Pandan Maritozzo
Rome is possibly one of the most chaotic places on Earth, with hordes of tourists crawling the ancient streets and Italian traffic at its most intense - but I’d say it’s a chaotic good, because they really know how to party. To be more precise, they know where to party - at a bakery, of course.
I’m a night owl, so I’m no stranger to late night eating, but the Romans take it to the next levels. Some of the best bakeries in Rome are specifically open only from midnight to the morning - so alongside queues outside underground clubs, you’ll likely see couples, families and the odd tourist (hello!) patiently waiting to get their hands on the finest of Roman pastries. These are the same ones you’ll see on the breakfast table, but there’s something special about eating a sorchetta at 2 am, sat in the boot of a car.
This is a slightly tweaked version of my favourite Roman pastry, the maritozzo - now with pandan added, and stuffed with a mountain of whipped coconut cream. Have this with an espresso, or if you’re going all the way, a kopi o, and you’ve got the perfect breakfast - or maybe, a late night treat.
Ingredients:
For the brioche
450g strong white flour
50g granulated sugar
7g dried active yeast/instant yeast
100ml warmed double cream (or whole milk)
4 eggs
190g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1/2 teaspoon of pandan essence
(Optional - depends on your essence) A few drops of green liquid food colouring
For the filling
500ml of thick coconut cream
Icing sugar to taste
(Optional) Gula melaka syrup (can also be replaced with maple syrup)
First, mix the double cream with the pandan essence and green liquid food colouring until fully combined, then set aside. In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, yeast and the now-green double cream, and mix with a dough hook until just about combine.
Gradually add in the eggs (one at a time), and mix until a soft dough forms.
Once the eggs are all added, gradually add in the butter, a few cubes at a time, until fully combined. The dough should be soft, slightly bouncy, and should also pass the windowpane test.
Cover the dough with a damp tea towel, and let rise for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size. Once risen, cling wrap the bowl and place it in the fridge for an hour.
Divide the dough into 8-10 equal pieces*, and gently roll each piece into a tight ball. Place each ball on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, and let this prove again for 30-35 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
Brush the dough balls with a little extra cream (or egg if you have any!), and bake for 15 minutes at 180C, until golden and risen. Leave to cool on the sheet for 10-15 minutes, then remove and cool completely.
Whilst the buns are cooling, whip the coconut cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in icing sugar as needed to sweeten this up, and set aside.
To assemble - slice a bun in half horizontally to create a large gap. Drizzle in a little gula melaka syrup, and then generously fill with the whipped coconut cream. Dust with icing sugar, and then serve.
*Note: The most accurate way to do this is to weigh the dough (and then each dough ball) - I usually get close to a kilo of dough, so chopping this up into 10 portions is much easier!