-
1
Prepare the fruit. Hull the strawberries, then wipe each one completely dry with a clean cloth or paper towel — any surface moisture will migrate into the bean paste and mochi, accelerating softening. Set aside on a dry tray.
-
2
Portion the bean paste into eight equal pieces (approximately 35–40 g each). Working with lightly starch-dusted hands, press each portion into a disc and wrap it firmly around a whole strawberry, encasing the fruit entirely in a smooth, even layer. The paste must be firm enough to hold its shape without bulging. Refrigerate the wrapped fruit while the mochi is prepared.
-
3
Combine the shiratamako, sugar, and water in a heatproof bowl, whisking until the flour is fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Cook by microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each, or by steamer, or over a gentle stovetop bain-marie — until the dough is translucent, cohesive, and stretchy, no longer opaque or floury in appearance.
-
4
This is where the dish lives or dies. Turn the cooked mochi onto a katakuriko-dusted surface and work it with starch-dusted hands while still hot — the dough must be shaped within a narrow window of 35–40°C. Too cool and it tears; too hot and it adheres to the hands uncontrollably. Divide into eight equal portions, pressing each into a disc of 4–6 mm even thickness — thin but without tears.
-
5
Place one bean paste-wrapped fruit, strawberry tip pointing downward, at the centre of a mochi disc. Gather the edges upward around the fruit, pinching firmly to seal at the base. The mochi seam should be tight and smooth with no gaps. Set sealed-side down on a starch-dusted tray.
-
6
Brush away any excess potato starch with a soft pastry brush. The finished daifuku should have a smooth, matte, lightly yielding surface — not sticky, not cracked. Serve within 3–4 hours of assembly, ideally at approximately 15°C: slightly chilled but not cold, so the mochi remains soft, the bean paste is firm, and the strawberry flavour is fully expressed.