.
6. Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush crust with water, sprinkle sugar. Bake 15–20 min until golden.
7. Cool: Rest on wire rack 10 min before serving.

Tips

• Make Ahead: Custard can be prepared a day in advance.
• Variations: Try matcha or chocolate custard fillings.
• Texture: Crunchy cookie crust contrasts with fluffy bread and creamy custard.

Details

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Rise Time: ~2 hours
• Bake Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: ~3 hours
• Yield: 8 buns
• Kcal: ~280 kcal per bun

✨ A delightful fusion of Japanese melon pan and Thai tea custard—perfect with a cup of tea!