These baked Korean Matcha Mochi Bread have an chewy interior with a crisp exterior and are made in a similar manner to Brazilian Cheese Bread. Green tea flavours the dough and a sprinkling of sesame seeds adds a little nutty flavour.
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I recently discovered Korean Mochi Bread Balls and was instantly reminded of Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao de Queijo).
In fact, the ingredients are practically the same, with the exception that the Brazilian Cheese Bread is savoury and Korean Mochi Bread is usually sweet.
These chewy yet crisp mochi bread is made with only a few ingredients.
What does mochi bread taste like?
Freshly baked, the exterior of the Korean Matcha Mochi Bread is dry, crisp and the interior is chewy.
It's slightly sweet and earthy from the matcha.
The black sesame seeds give it a little nutty texture.
The mochi bread tastes best fresh right out of the oven.
Ingredients you'll need
- tapioca flour: also known as tapioca starch and comes from the cassava root. It is the main ingredient in boba bubble tea. It is different than glutinous rice flour, which also produces a chewy texture. You can find tapioca starch in Asian grocery stores.
- bread flour: you can use all-purpose flour if you don't have bread flour on hand; bread flour gives the mochi and even more chewier texture
- milk: you can use dairy or non-dairy milk
- egg: You will not need to use the entire egg. I used about 25g of beaten egg, but the amount may vary depending on how much liquid has evaporated during the initial milk simmering stage.
- butter: butter will give the bread more flavour, but you can substitute with vegetable oil if you like
- salt: fine sea salt is best
- matcha: use a high-grade culinary matcha, which will retain its green colour while baking
- sesame seeds: entirely optional, but gives the mochi bread some texture
I'm not exactly sure why it's called mochi bread as the bread is primarily made with tapioca starch, rather than glutinous rice flour. However, I've seen versions made with glutinous rice flour.
How to make the mochi bread
This is where things get interesting.
The bread is actually made in a similar manner to making cream puffs (pate a choux).
Heat the milk, butter/oil in a pan and bring it to a simmer.
Add in the flour and stir it into the milk.
Next, add in the tapioca flour, sugar, matcha, vanilla, salt, and stir until it forms a thick paste. It will look slightly gelatinous and lumpy.
Add the egg in small increments
Cool the mixture down and then drizzle in the beaten egg a little bit at at time.
Stir the beaten egg into the tapioca mixture and continue to add in the egg until the mixture becomes a lava-like consistency (similar to making a choux, the mixture should drop from a spatula in the shape of a "v").
As with making cream puffs, be careful not to add too much egg or the batter will be too runny and will not form properly. The consistency of the dough should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped.
Add the black sesame seeds to the batter (if using) and mix to combine.
Transfer the batter to a pastry bag (no piping tip is necessary), and cut the corner off.
Pipe rounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them apart.
Have a little dish of water ready. Dip your fingertip in the water to gently press down any pointy tops.
Bake at 375F for the first 5 minutes, and then reduce to 350F for 15-16 minutes, until barely golden in colour.
Remove from the oven and let cool before enjoying.
FAQ's & troubleshooting
Can I use glutinous rice flour instead?
I haven't tested the recipe with glutinous rice flour, so I can't say for sure what the texture would be like.
What if I added too much egg?
If you added too much egg to the mixture, the batter may be too loose to pipe, and end up in blobs. You can still try to bake them, but they may not puff up as much.
If the mochi bread is turning too brown
Cover with aluminum foil about halfway through the bake.
How to enjoy & store
As with most tapioca/glutinous rice baked goods, these are best enjoyed on the same day they are made. This is in part why I developed a small batch recipe.
You can keep them in an airtight container, but be aware that they will lose the exterior crispness.
These Korean Matcha Mochi Bread are a delicious snack for anytime!
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these other matcha recipes:
Black Sesame Brochi (Brownie Mochi)
Be sure to let me know if you try out this recipe! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below.
Korean Matcha Mochi Bread
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 65 ml whole milk
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 15 g bread flour
- 70 g tapioca flour
- 20 g granulated cane sugar
- splash vanilla extract
- 3 g matcha
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg, beaten (you will not need the entire egg)
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add in the milk and butter and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Dump the bread flour into the milk mixture and remove the saucepan from heat. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add in the tapioca flour, sugar, vanilla, matcha, salt, and stir until it forms a thick paste. It will look slightly gelatinous and lumpy.
- Let the mixture cool down and then drizzle in the beaten egg a little bit at at time.
- Stir the beaten egg into the tapioca mixture and continue to add in the egg until the mixture becomes a lava-like consistency (similar to making a choux, the mixture should drop from a spatula in the shape of a "v").
- As with making cream puffs, be careful not to add too much egg or the batter will be too runny and will not form properly. The consistency of the dough should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped.
- Add in black sesame seeds (if using) and mix to combine.
- Transfer the batter to a pastry bag (no piping tip is necessary), and cut the tip off.
- Pipe rounds about 1" in diameter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Have a little dish of clean water ready. Dip your fingertip in the water to gently press down any pointy tops.
- Sprinkle with additional black sesame seeds (for garnish) if you like.
- Bake at 375°F/191°C for the first 5 minutes, and then reduce to 350°F/177°C for 15-16 minutes, until barely golden in colour.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before enjoying.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Katerina | Once a Foodie
These look amazing, Michelle! As always, your photography is absolutely stunning - I am totally drooling over these photos. We have recently tried Brazilian Cheese Bread for the first time and loved it, so I am sure this sweet matcha version would go down really well. Thanks so much for sharing!
Michelle
Thanks Katerina!!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Looks beautiful as always Michelle!! The next time I'm craving something matcha I'm heading straight to your page!
Michelle
Thanks Katherine! 🙂
Christie
These are so unique and amazing Michelle! I love that chewy texture of the mochi!
Michelle
Thanks so much Christie! 🙂
lorraine
these were so so good. thanks for the recipe!
Michelle
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks Lorraine! 🙂
Amy
Absolutely delicious. Quick to make, and quick to devour. Made them a little too small, so would’ve loved to see a couple pictures of the final consistency and piping - but otherwise would make again in a heartbeat!
Michelle
Great, thanks for the feedback!
RX
Came out exactly as expected, thanks for the recipe! ❤️
Michelle
Thanks so much for sharing your creation with me on Instagram! 🙂
Anjela
Is it possible to substitute the tapioca flour? It is difficult to find
Michelle
The main ingredient in this recipe is tapioca flour, which gives it its chewy texture. I have seen other versions that use glutinous rice flour, so you could possibly try that instead, but the result may not be the same.
Jocelyn
I made these a couple times with a few alterations (almond milk) and forgot the vanilla extract the first time, but it turned out great! The mixture was really thick after adding the dry ingredients (like a dough), but I just added more milk until the consistency felt right. I also made a kinako version which was yummy as well. Either way, it’s perfect with just a slight hint of sweetness.
Michelle
Love the idea of a kinako version! Thanks for the feedback, Jocelyn 🙂
Lyn
I love the green color of these mochi bread balls!! I've never heard of these before but they sound divine! I definitely will be trying out the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Erin
This mochi bread has a delicious matcha flavor in this sweet bread. A delicious treat!
Beth Sachs
Love the colour of these! Will definitely give them a try at the weekend.
Angela
These were fun to make with my daughter. She loved matcha. We enjoyed the chewy texture and the added sesame seeds. Yum!
Michelle
Glad you enjoyed them, Angela! 🙂
Wanda
This mochi bread looks so fun I think the kids will love them in their lunchbox as a snack!
Jenny
Interesting to see a mochi bread recipe using tapioca flour instead of mochiko (glutenous rice flour). It looks amazing.
One thing though, bread flour is not gluten free. In fact it has a higher protein content that produces more gluten. One of my family member is allergic to gluten so I don't use bread flour or all purpose flour. Just wanted you to know as you stated this is gluten free.
Y
Just tried this recipe and omg its so good, perfectly chewy center, will definitely make it again!
Michelle
Thanks for leaving a comment, Y -- and for sharing your creation with me on Instagram 🙂