Strawberry Matcha Maritozzi Buns Recipe

My strawberry matcha maritozzi buns make a super indulgent breakfast, or even a dessert.

With origins in Rome, maritozzi are brioche-like buns stuffed with cream, traditionally eaten for breakfast. Because I love all things matcha, I added matcha to the cream, and sandwiched the buns with strawberry jam and fresh strawberries too.

These fluffy cream buns are super easy to make. You could even just buy some brioche buns from the store and fill them with cream – but nothing beats the taste and texture of freshly-baked bread.

You can also see how I make these on my YouTube channel:

Ready? Let's go.

(Makes four buns.)

Ingredients for Dough:

100ml milk
5g fresh or dry active yeast
1 tsp caster sugar
200g bread flour
30g more caster sugar
15g unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of salt
1/2 a beaten egg (keep the other half for the glaze)

Ingredients for Filling:

300ml double cream
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp matcha, sifted
Strawberry jam
4–5 strawberries (cut into slices and pieces)

Decoration (Options):

Icing sugar

Method:

1. First, make the buns. Warm the milk in a small saucepan a little, and mix it with the yeast and 1 tsp of caster sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for a minute or two until the mixture is bubbly.

2. Add the now-bubbly yeast mixture, along with all the rest of the bun ingredients (keeping the other half of the beaten egg aside) into a large bowl. Stir until it comes together to form a dough.

3. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead it for around 10 minutes, until the dough becomes super smooth and elastic.

4. Pop the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm or a damp kitchen towel. Let it proof until doubled in size (about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how warm your room is).

5. Once doubled in size, punch the dough back down to release the excess air, knead it lightly to bring back together and divide it into four equal portions. Roll each portion into smooth balls, place on a baking paper-lined baking sheet evenly spaced apart, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise for another 30 minutes to an hour again.

6. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the buns with the remaining half of the beaten egg, and bake for 12–15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

7. When your buns (and hopefully your kitchen too) have cooled down, whisk the cream, sugar and matcha together until thick. Split the buns diagonally like Pac-Man, but not slicing all the way through to the other side, so there's a hinge.

8. Spread a teaspoonful of jam in each bun, and fill a third full with matcha cream. Dot a few chopped strawberries inside, then fill the buns the rest of the way with more cream. Use a palette or butter knife to smooth the surface of the cream, and stick on a few strawberry slices on the outside. Finally dust with a little icing sugar before serving.

Enjoy, and have fun.