Simple and classic, these traditional baked mooncakes are my childhood favourites. If you are using a different-sized mooncake mould or want a different dough : filling ratio, use the Mooncake Dough Calculator to compute the quantities of each ingredient required!
Spread melon seeds onto a baking sheet. Place in the cold oven and turn on the oven to 170°C. Toast for 10 to 20 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant, shaking the tray every 5 minutes so that the seeds toast evenly. Remove the baking sheet on a wire rack and let cool completely.
Making the Mooncake Dough
Sift flour into a large mixing bowl.
Whisk golden syrup, lye water and oil in a separate measuring jug until thoroughly combined. Pour liquid into the flour and stir with a wooden spoon / spatula until a dough has formed. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure all the flour has been mixed in.
Cover with cling wrap or tea towel and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Dividing the Mooncake Filling
Fold the melon seeds into your desired mooncake filling by hand gently. I choose not to use a spatula to mix as it will crush the melon seeds.
Once incorporated, weigh the mooncake filling and divide the total weight by 30 to derive the number of portions you will get. (Based on the quantities stated, you will get approx. 36 portions. However, my store-bought mooncake filling weighs slightly more than 1kg and I actually ended up with 39 portions.)
Flatten the mooncake filling into an even square / rectangular layer and divide the dough into the number of portions you will get. Weigh each portion to ensure each portion is approx. 30-gram and roll into a ball.
Chill the rolled balls in the refrigerator while you work on the dough. The filling will be firmer, making it easier to wrap the mooncake later on.
Dividing the Mooncake Dough
Scrape the dough out onto the counter and knead briefly to ensure dough is smooth, dusting very lightly with flour if needed.
Flatten the dough into an even square / rectangular layer and divide the dough into 40 portions. Weigh each portion to ensure each portion is approx. 20-gram and roll into a ball. Cover with a clingwrap to prevent the dough from drying out.
Wrapping the Mooncakes
Line baking sheets with parchment paper / silpat.
Flatten a piece of dough and enclose a filling ball inside. Let the mooncake come to room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. If the filling is too cold, it will be hard to shape / stamp out the mooncake.
Dust the mooncake mould lightly with flour, place the mooncake inside and stamp out directly onto the lined baking sheet. Space the mooncakes 2 inches apart.
Making the Egg Wash
Whisk egg yolk and water together in a small bowl.
Baking the Mooncakes
Preheat oven to 180°C (conventional) / 170°C (convectional).
Spritz the surface of the mooncakes with water. Dip a pastry brush into the egg wash. Remove the excess egg wash and brush the top of the mooncakes gently and lightly. (As the designs are very delicate, if you brush with too much egg wash or used too much strength, the designs may be ruined.)
Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside on a rack for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 175°C (conventional) / 165°C (convectional).
Brush with a second layer of egg wash and bake for another 10 to 13 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Set the baking sheets on a rack and let the mooncakes cool completely.
Resting
Store the cooled mooncakes in an airtight container. Let the mooncakes rest for 2 days to allow the skin to soften before consuming. The skin will also become darker as it rests.
Storage
Store the mooncakes in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week. Store them in the refrigerator to last longer.