Maritozzi Con La Panna - We Knead to Bake 28

This month we bake a very simple yet awesome in taste and texture bread for the We Knead to Bake Group assignment. Sometime last month, Niv had come across these bun like rolls in Food 52, recipe by Emiko Davies and mentioned about it. Soon Aparna suggested we bake it this month. Finla had added her comment about the discrepancies in the measures of ingredients in that post. I guess that Aparna was determined to get it all right for us to bake and read up various sites who had shared the recipe and derived her measures to guide us.
I was about to travel back to India,having stayed a month with my daughter. We quickly decided that both of us shall bake the bread together. We baked it on the day Aparna shared her document with the group. it feels like an accomplishment as I usually take time to work on the recipe and bake the rolls.
These buns can be had without the cream also and with the cream they are a delight.
Maritozzi (or Maritozzo for a single roll) are very fragrant and soft, sweet buns. They are cut across the length, until about half way down to fill with whipped cream. They are served alongwith coffee during the breakfast hours in coffee bars in and around Rome.(Lazio region of Italy).
Traditionally the dough is flavoured with pine nuts, raisins and candied orange peel. once baked they are brushed with sweet water and sugar syrup. Cooled maritozzi are then cut and filled heavily with cream before serving.
The dough is essentially slightly enriched brioche dough, a less rich version though. This uses only orange zest for flavouring the dough and raisins added to the dough.
There are two video links that might be useful one showing how to make the Maritozzi,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7v3uz-pn18
and the next on how they fill cream in the maritozzi as being made in a Roman Bakery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpDWq2NJAjY


Maritozzi Con La Panna (Roman Cream Buns)
(Adapted from various sources)

Ingredients:
For the Buns:
1&1/2 teaspoon instant yeast ( I used 2&1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, proofed and added to the starter)
1/2 cup warm milk
1&3/4 cups all purpose flour (Plus for dusting)
1 egg (which I have substituted by adding more milk as needed)
1/4 cup sugar
50 grams butter at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1/8 cup raisins, soaked in 2 to3 tablespoons warm orange juice/ warm water for 10 minutes
1 tablespoon pine nuts toasted lightly
Zest of 1 orange or 1 tablespoon candied orange peel, chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water

or
powdered or icing sugar for dusting

For the filling:
500 millilitres fresh cream whipped to stiff peaks with few teaspoons icing sugar. (you may need 2 to 3 tablespoons cream per bun)

Method:
I have made this by hand, however, one might also use the processor.
Add warm milk and a teaspoon sugar to the instant yeast and 1/2 cup of flour. Mix to a smooth paste and cover. Let it stand for about 20 minutes. By then the paste would have doubled in volume and there will be visible bubbles.
If you use active dry yeast, allow it to rise before adding the flour and give time to double volume with bubbles.

To the starter add the rest of the sugar, butter, salt , egg (if using) and a cup of the flour.
Knead them to come together in a dough and add the pine nuts, raisins with the juice, the orange zest and vanilla extract. Knead by hand to a soft and elastic dough.
Add just as much of the remaining 1/4 cup flour to achieve a soft and elastic dough.
Dust a little flour in a bowl and place the dough in the shape of a rolled ball. Cover and give it a rise. It might take an hour to an hour and a half to double in its volume.
Lightly knead the risen dough to remove air pockets.
Divide the dough in 6 or 8 equal portions.
Roll each into a smooth ball and flatten it out into circle with your fingers.
Roll the flattened dough into a swiss roll style and seal their edges well.
Place them on lined baking tray well apart to allow them swell.
Cover loosely and let the rolls rise for another 30 minutes.
Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C /350 degrees F and bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes until they have puffed up and golden.
Do not over bake them as the bottom will darken and the rolls might become hard.
If you choose to glaze with sugar syrup, make the syrup by boiling the sugar together with the water  while the buns are baking. Glaze them while they are warm.
If you choose to use dusting, do so with powdered or icing sugar while they are warm.
To make the filling whip the cream with some icing sugar until stiff peaks are formed.
While serving, cut opeh the rolls not quite fully and fill in 2 to 3 tablespoons of whipped cream in the rolls.

Serve with coffee or tea.
Please take time to check out Aparna's post where you may find links to other members' posts. enjoy a visual treat of Maritozzi being served.