Korean Matcha Mochi Bread

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 are naturally gluten-free, and made with a few ingredients.

WHAT DOES KOREAN MATCHA 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 IN KOREAN MOCHI BREAD

• 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 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.

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 AND STORE THE MOCHI BREAD

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:

Matcha Brochi (Brownie Mochi)

Cream Puffs

Matcha Almond Flour Brownies

Be sure to let me know if you try out this recipe! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below.

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5 from 5 votes

Korean Matcha Mochi Bread

Korean Matcha Mochi Bread is a sweet chewy bread with a crisp exterior that is similar to Brazilian Cheese Bread and uses a similar technique to making cream puffs.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Keyword matcha, mochi, mochi bread

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 10

Author Michelle | Sift & Simmer

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 Tbsp 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 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.