Maritozzi (Italian Cream Buns)

What are maritozzi?

Maritozzi (plural) or maritozzo (singular) are a Roman treat of a small bun made of enriched dough (a little brioche like) filled with whipped cream.

Historically, a simple bread containing dried fruit, pine nuts and honey for sweetness, they were eaten by labourers. They further evolved becoming a bread bun filled with cream and brushed with a sugar syrup, enjoyed during lent. Roman pastry chefs love to add their own little twist, some even making savoury versions.

Pronounced “ma-ree-tot-zi” (the zz should be pronounced as it is in pizza), these Italian cream buns today are given by boyfriends and husbands to their respective girlfriends and wives on Valentines day too.

Ingredients you’ll need

Maritozzi is made using a yeasted enriched dough which means it’s enriched with fat from milk, oil and eggs and sugar.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

• Flour: You need to use a good bread flour or high gluten flour for these buns to get that lovely chewy texture.
• Milk: Use whole milk for this recipe for the best texture and flavour.
• Sugar: Just white granulated sugar for the dough and then some icing sugar (powdered sugar) for dusting the tops.
• Yeast: This recipe is written using instant yeast or instant dry yeast, so this is your best bet. You can also use active dry yeast.
• Milk powder: Milk powder adds to both the flavour and texture.
• Oil: Use a neutral flavoured vegetable oil like canola or a light-flavoured olive oil.
• Honey: Honey not only adds to the sweetness but also to the texture and puffiness of the buns, plus helps with that golden brown colour.
• Vanilla: Use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Especially for the whipped cream filling, vanilla bean paste looks gorgeous providing all those little black flecks of vanilla.
• Orange zest: Orange zest adds another little flavour profile and goes lovely with the cream filling. You can swap it for lemon filling or just leave it out if you prefer. They’ll still be delicious.
• Eggs: A couple of eggs go into the dough to enrich it. A third one, the yolk only, is used in the egg wash for the top.
• Cream: (not pictured). With different names around the world, you’re after thickened cream or heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Basically, a cream of 35% milk fat or higher so that it can be whipped.

How to make it (step-by-step)

For this maritozzi recipe, you’ll begin the dough by making a starter which is a cooked roux of flour and water (called tangzhong). It’s a technique that gelatinizes the starches in flour allowing it to absorb more moisture, hence the final baked product will have more moisture making it softer and stay softer for longer.

The tangzhong takes just a minute and is well worth it. Where many homemade breads can be starting to stale before days end, I’ve found these stay softer for up to 2 days.

It’s actually a very easy dough to make and there is the standard rising times required for the first proof and then for proofing the individual buns but they’re so worth it. And knowing they will stay softer longer means you can make them the day before serving and know they’ll still be good the next day.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

Make the cream filling

The cream filling for these maritozzi buns is essentially a Chantilly cream – that is, a combination of cream, sugar and vanilla. It’s a lovely filing that is light in both texture and sweetness and just marries beautifully with the soft bun and the flavours in the buns.

8. Just combine the cream, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl then beat with an electric mixer to stiff peaks. Be very careful not to overwhip the cream or it will become grainy.

9. Once cool, cut the maritozzi straight down the middle about ⅔ of the way through so you have a hinge at the bottom like a hotdog bun.
10. Spoon the cream into the opening, generously.
11. Use a flat edge like a bench scraper or spatula to scrape over the top for nice flat topping.

These are my favourite bread treat I’ve ever made. The dough is just such a lovely texture. And I’m not known for my patience but waiting for the dough to rise twice over is so worth it when you take a bite of these.

Variations

• Orange: You can swap the orange zest for lemon zest or just leave it out.
• Honey: You can swap the honey for white or brown sugar instead.
• Dried fruit: Add in some dried fruit like sultanas or raisins and citrus peel – up to ¾ cup.
• Spices: You can add in a little nutmeg, cinnamon or all spice.
• Toppings: If you want to jazz up the cream filling, try rolling the buns in shaved chocolate, crushed nuts, praline or even freeze dried fruit powder.
• Fillings: While it’s traditionally whipped vanilla cream, why not try pastry cream or chocolate pastry cream.

How to store maritozzi

Keep these Italian cream buns stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Let them come nearly to room temperature before eating, just so the bun itself isn’t firm and cold.

The baked maritozzi buns can be frozen in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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