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Mochi Bread RollsRecipe

Chewy, naturally gluten-free Japanese-style rolls — sweet rice flour does the work.

gluten freeveganunleavenedno kneadchewy

Last updated

About this ratio

Mochi bread is a different animal from yeast bread. It rises from steam and starch gelatinization, not from yeast or sourdough, so the texture is uniquely chewy and stretchy — almost like the inside of a mochi cake but firmer, sliceable, dunkable. The primary flour is glutinous rice flour (mochiko or shiratamako). Despite the name it contains zero gluten — "glutinous" refers to the sticky, stretchy quality of the cooked starch. Tapioca starch in the blend amplifies that stretch. Vegan by default (no eggs, no dairy); the chew comes from the starches themselves, not the egg structure most GF breads lean on.

At a glance

At its default setting, this Mochi Bread Rolls recipe makes 12 rolls at about 40g each — about 480g of dough in total. In baker's percentage that breaks down to 244g Glutinous rice flour blend (mochiko + tapioca) (100%), 183g Warm water (or plant milk) (75%), 29g Sugar (12%), 20g Neutral oil (8%), and 3.7g Salt (1.5%). Change the rolls or enter a target dough weight in the calculator and every amount rescales to match, in grams or ounces.

Flour blend

  • Glutinous rice flour (mochiko)80%
  • Tapioca starch20%

Recommended hydration

65–85%

Calorie-conscious

Switch to scale a leaner version of this recipe — the same bread with fats and sugar pulled to their lowest sensible amounts. The calculator, ingredients, and nutrition all update to the lean formula.

Make

12rolls

Display unit

Total dough

480g

  • 195gGlutinous rice flour (mochiko)80% of total flour
  • 49gTapioca starch20% of total flour
  • 183gWarm water (or plant milk)75% baker's
  • 29gSugar12% baker's
  • 20gNeutral oil8% baker's
  • 3.7gSalt1.5% baker's

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Step-by-step method

How to bake this Mochi Bread Rolls

No yeast, no proof, no waiting. Mochi bread leavens from steam: the wet starch gelatinizes in the hot oven and traps water vapor, puffing the rolls from the inside. The dough is more like a thick paste than a bread dough — that's correct. Pipe or scoop it onto parchment and bake.

01

Mix

5 minutesroom temperature
  1. 1.Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl: glutinous rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, and salt.
  2. 2.Pour in the warm water (or plant milk) and oil. Stir with a sturdy spatula until smooth — about 1 minute. The "dough" is more like a thick, glossy paste; it should slowly drip off the spatula in a thick ribbon.

If the mix looks too stiff (paste-like, not ribbon-like), drizzle in another tablespoon of water. Mochi rolls bake from a wetter batter than wheat dough.

02

Shape

5 minutesroom temperature
  1. 1.Line a sheet pan with parchment. Spoon or pipe the batter into 12 equal mounds (~40g each), spaced 2 inches apart — they spread a little in the oven.
  2. 2.For neater rounds, wet your fingertips and gently smooth each mound into a dome. They don't need to be perfect.
03

Bake

18–22 minutes375°F / 190°C
  1. 1.Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C while you shape the rolls.
  2. 2.Bake 18–22 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and the rolls feel set when pressed. Internal temperature should reach 200°F / 93°C.
  3. 3.Cool on the pan for 5 minutes — mochi bread firms up dramatically as it cools. They're at their best within an hour of baking; the chewy texture fades after a day.

Store leftovers in an airtight container and revive in a 350°F oven for 3 minutes — the steam from the residual moisture restores most of the chew.

Frequently asked

Questions about this recipe.

  • How do I scale this Mochi Bread Rolls recipe to make more or fewer loaves?

    Use the calculator on this page. Adjust the output count or per-loaf weight; every ingredient amount updates automatically. You can also enter a total dough weight and the calculator works backwards. The Mochi Bread Rolls recipe is written in baker's percentages, so it scales proportionally without changing the bread's character.

  • Can Mochi Bread Rolls be made gluten-free?

    Mochi Bread Rolls is naturally gluten-free. The recipe uses a gluten-free flour blend (rice, tapioca, sorghum) and psyllium husk as the binder in place of wheat gluten.

More general questions about ratios, hydration, and the calculator on the FAQ page.

Background concepts

More Enriched breads