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How to Make Japanese Melonpan Turtle Bread | TikTok Recipe

These Adorable Turtle Bread Buns on TikTok Are Covered in a Crunchy Chocolate Cookie Shell

@audreysaurus

TURTLE BREAD 🐢 baking sheet is from @wiltshireau

♬ Our House by the Waterfall - Rook1e

We've run the gamut for baking banana bread and looking after sourdough starter like it's a beloved class pet, but this adorable turtle bread recipe may have just renewed our passion for baking. Inspired by melonpan, a type of Japanese sweet bun, the recipe — created by TikTok user @audreysaurus — combines a yeast-based matcha bread with a layer of chocolate cookie crumble for a bake that's almost too cute to eat.

The recipe does require a couple hours of proofing the dough — aka letting it rise — but once it's ready, you and your nearest and dearest can work together to roll out their little arms, legs, and reptilian heads. In her demonstration, Audrey makes the turtles look like something straight out of a cartoon by etching a criss-cross pattern on the backs of their chocolate shells and adding black sesame seeds for eyes, making them fun to put together whether you're a seasoned baker or still trying to perfect TikTok's four-ingredient Cool Whip cookies.

Once you get past the initial cuteness and tear into a fully-baked turtle bun, the inside looks warm, fluffy, and perfect for enjoying with a Starbucks secret menu Strawberry Matcha. See the full turtle bread recipe ahead and test out these other family-friendly baking recipes if you're in the mood to make your kitchen smell like a bakery.

Turtle Bread

Audreysaurus

How to Make Japanese Melonpan Turtle Bread | TikTok Recipe

Ingredients

  1. For the Yeast Base:
    1/3 cup warm milk
    1 1/8 teaspoon dry active yeast
    1/2 teaspoon sugar
  1. For the Matcha Bun:
    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
    1 tablespoon milk powder
    1 tablespoon matcha powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 egg
    2 tablespoons softened butter
  1. For the Chocolate Cookie Shell:
    3 tablespoons softened butter
    2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
    2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
    1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon cocoa powder
    1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
    1/2 egg white

Directions

  1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the warm milk, followed by the instant dry yeast and sugar. Stir to combine.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, milk powder, matcha powder, salt, egg, and the yeast mixture from Step 1.
  3. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, knead the mixture together until a ball of dough forms.
  4. Next, add the 2 tablespoons of softened butter to the dough and knead until thoroughly combined.
  5. Set the dough in a bowl and cover it with a cloth. Set it aside in a warm, dry spot to rise for about 90 minutes.
  6. While the dough is rising, prepare the chocolate shell by mixing together the softened butter, sugar, powdered sugar, flour, cocoa powder, vanilla essence, and 1/2 an egg white.
  7. Once the dough has risen, divide it into four even sections.
  8. Reserve about 1/3 of each dough ball to be shaped into smaller balls for the turtles' arms, legs, and heads.
  9. Assemble the large and small balls of dough to form four evenly-sized turtles on a baking sheet. Be sure to space them about an inch apart.
  10. Roll the cookie crumble into four even balls and press them flat between your hands before laying them on the back of each turtle.
  11. Using a butter knife, etch a criss-cross pattern into the cookie crumble across each turtle bun.
  12. Add a sprinkle of sugar to each turtle bun and two black sesame seeds for eyes.
  13. Cover the baking sheet with a cloth and let the turtles rise for another 30 minutes.
  14. Bake for 15-16 minutes at 338°F and enjoy!
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