These mochi buns are a delicious gluten-free alternative to wheat bread, with a crispy crust and a soft, bubbly crumb. Whether you’re looking for new Japanese mochi recipe ideas or you’re new to cooking with mochi, it’s a recipe you need to try!
These mochi buns are quick and easy to make; No yeast or baking powder required, just glutinous rice flour and a few other simple ingredients.
Also known as mochigomeko, mochiko In short, glutinous rice flour is a type of rice flour made from Japanese glutinous rice, also known as glutinous rice mochigoma.
This sticky rice makes a wonderful flour that becomes soft, super chewy, and incredibly stretchy when cooked with water.
Although it looks like classic rice flour, it has a completely different feel and texture. This is what makes Japanese mochi so deliciously chewy.
After using glutinous rice flour for mochi balls, muffles, and biscuits filled with mochi, we decided to try it as a gluten-free flour for bread. And the results were amazing!
Buns are made from mochi flour crispy outside, moist and sticky inside.
And because glutinous rice flour puffs up as it bakes, you’ll have lots of air pockets in the breadcrumbs without using yeast or baking powder!
These buns look like wheat bread and have a delicious but subtle rice flavor.
For the dough, you’ll need mochiko flour, which you can find at your local Asian grocery store or online, and some basic bread ingredients like warm water, salt, and vegetable oil.
We’ve also added a little sesame oil for a fragrant finish! And if you like it a little crunchier, spread the rice rolls with sesame seeds (black, white, or a combination of both).
This Japanese bread is ready from start to finish in just over 30 minutes. So you have freshly baked gluten-free bread in no time at all.
When you’re done, we recommend serving these rice rolls while they’re still warm, as the mochi crumbs are super soft and stretchy!
And if you want to try a sweet mochi bread instead, this Banana Mochi Loaf Recipe is perfect—completely vegan and gluten-free!