Maritozzi (Roman Cream Buns)
The iconic Italian cream buns from Rome, flavored with fragrant orange and honey and filled with whipped cream. Light, airy, chewy and luxuriously indulgent!
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (not instant)
- 3 cups high-gluten bread flour (recommended, but can substitute regular bread flour)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter , softened at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- zest of one large orange
- For the Egg Wash:
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- For the Whipped Cream Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
- optional toppings: chopped roasted pistachios, candied citrus peel, chocolate curls
Instructions
- Scald the milk: Pour the milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat the milk over medium heat, stirring frequently. Heat until tiny bubbles appear around the outer rim of the saucepan. Do NOT let the milk simmer or boil. The milk is scalded when it reaches a temperature of 180-185 F. I highly recommend using an instant read thermometer. Cool the milk to 110-115 F; any hotter and it can kill the yeast.Add the yeast along with 1 teaspoon of the sugar to the cooled, scalded milk. Let it stand for about 10 minutes or until it's nice and frothy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, olive oil, orange zest, honey, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.Add the milk/yeast mixture and knead on low speed ("2" on a Kitchenaid) for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Next add the softened butter a little at a time, giving each addition time to blend fully into the dough before adding the next. Continue kneading for another 10 minutes. The dough will be very soft and a little tacky; this is how it should be. Resist the temptation to add too much extra flour. The dough will develop structure through the proofing process.
- Lightly spray a large bowl with oil, form the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl and loosely cover it with plastic wrap. Let rise in a draft-free place at room temperature for about 2 hours or until nearly doubled in size (length of time will vary depending on the temperature, it may need longer. Don't go by time, go by appearance). Don't punch down the dough.Transfer the dough to the fridge and let it rest there overnight or up to 24 hours.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Divide into 8 equal portions (for accuracy you can weigh the dough and then the individual pieces). Roll each of the 8 pieces into smooth balls or into ovals (both are traditional). Place the dough balls on an extra large lined baking sheet, equally spaced apart. Loosely cover with plastic wrap that's lightly sprayed with oil to prevent sticking, and let them rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until they've doubled in size and are nice and puffy. The length of time will vary depending on room temperature. Don't go based on time, go by appearance.
- At least 30 minutes before the dough is done proofing, preheat the oven to 375 F with the rack placed in the middle.Brush the dough balls with the egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.Let them sit for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.Use a serrated knife to slice the maritozzi down the center about 3/4 of the way through. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
- Make the whipped cream: Beat the chilled heavy cream on medium speed and gradually increase the speed until the cream just starts to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat it.Carefully open the maritozzi as far as you can without splitting them and spoon in a generous amount of whipped cream. Use the back of a butter knife to scrape off the excess and smooth the whipped cream.Dust the maritozzi with powdered sugar.
Notes
Storage: Only fill as many maritozzi as you intend to eat immediately or within a few hours. Leftover, unfilled buns can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Unfilled buns can also be frozen in a freezer container for up to 3 months and thawed at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 10gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 224mgPotassium: 156mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 910IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg
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