Mochi bread

Okay, so I had this delicious mochi ball from this tea shop in Wadsworth.

Tea Time- 300 Weatherstone Dr Suite 101, Wadsworth, OH 44281

It was sweet, light, and just downright addicting.  And bonus- it is gluten free.

I thought I would try to make it. I found what looked to be an easy recipe with not may ingredients. 

My batch did not turn out anything like what I had tried.  Mine were heavy, doughy, and not sweet.

Glutinous Rice Flour 2 1/3 C

Salt 1 tsp

Sesame Oil 1 tbsp

Vegetable Oil 1 tbsp

Warm Water 9.2 fl oz

Sesame Seeds (black and white)1.1 oz

The first time I made it I had white rice flour, not sweet white rice flour.  However, the second time I made them I used the correct flour.

To make the bread dough, mix mochiko flour with salt in a bowl.

Then, tip in the sesame oil, vegetable oil, and warm water.

The water shouldn't be too hot; you should be able to hold your pinkie finger in it comfortably.

As for the oil, you can replace sesame oil with vegetable oil if you prefer. But sesame oil will add a nice nutty flavor to the bread dough.

Mix the ingredients with a spoon until they come together into a dough.

Then, use your hands to knead the mochi dough right into the bowl until it's smooth, uniform, and pliable  (**Note my dough was sticky and not pliable)

Divide the bread dough into as many pieces as the number of servings, about 45g (1.6 oz) each.

Then, shape each piece into a smooth ball, rolling it between your palms or over a flat surface 

Next, fill a shallow bowl or plate with a mix of black and white sesame seeds.

Spray or brush the top of each bread roll with water and press it over the seeds to coat it. The water will help the seeds stick to the mochi ball.

Place the sesame-coated mochi bread rolls onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.

To help the bread rise evenly and without cracks, score an "X" in the center of each ball using a sharp knife.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Bake the mochi rolls on the middle shelf for 30 minutes (for slightly softer bread) or 35 minutes (for slightly crustier bread). The rolls will look slightly golden when ready.

Note: as the bread cooks, the mochi dough will inflate making the rolls puff up — this is normal.  (**NOTE, mine did not inflate)

Once ready, transfer the mochi rolls onto a rack.

Let them cool down just slightly, and enjoy them while still warm.

The rolls' crust will be ultra crunchy like bread, while the crumb will be deliciously chewy, moist, stretchy, and sticky — just like a Japanese mochi!

Not inflated, not fluffy, not kind of hollow inside.

The everything bagel seasoning on the outside was great!!!  But the inside was not.  I will do some more research and try again.  

If you have hints, please let me know!!

I did make these the night before my Japanese tea class.  My  11am class wanted to try them, so I let them try them.  They thought they were good- but they also said they did not know what they were supposed to taste like.  I tossed the remaining batch...and the entire second batch.

**Send me your tried and true recipes***