This mochi bread is inspired by a particular bread I love in Korea. It has a chewy, rice cake-like texture and is full of walnuts, almonds, and sweetened adzuki beans. It’s gluten-free and can easily be made vegan.
After culinary school, I moved back to Korea and worked at a mid-scale cafe-bakery brand in Seoul. The company was mostly known for its artisanal coffee and desserts, but the items I liked the most were actually its breads. My favorites included a cheese-filled mini bread loaf, a dough wrapped sausage baked with shredded cheese, and a sweet and salty adzuki soboro bread–my mouth is watering just thinking about them 🤤. But above all, one of my all-time favorites was an unassuming walnut mochi bread, 호두찰빵. It looked like the love child between a hotteok, 호떡, and a large, soft-baked cookie–although it tasted like neither. The bread was barely sweet with an extremely chewy texture, and filled with small black beans, walnuts, and topped with a layer of sliced almonds. Looking back, I think I liked it so much because it combined two food items I love the most: bread and rice cakes. This recipe is my recreation of that.
This mochi bread is made using mostly sweet rice flour. In Korea and other Asian bakeries, small quantities of sweet rice flour are commonly added to bread doughs to give them some extra chew (see my recipe for hotteok, 호떡, as an example). However, this recipe is unique in that the ratios are switched: the majority of the flour used is sweet rice flour.
So what exactly is sweet rice flour?
Sweet rice flour, also commonly known as glutinous rice flour, is made from milling a short-grain rice called sweet rice, glutinous rice, or sticky rice (all three are the same). Despite its chewy nature–and misleading nomenclature–this flour is 100% gluten-free. The higher starch content results in an extremely sticky texture when cooked. You can find this flour at Asian grocery stores, but you can also easily buy it online–I like this brand in particular.
Another unique aspect of this recipe is the fact that it’s baked and not steamed like a traditional rice cake, even though the ingredients and their ratios read more like the latter. Baking the recipe results in a thin crust, which gives it a layer of contrast between the chewy inside and the toasted outside.
Along with the sweet rice flour, my version also includes a little oat flour, which offsets the chewiness ever so slightly and gives the bread another layer of nuttiness. It also keeps the bread gluten-free, but you’re welcome to use all-purpose flour instead if you’re ok with eating gluten. The recipe can also be easily made vegan by using a non-dairy milk and replacing the honey with sugar.
Lastly, instead of black beans in the original version, I included sweetened adzuki beans, which gives the bread a little extra character, not to mention texture. Feel free to exclude them if beans in bread are not your thing!
I’m really happy with this recipe and can foresee it becoming a staple go-to. I’m already planning on making it again next weekend when my sister and her family visit 😋. The recipe is so easy and relatively quick (especially if you decide not to include the beans or buy canned ones instead). I also love that it’s relatively low in sugar, full of nutty flavors and lots of chewy goodness.
More recipes using sweet rice and sweet rice flour:
Korean Sweet Rice Dessert, Yaksik
Sweet Korean Pancakes, Hotteok
Mochi Bread with Walnuts, Almonds, and Adzuki Beans
- Total Time: 45 minutes + beans soaked overnight
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
A chewy, rice cake-like bread full of nutty flavors and textures. This recipe is gluten-free and can be made vegan.
Ingredients
Sweet Adzuki Beans
1/4 cup (52 g) adzuki beans, whole, dried
1 tablespoon (21 g) honey
Mochi Bread
1 cup (150 g) sweet rice flour
1/4 cup (23 g ) oat flour
1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon (0.75 g) salt
1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (210 g) milk of choice
1/2 cup (60 g) walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup (38 g) almonds, sliced
Instructions
Sweet Adzuki Beans
1. Cover the beans in water and soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain the beans and transfer them to a small pot. Cover with 2 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes or until the beans are cooked but still whole. Drain and return the beans back to the pot.
3. Add the honey to the beans and mix. Cook over medium low heat, stirring continuously, until the beans have absorbed most of the honey. Remove the beans into a clean bowl and set aside to cool. The beans can be made one day in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
Mochi Bread
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C. Line a 6 1/2 inch square square mold or a mold of a similar size with parchment paper and generously grease with a neutral oil like vegetable oil or sunflower seed oil.
2. Sift the sweet rice flour and oat flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar, salt, baking powder, walnuts, and cooled adzuki beans and mix. Pour in the milk and mix until combined.
3. Pour the batter into the prepare mold. With a spatula, smooth out the top so that the batter is level. Sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. A toothpick inserted should come out with sticky, but dry residue. If you’re using a mold that is larger than 6 1/2 inches, bake for less time. If the mold is smaller than bake for slightly longer. Cool the bread inside the mold for 5 minutes and then remove onto a wire rack. Enjoy warm or keep leftovers in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. Reheat in an oven, microwave or oiled pan.
Notes
If you don’t have the time (or patience!) to deal with the adzuki beans, feel free to take them out. The bread will still taste good with just walnuts inside.
The oat flour can also be substituted with all-purpose flour. This version will not be gluten-free.
Feel free to use whatever mold you have on hand that’s similar in size. It can also be a different shape other than a square. Just make sure to cover all sides with parchment paper and generously grease.
Keywords: mochi, bread, walnuts, almonds, adzuki beans, 찹쌀빵
Michelle says
This looks really good! I’m glad you noted that sweet rice flour is the same thing as glutinous rice flour. I had to google it a few years ago when I was trying to make matcha mochi bread!
And yay! Can’t wait to try it this weekend! heheheh
Jessica says
Michelle- Me too! Both names are so misleading haha. I can’t wait to see you guys!
Emilye says
I made it earlier this evening and just had a slice, it’s sooo good!! I don’t usually like mochi but I loved the texture of this one. Followed the recipe as is, but used goji berries instead of red beans and mixed chopped nuts sprinkled on top. For liquid I used coconut milk and coffee. The only thing is, it rose beautifully in the oven, and when I left it to cool the top collapsed. Doesn’t affect the taste though, just looks squatter 🙂
Thanks for such a great recipe!
★★★★★
Jessica says
Emilye- I’m so glad your version turned out delicious! The collapse may have been because of some of the substitutions you made–sometimes ingredients are heavier and can’t be supported as easily by the other agents.
Laura says
Made this without red beans (I’m thinking of using white beans next time tho!) and a mix of hazelnuts and almonds, whole spelt flour instead of oat and it is delicious!! Very nourishing and love the texture as well. Only thing is my crust wasn’t as thick as yours, maybe because I reduced the sugar by 20g? anyway thanks you for this very easy yet awesome recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Jessica says
Laura- So glad you liked the recipe! The reduction of sugar could’ve resulted in a thinner crust as your version had less ingredients to caramelize. Let me know if you try it with white beans!