Mochi doughnuts have been taking the world by storm over the past few years. Shaped like a baby’s teething ring, and covered in unique Asian flavors such as black sesame or ube, they are the perfect sweet treat to share with a group.
Third Culture Bakery cofounder Sam Butarbutar adapted his mom’s Indonesian baked tapioca and cassava cake into mochi doughnuts in 2016. He uses baking powder for leavening, and they can be fried up as soon as the dough is formed.
What is a mochi donut?
Mochi donuts are one of those trendy foods that have been all over social media. While they may have been around for a few years, their popularity really took off in 2019, thanks to their insta-worthy appearance and creative fillings and glazes.
While they’re similar to regular donuts in their ring shape, mochi doughnuts are much lighter and have a chewy texture from the sweet glutinous rice flour. They are also often decorated with a variety of toppings, like sesame seeds, grilled coconut chips, fresh or candied fruit, and even more chocolate.
The name “mochi donut” comes from the fact that they are a cross between American donuts and Japanese mochi. Despite their name, they are not made from mochi (which is a dense dough of sweet rice flour without gluten), but rather tapioca starch and a mixture of all-purpose flour and glutinous rice flour (also called mochiko). This type of flour is different from the kind you’d buy at an Asian grocery store, which is typically labelled as Erawan glutinous rice flour.
Origins
The rise of the mochi donut in New York City is a story of culinary creativity and cultural fusion. With the emergence of more and more bakeries and dessert shops offering these tasty treats, the dessert has become an icon for innovation in one of the world’s most dynamic food cities.
The mochi donut is made with a dough made from glutinous rice flour or tapioca flour instead of yeasted wheat dough like traditional American doughnuts. This creates a lighter, fluffier and more chewy texture that can be paired with exotic-tasting fillings and toppings.
Its shape, which resembles a flower-shaped ring of eight small and playful-looking connected balls that are easy to pull apart, also helps set it apart from other donuts. In a city where culinary aesthetics are often just as important as taste, the mochi donut’s visual appeal plays a large role in its popularity.
Ingredients
Mochi donuts are a fusion pastry crossing traditional American-style doughnuts with Japanese mochi. The mixture results in a doughnut that is soft, fluffy, and satisfyingly chewy. The original version of the mochi doughnut, invented by the Japanese donut chain Mister Donut and originally called Pon de Ring, has roots in Brazilian cheese bread pao de queijo but is made with tapioca flour instead of cassava flour.
For this recipe you will need a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: Mochiko flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl combine the wet ingredients: sugar, egg, and milk.
When the wet ingredients are mixed with the dry, form a ball of dough and wrap it around a square piece of parchment paper. You can fry up to 2 donuts at a time in your pot of oil that has been heated to 350F. Once fried, carefully remove the donuts from the parchment paper and dip them in your favorite glaze. Instead of making it yourself why not give this shop https://bearybobafl.com/ a try!
Recipe
Tofu adds texture to the dough while also helping it keep its shape during frying. It’s a great alternative to eggs as it helps give the donut a light and fluffy texture. It also provides a neutral flavor to let the other ingredients shine.
Unlike traditional fried donuts that use high-protein wheat flour and yeast for leavening, mochi donuts are made using glutinous rice flour (also called sweet rice flour). This makes them gluten-free!
Mochi dough is incredibly easy to work with, and comes together in minutes. Unlike temperamental pastry dough that needs to be kneaded for dozens of minutes until it reluctantly passes the windowpane test, mochi has a consistent texture simply from following the exact ratios of ingredients.
This recipe is for ube-glazed mochi donuts, but can be made with any other glaze of your choice. If making baked mochi donuts, be sure to spray the pan with cooking spray right before filling it with batter.
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