Classic Maritozzi
Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are these delicious Maritozzi, but they are so worth the wait!
5 Jun 2023
Difficulty:
Tough
Servings:
8 maritozzi
Prep time:
1 hour
Waiting time:
Baking time:
9 hours
20 minutes
Total time:
10 hours, 20 minutes
Never heard of Maritozzi and wonder what they are? Allow me to introduce you to... Roman whipped cream hot dog buns!
It's that simple, really! Maritozzi are tiny, buttery brioche buns stuffed with cream and topped with powdered sugar and are simply amazing. They form the cornerstone of Roman pastry baking for a reason!
The beauty of this simplicity is that you can customise these classic Maritozzi completely to your own desires. Keep them traditional or infuse the cream with lavender, tea or coffee, add fruits and jam or, if you're feeling especially adventurous, go savoury! Endless possibilities!
If you're in the Amsterdam area and feel like trying them without spending half a day in the kitchen, make sure to visit @salvobakehouse as they were the inspiration for this recipe! They sell the best maritozzi in the country and regularly have special flavours.
What flavours would you like to try?
Ingredients
Dough
225 g flour (all-purpose, typo 00, manitoba or a mix)
20 g milk powder* (full-fat)
4 g fine salt
25 g granulated sugar
7 g instant dry yeast
1 lemon's peel (finely grated)
2 eggs (cold)
40 ml water (cold)
100 g butter (cold; cut into 4 pieces)
* If you can't find milk powder you can also leave it out and substitute the water with regular full-fat milk, but the buns won't taste quite as rich
Cream
250 ml whipping cream
Tiny pinch of fine salt
40 g powdered sugar
Instructions
Making the dough and first rise
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, loosely mix together the dry ingredients. Once combined, add the wet ingredients (except for the butter) and mix at medium speed until a thick, sticky and cohesive dough forms.
Add the first piece of the butter and mix at medium speed until it’s fully incorporated into the dough. Repeat until you've used up all the butter.
Gather the dough into a rough ball (it'll be sticky), place it into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour at room temperature. The temperature shouldn't be too high as the butter could melt (so don't place your bowl onto the radiator).
Place the bowl inside the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Sleep well :)
Shaping the dough, second rise and baking the buns
Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal pieces. I'd recommend simply cutting the dough in half 3 times. Shape each piece into a tight ball. Don't manipulate too much or the butter will melt.
Evenly space the buns across a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover lightly with cling film or a damp towel and let rise for 3 to 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the buns for 10 minutes. Turn the baking sheet around, cover with aluminium foil and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
Remove the sheet from the oven and, once you feel comfortable touching the buns, place them onto a rack to cool completely.
Making the cream and filling the buns
Beat the cream with the salt until soft peaks form, add the powdered sugar and continue beating until you get stiff peaks.
Using a bread or pastry knife, carefully cut the buns almost completely down the middle (like a hotdog bun), making sure not to cut too far - a few millimeters should remain at the bottom.
Open a bun with one hand and fill the bun with cream using a spoon. Smoothen the cream with a spatula or wooden knife and clean up any spills.
Sprinkle your buns with powdered sugar and/or decorate with any toppings you like!
Notes
Eat filled Maritozzi as quickly as possible or they'll turn soggy. You can freeze the baked, unfilled buns like regular bread.