Maritozzi are pillowy soft Italian cream buns rising in popularity; and to me they always seemed similar to Japanese Sandos, milk bread sandwiches with whipped cream and decorative fruit designs. So I attempted to fuse the two concepts to make this delightful twist.
For the Maritozzi Dough:
500 grams (4 cups) all purpose flour
7 g (1 packet) instant yeast
50 g (¼ cup) sugar
1/2 cup aquafaba (drained chickpea water)
3/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
⅔ cup olive oil
For the Browning Glaze:
1 tbsp non-dairy milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vegetable oil
For the Cream:
1 tbsp matcha
1 cup coconut cream (only the solids)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
For the Topping:
strawberries cut in half
2 tbsps powdered sugar for garnish
METHOD
For the dough, mix the wet and dry ingredients together and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until extremely smooth (this is important). There is no need to activate instant yeast. Cover with a tea towel and set the dough aside in a warm place for at least 1 hr.
Once dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough and divide into smaller buns. Round the dough into a ball on your work surface surface with your hand making circular motions to tighten the gluten on the outside of the dough-ball. Then set the dough on a baking tray with parchment or a silicon mat. Cover again for at least 1 hr.
When ready to bake preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C. Mix glaze and brush on top of each bun so it gets a nice golden top in the oven. Then bake the buns for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden-brown and well-risen. Remove them from the oven to cool completely.
When buns are baked and cooled, whip the coconut cream with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. careful not to overbeat.
To fill the buns use a serrated knife to make a slit lengthwise down the center of each bun while keeping it intact at the base. Open each roll slightly and spoon in 2 to 3 tablespoons of whipped cream to create a cream-filled center about 1 1/2” wide. Run an offset spatula along the edge of the bun to level the cream in traditional fashion.
Finally garnish with half cut strawberries, carefully place in the bun to show the cut side up and push in until level with the cream. Generously dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!