Sourdough Maki Roll

My first bake for 2021!

Inspired by the Asian bakery pork floss roll and the food that can be considered as the symbol of 2020 and quarantine in the Philippines, "Baked Sushi."  Asian style breads are not as popular here; for bread purists, it is bread butchery at its finest but to us it is comfort and nostalgia. Many of you might be familiar with the pork floss roll but unfamiliar with the latter; it is essentially a baked rice casserole topped "Japanese" / Maki (notably California roll) ingredients. Most commonly it is prepared with sushi (seasoned, vinegared, short grain) rice topped with kani salad made creamy with mayonnaise and/or cream cheese then baked together until heated through and the top is barely crisp. Scoop a portion, wrap in crispy seaweed (the Korean snack is the best), then eat! Delicious! 



So inauthentic but so delicious! Whoever invented it was a genius, I heard it has origins in Hawaii and was popular there even years ago. It was popular here during quarantine as many people who lost their jobs because of the pandemic made a living and thrived by selling it. Later, I will show you some of my interpretations of it.

The dough was that of a soft sandwich loaf. I built my levain with milk, then added an egg, salt, sugar, and bread flour. I added milk bit by bit until it felt right. I kneaded it until a bit developed then added a knob of butter then kneaded it to full development. 4 hours bulk rise then into the fridge overnight.

I rolled the dough flat then proofed it for 3 hours. I brushed it with sushi vinegar before baking at 250C for 5 minutes. I took it out then spread my kani salad which is a mixture of Japanese mayonnaise, salt, sugar, vinegar with kani and peachers (I didn't have mangoes so I used canned peaches). Baked at 180C for 10 minutes then 250C top heat for the last five minutes. Immediately after taking out, I made shallow scores kani-side up the topped with nori then rolled into its parchment paper. As with Swiss rolls, it should be rolled while warm. I cooled it then sliced it like maki sushi.

The main difference with pork floss roll is those are baked fully the covered with mayonnaise and pork floss the rolles; this one is baked with the filling like a pizza then rolled, it is done to improve the taste of the filling. I wanted photography each stage but I was too busy with school so I just took pictures of the final roll.

Tastes like a California roll (but I don't like Avocado in savory dishes) but in a completely different form. The bread was buttery and fragrant and the ingredients inside balance each other; and the nori! It added a distinct "Japanese" umami taste that is not so common in breads sold here. It was devoured quickly!



If you want to make this, be careful not to overbake it. I baked this longer than normal because I want the toppings to caramelize a bit more so it was harder to roll but with a bit of power I coerced it into rolling smoothly.

I will definitely repeat this with other "maki variations" in the filling! Nice snack when the workload is insane!




2020 Baked Sushi - the inspiration for this bread. I hope you enjoyed this post! God Bless!


Same flavor but topped with tobiko.

I'm thinking of doing this flavor next.