Chewy Hojicha White‑Chocolate Cookies (Bakery‑Style)

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Bakery texture: A touch of bread flour + yolk = chew, while a brief tray‑chill keeps the centers thick.
• Roasted tea flavor: Hojicha adds cozy notes of toasted grain and caramel without bitterness.
• Reliable spread: Melted butter for flavor, balanced leavening for a round, crinkly top.
• One‑bowl friendly: No stand mixer required.

Ingredients (grams + cups)

• 200 g all‑purpose flour (1 2/3 cups, spooned & leveled)
• 70 g bread flour (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp) — boosts chew; sub AP if needed
• 15 g hojicha powder (2 Tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 150 g unsalted butter, melted & cooled (2/3 cup) — brown for deeper flavor
• 140 g light brown sugar, packed (2/3 cup)
• 100 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 140–170 g white chocolate, chopped or chips (1–1 1/4 cups)
• Optional: 30 g toasted chopped almonds (1/4 cup)

Yield: 16 cookies (about 45 g dough each).

Equipment

• 2 baking sheets + parchment
• Medium whisk & rubber spatula
• Cookie scoop (1.5 Tbsp / #40) or scale
• Optional: 3.5–4" round cutter for “cookie scooting”

Step‑by‑step

1. Preheat & line: Heat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two trays with parchment.
2. Brown or melt butter (optional but great): Melt butter in a light‑colored pan until milk solids turn golden and smell nutty. Scrape into a bowl and cool 10 minutes. (If not browning, simply melt then cool.)
3. Mix dries: Whisk AP flour, bread flour, hojicha powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Hojicha evenly tinting the flour ensures no bitter pockets.
4. Cream‑without‑cream: Whisk melted butter with brown and white sugars 30–45 seconds until thick, then whisk in egg, yolk, and vanilla until glossy.
5. Combine: Add dry mix to wet and fold just to combine. Fold in white chocolate (and almonds, if using). Dough should be soft and cohesive.
6. Scoop & quick‑chill: Portion 16 balls (~45 g each) and arrange on trays. Chill the trays for 15 minutes to help keep cookies thick.
7. Bake: Bake one tray at a time for 10–12 minutes. Edges should be set and lightly browned; centers will look slightly underbaked.
8. Pan‑bang & scoot (optional): Tap the tray once on the rack to create rippled edges. Use a round cutter to nudge cookies into perfect circles.
9. Finish & set: While still warm, press a few extra chocolate bits on top for a bakery finish. Cool 10 minutes on the tray before moving to a rack.
10. Serve: Enjoy warm for molten white‑chocolate pockets, or cool completely for maximum chew.

Pro tips for maximum chew

• Cool the butter: Hot butter melts sugar and kills structure. Aim for lukewarm before mixing.
• Don’t overmix after flour: Overdeveloped gluten = tough cookies. Stop when the flour disappears.
• Quick‑chill the scoops: Even 15 minutes helps control spread and keeps centers fudgy.
• Bake to “just set”: Pull when the rims are golden and centers look slightly soft; carryover heat finishes the job.

Troubleshooting

• Cookies too flat: Dough was warm or butter too hot. Next time chill scooped dough 20–30 minutes or add 10–15 g more bread flour.
• Too cakey/dry: Too much flour (cup measures vary). Weigh ingredients, or lighten your measuring hand. Bake 1 minute less.
• Bitter tea taste: Hojicha is mellow; bitterness usually means pockets of unmixed powder. Whisk the hojicha thoroughly with the flour.
• Not chewy enough: Substitute 20–30 g more bread flour for AP, or add 1 tsp honey to the wet mix.
• Uneven spread: Bake one sheet at a time on middle rack; rotate at 8 minutes if your oven runs hot on one side.

Storage & freezing

• Room temperature: Store airtight up to 4 days with a small piece of bread in the container to maintain softness.
• Freeze dough balls: Scoop, chill 30 minutes, then freeze solid. Store up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 175–180°C/350°F for 12–14 minutes.
• Freeze baked cookies: Cool completely, wrap individually, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp or warm 3–4 minutes at 150°C/300°F.

Variations (keep hojicha primary)

• Salted sesame crunch: Fold in 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame + a small pinch of flaky salt on top before baking.
• Brown‑butter boost: Brown all the butter for a deeper, toffee‑like finish (cool well before mixing).
• Matcha swirl (accent only): Divide dough in half; knead 1–1.5 tsp matcha into one portion. Marble the two doughs lightly (do not overmix) for a green‑tan swirl while keeping hojicha the dominant flavor.

Nutrition (approx. per cookie)

Nutrition values are estimates based on typical ingredients and may vary.

FAQ

Can I use only all‑purpose flour? Yes—replace the bread flour with AP. Texture will be slightly less chewy; consider chilling 10 minutes longer.

What if I can’t find hojicha powder? Use finely milled hojicha (culinary grade). If using coarser tea, blitz to a fine powder before measuring.

Can I reduce sugar? You can cut granulated sugar by ~15% without harming structure (cookies will be less glossy and a bit thicker).