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    Home » Snacks

    Published: Jul 29, 2023 by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.

    15 Types of Asian Bread Recipes

    Sharing food makes everyone happy! :)

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    2 types of Asian bread, flatbread and mochi cheeseballs, with text in between.

    A collection of some of the most popular types of Asian bread recipes, from Mochi Bread and Japanese Milk bread to Naan and Bao Buns. There's even rarer types of bread such as Adjaruli Khachapuri and Peshwari Naan!

    A loaf of homemade Japanese milk bread.
    Jump to:
    • Quick Breads
    • Chinese Bao Buns
    • Japanese Bread
    • Central Asian Bread
    • Asian Flatbreads
    • 💬 Comments

    Although bread is commonly associated with a Western diet, it has actually been part of the Chinese diet for over 1500 years, dating back to the Han Dynasty. India too has its own traditional breads, mainly flatbreads and crepes.

    As Asia is a huge region, it's not possible to list every single type of Asian bread, but here are some of the most popular ones that you should make sure you try. They're super easy to make at home too, so there's no reason to wait!

    The breads are delicious alone or served with chicken noodle soup. Pair with sambal mayo sauce or garlicky cream cheese dipping sauce.

    Quick Breads

    Mochi Bread

    Close-up of a half-bitten mochi cheese bread ball.
    Cheese Mochi Bread
    This delicious Cheese Mochi Bread Recipe is crisp on the outside and soft and oozy on the inside! It's also a super easy recipe: you just mix everything and bake. Plus no sugar is used so you don't have to feel guilty about snacking! (Baked) (Air Fried)
    Click here for the mochi cheese bread recipe.
    Close-up of a half-bitten mochi cheese bread ball.

    Mochi Waffles

    Holding up a slice of cheese waffle mochi.

    Surprised to hear that waffles are considered (quick) breads? So are pancakes!

    Cheese Mochi Waffles Recipe
    This delicious Cheese Mochi Waffles Recipe- also known as Moffles!- is crisp on the outside and soft and oozy on the inside! Thanks to the glutinous rice flour, these waffles stay crispy and don't become soggy as easily. On the table in 15-20 minutes, they're perfect for breakfast or brunch! (This recipe works with both a traditional and vertical waffle maker. It is NOT just putting a mochi in a waffle machine!) (Gluten-Free)
    Click here for the cheese moffle recipe.
    Holding up a slice of cheese waffle mochi.

    Chinese Bao Buns

    3 Vegan Bao Buns with Extra Bread at the side

    Bao is a yeast leavened Chinese bun that is eaten both filled and unfilled. Unfilled bao buns are 100% soft, fluffy bread, whilst the filled versions can have anything from char siu (savoury filling) to lotus paste (sweet filling) inside.

    1 characteristic of bao is their pure white colour, which is thanks to the special Hong Kong flour used. Hong Kong flour is a super soft, highly bleached flour that has a slightly higher protein content compared to cake flour (8-10%.)

    Note: If you don't have Hong Kong flour, regular flour works too, but you won't get such snow-white rolls.

    Pandan Mantou

    6 green & white mantou buns on a serving board.

    To get different color spirals, you can use other natural flavoring such as sweet potato powder, ube powder, cocoa powder, or turmeric powder.

    Spiral Pandan Mantou (Steamed Chinese Buns)
    A guide to creating pretty spiral patterns in your mantou buns as well as a list of what natural food colourings you can use.
    Click here for the spiral mantou recipe
    A few steamed spiral mantou buns on a serving board.

    Matcha Bao

    2 green matcha buns with a Chinese tea pot.

    If you're feeling broke skip the matcha powder and use cheaper green tea powder instead. The color won't be as vibrant but it'll do in a pinch!

    Easy Matcha Buns (1-rise Mantou)
    Traditionally, mantou required 2 dough rises, but who has the time these days? Well I still like to do it the old-fashioned way every now and then, but most people I know don't, so here's an extra quick mantou recipe which only needs 1 dough rise but tastes as good as the original. Matcha flavour optional.
    Click here for the easy mantou recipe
    1 matcha green tea bun before being steamed.

    Vegan Bao

    3 Vegan Bao Buns with Extra Bread at the side
    Vegan Bao Buns
    These are actually very similar to the mantou recipe I shared above, just sans the pandan or matcha flavourings, and shaped differently so that they can be stuffed with pork or mushrooms, like Chinese hamburgers! If making this, remember that it will need 2.5 hours resting time, so you'll need to start work early. (The 2 mantou bao recipes above don't need so much resting time!)
    Click here for the vegan bao recipe
    3 Vegan Bao Buns with Extra Bread at the side

    Japanese Bread

    A loaf of homemade Japanese milk bread.

    When people are asked about the difference between Asian bread and Western bread, 1 of the first things that comes to mind is that Asian bread tends to be moister, softer and fluffier. They're almost like edible pillows or clouds.

    Japan, in particular, is known to have delicious types of bread, such as this milk bread.

    Japanese milk bread
    Japanese milk bread is widely known to have the softest, fluffiest crumb possible. Also known as Hokkaido milk bread, Korean milk bread, Chinese milk bread, or shokupan, Japanese milk bread is usually made using tangzhong but this recipe shares a different method.
    Click here for the secret technique!
    A loaf of homemade Japanese milk bread.

    Good enough to eat on its own, or with this spicy tuna dip/ sambal mayonnaise.

    Note: If you'd like to learn the alternative method to make soft Asian bread - i.e. tangzhong- click the link for a recipe from the renown Michelin Guide!

    Central Asian Bread

    Close-up of Georgian cheese bread.
    Adjaruli khachapuri
    If you've never heard of this Georgian cheese bread, it's bread, filled with cheese and, to make it even more delicious, topped with an egg.
    Click here for the 5 star recipe
    Close-up of Georgian cheese bread.

    Asian Flatbreads

    Scallion Pancake

    3 golden crispy spring onion pancakes on a wooden platter.
    Taiwanese green onion pancake recipe (Cong you bing)
    Taiwanese green onion pancake (Cong you bing), also known as Chinese scallion pancake, is a delicious savoury street snack that is easy to batch make and freeze.
    Click here for the scallion flatbread recipe
    Crispy and flaky pan fried scallion pancakes on parchment paper.

    Turkish Flatbread

    Slices of Turkish bread on a baking tray.
    Overnight bread
    This Turkish bread requires no kneading, is made overnight and only requires 5 ingredients (excluding the toppings). Yum!
    Click here for the Turkish bread recipe
    Slices of Turkish bread on a baking tray.

    Naan

    Naan is a chewy bread that is usually made in a tandoor, or clay oven.

    As most of us don't have 1 at home, these recipes, which range the gamut from sweet to savoury, have simplified the process for home cooking whilst not compromising on the result!

    Peshwari Naan

    Peshwari naan on a grey plate.
    Peshwari naan
    If you always thought you could only have Naan at your local Indian restaurant, think again! It's actually pretty easy to make your own as the following recipes show. This Asian bread is sweet, nutty, soft and chewy.
    Click here for the Naan recipe
    Peshwari naan on a grey plate.

    Keema Naan

    Indian keema naan flatbread with a dip on the side.

    If you prefer something more savoury, try the Keema flatbread instead!

    One great thing about Naan bread is that you can easily switch out the filling- if you're cutting down on meat, you can always stuff it with garlic butter, cheese or even Gochujang butter or mayo butter instead!

    Keema Naan Bread
    This crispy oven-baked naan is stuffed with delicious meat filling and melts in the mouth.
    Click here to learn to make your own naan
    Indian keema naan flatbread with a dip on the side.

    Stovetop

    A piece of naan that was made on the stove.
    Easy Stovetop Naan
    The above 2 naan recipes require yeast but if you don't have any, you can make this stovetop naan instead!
    Click here to learn to make naan, sans yeast.
    A piece of naan that was made on the stove.

    Paratha

    Besides Naan, another popular Indian flatbread is paratha, which come both plain or with stuffing.

    Note: Click here for the best Indian side dishes to serve with paratha (or naan.)

    Vietnamese Baguette

    3 Vietnamese baguettes in a basket.
    Homemade Vietnamese baguette
    If you like banh mi, you should learn to make your own Vietnamese bread. This recipe only requires 6 ingredients! For more Asian recipes which require 5 or fewer ingredients, click here.
    Click here for the baguette recipe
    3 Vietnamese baguettes in a basket.

    Which of these types of Asian breads was your favourite? Before you go, here are some of my popular Asian Recipes that you may be interested in:

    • Someone scooping up pumpkin chicken curry from a white plate.
      11 Asian & Chinese Pumpkin Recipes 2025
    • A plate of seared mushrooms tossed in a butter soy sauce.
      Quick Eryngii Mushrooms (3-ingredients)
    • A plate of Cantonese soy sauce with white rice and green onions.
      Best Poached One Pot Soy Sauce Chicken
    • A golden yuzu marmalade jelly in the shape of a flower decorated with lemon zest
      Yuzu Konnyaku Jelly (15 Min + Ingredient Intro)

    I have other recipes you may like here! :)

    • Close-up of kimchi fried rice with Chinese pork jerky and eggs.
      What to do With Leftover Bak Kwa 2025
    • Cutting a Butter Mochi Cake with a plastic knife.
      Butter Mochi Cake (No Mixer)
    • Holding up a slice of cheese waffle mochi.
      Cheese Mochi Waffles (GF) (15-20 Min)
    • Japanese konnyaku jelly with cut fruits salad
      Japanese Konjac Jelly with Fruits (Vegan) (GF)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dera says

      April 22, 2022 at 6:55 pm

      That Japanese loaf bread looks good! Will try it next week!

      Reply
      • Zen says

        April 24, 2022 at 10:06 am

        Hi Dera, hope you like it! I love how soft Asian breads are myself.

        Reply

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    2 types of Asian bread, flatbread and mochi cheeseballs, with text in between.
    Greedygirlgourmet eating 2 sandwiches in Scotland

    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18! However, I love creating community and nurturing people, so when I lived abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years, I started hosting regular parties for friends, and that's how I started cooking and helping out in professional kitchens. (Couldn't cook before that!) I even organised a supper club for charity (which strangers came to!) Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

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