ROMAN BRIOCHE BUNS
- Italian Food Harmony
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
A sweet Treat Filled with Whipped Cream
'Maritozzi con la Panna’ are one of Rome’s most beloved pastries - soft, golden brioche buns, gently split and filled to the brim with sweet whipped cream. Traditionally eaten for breakfast or as a mid-morning treat, these indulgent yet light buns are a staple in Roman pastry shops, often enjoyed with a cappuccino and a side of nostalgia.
The name maritozzo comes from the word marito (husband), and local legend says that young suitors would offer these buns - sometimes with a hidden engagement ring inside - on the first Friday of March as a gesture of love. Whether or not a proposal is involved, there’s no denying that Maritozzi are a love letter to Roman patisserie, and baking them at home brings the scent of old Rome into your kitchen.
Their pillowy texture and delicate citrus scent make them a standout on any brunch or dessert table. And while Maritozzi are a sweet indulgence, they are made with simple, vegetarian ingredients, and are lower in fat than many cream-filled pastries. As well as the use of natural flavorings like orange zest and vanilla keeps them fresh and aromatic without heavy ingredients.
A little history
The maritozzo dates back to ancient Rome, where honey-sweetened buns were offered during Lent. The version we know today - with its iconic whipped cream filling - evolved in the Middle Ages, and by the 19th century, it had become a staple in Roman cafés and bakeries.
Every Roman has memories of biting into a soft, cream-stuffed maritozzo on a Sunday morning, and it remains a symbol of the city’s sweeter, more indulgent culinary side. Passed down through generations, Nonna’s recipe for maritozzi is still the gold standard: soft, tender, perfumed, and filled with care.
INGREDIENTS👇🏻
• 90g | 3.2oz butter
• 300g | 10.6oz Manitoba flour
• 30g | 1.1oz dry yeast
• 60g | 2.1oz blossom honey
• 155g | 5.5oz whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 2 eggs + 1 yolk
• 750ml | 26.40fl oz whipping cream
• 75g | 2.6oz icing sugar
• 60g | 2.1oz sugar
• 100ml | 3.52fl oz water
• A pinch of sea salt
The recipe step by step
Slice the length of the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds out to add them to the butter which you would have kept at room temperature
Grate the zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange and fold them into the butter as well
Add to the mixer bowl the Manitoba flour, dry yeast, 2 eggs, honey and 105g | 3.7oz of milk and mix until the dough de-touches from the bowl
Add 1/3 of the zesty butter and mix again until the dough de-touches from the bowl
Add another 1/3 butter of zesty butter and mix again until the dough de-touches from the bowl
Add the sea salt and mix, making sure to keep the dough under 23°C | 73.4°F
Add the last 1/3 of zesty butter and mix until the dough becomes smooth and reaches 26 °C | 78.8 °F
Remove the dough from the bowl and fold it a few times by hand, before rolling it to seal the bottom
Butter the bottom of a container, place the dough in it, cover with a tea towel and leave it to prove for at least 2 hours in the oven, off but with the light on
Remove the dough from the container and cut it into 12 parts of 55g | 1.9oz each
Roll each part into a ball making sure to seal the bottoms, and place the dough balls onto an oven tray lined with parchment paper
Place the tray in the oven and let them prove for 40 more minutes, oven off but light on
In the meantime, mix the whipping cream and icing sugar until it peaks, and set aside
Make a wash with 1 yolk and the remaining milk and brush the proved buns before baking for 15-17 minutes at 170 °C | 338 °F, with the fan on
Prepare a syrup in a small pot with water, sugar, the empty vanilla pod and the peel of 1 orange and 1 lemon; simmer until just before it boils
When the buns are out of the oven and still piping hot glaze them with the syrup, then let them cool down
Once at room temperature, slice each bun down the middle, making sure not to cut them in half
Fill the buns with whipped cream, decorate as you wish…then enjoy! 😋
