Red Lotus Flour and Glutinous Rice Flour aren't rival products — they're two different tools, and knowing which one belongs in your hand is what separates a soft, pillowy bao from a dense one, and a chewy mochi from a crumbly mess. One is a low-protein wheat flour built for delicate steamed doughs. The other is a rice flour built for stretch and chew. Here's exactly how each one works, and a real recipe for each so you can put it to use tonight.
The Core Difference
UFM Red Lotus Cake Flour is a low-protein wheat flour milled in Thailand specifically for bao buns, chiffon cakes, and other doughs that need to stay soft and tender rather than chewy. Its low gluten content is the whole point — it produces the light, cloud-like crumb you want in a steamed bun.
Erwan Glutinous Rice Flour is made from ground glutinous (sticky) rice, not wheat, and contains no gluten at all. Its stretch and chew come from the rice starch itself, which is why it's the correct choice for mochi, tang yuan, and dumpling skins — textures that Red Lotus Flour simply cannot produce.
The two aren't interchangeable, and that's exactly why a well-stocked pantry keeps both on the shelf.
Using Red Lotus Flour: Soft Steamed Bao
This is the base dough recipe for classic soft steamed bao buns — the same low-protein flour and technique used in Thai and Cantonese bakeries.
What you need
- 250g UFM Red Lotus Cake Flour
- 5g (1 tsp) instant yeast
- 25g granulated sugar
- 3g (½ tsp) baking powder
- 1g (a pinch) salt
- 150ml lukewarm water (about 35°C — warm to the touch, not hot)
- 8ml (1½ tsp) neutral oil (sunflower or vegetable)
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the 250g Red Lotus Flour, 25g sugar, 3g baking powder, and 1g salt.
- In a separate small bowl, sprinkle the 5g instant yeast over the 150ml lukewarm water. Let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes until it looks foamy on top — that foam tells you the yeast is active.
- Pour the yeast mixture and 8ml oil into the flour bowl. Stir with a spoon until it forms a shaggy dough, then bring it together with your hands.
- Turn the dough onto a clean, lightly floured counter and knead for 8 minutes, until it feels smooth and springs back slowly when poked — like the soft part of your earlobe.
- Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and leave it in a warm spot for 60 minutes, or until it has visibly doubled in size.
- Gently punch the dough down and divide it into 8 equal pieces (about 55g each). Roll each piece into a smooth, tight ball.
- Flatten each ball slightly with your palm, set it on an 8cm square of parchment paper, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Fill a steamer pot with water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Arrange the buns with space between them — they will expand — and steam for 12 minutes.
- Turn off the heat but keep the lid on for 3 more minutes before opening. Opening it too soon shocks the buns with cold air and they'll collapse.
Using Glutinous Rice Flour: Simple Stovetop-Free Mochi
No steamer, no stovetop — this microwave method gives you the same chewy, glossy mochi texture with far less fuss.
What you need
- 100g Erwan Glutinous Rice Flour
- 20g granulated sugar
- 130ml water
- 30g cornstarch or potato starch, for dusting
- 8 small pieces of filling (red bean paste or chocolate), about 10g each — optional
Method
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the 100g glutinous rice flour, 20g sugar, and 130ml water until completely smooth, with no dry lumps.
- Cover the bowl loosely with cling film, leaving one small gap for steam to escape.
- Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir well with a wet spatula.
- Microwave again for 1 more minute, then stir once more — the mixture should now look translucent, glossy, and sticky, like a thick dough.
- Dust a clean tray or large plate generously with the 30g cornstarch.
- Once the dough is cool enough to touch (about 5 minutes), turn it out onto the dusted tray.
- Dust your hands with cornstarch and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 20g each.
- Flatten each piece in your palm, place a 10g piece of filling in the center if using, then gather the edges up and pinch to seal.
- Roll each mochi gently between your palms into a smooth ball, brushing off the extra cornstarch with a dry pastry brush before serving.
The Better Move: Stock Both
If you bake or cook Asian recipes regularly, you'll reach for both of these more often than you'd expect — Red Lotus Flour whenever a recipe calls for a soft steamed or baked crumb, and Glutinous Rice Flour whenever it calls for chew and stretch. Pick up both together and you'll never be caught short mid-recipe.