Maritozzi with Whipped Cream & Fruits

Maritozzi are Italian cream buns that are often filled with whipped cream. They look so cute and are perfect for your next Instagram post.  Follow this easy recipe and enjoy fresh maritozzi at home!

Maritozzi (singular, maritozzo) have become really popular in Japan in 2021. I saw lots of Japanese Instagrammers posting pictures of maritozzi all over. I have been wanting to try these little treats for a while now.

This recipe is really easy, but keep in mind that bread-making does take some time. If you have little or no experience in bread-making, please be patient and don’t be intimidated by the process.

What are Maritozzi?

Maritozzi are soft and light brioche-style buns that are sliced in half then traditionally filled with whipped cream. They originate in Rome, and many people like to enjoy them with coffee for breakfast or even for afternoon tea in Italy ^[1]. In recent years, they’ve also become popular in Japan due to their cute looks and deliciousness.

Maritozzi Variations

Traditionally maritozzi are packed full of whipped cream, but you can stuff them with pretty much anything you want! There are maritozzi prepared with fresh fruits, pistachios, raisins, custard, hazelnut cream or covered with chocolate, sometimes even stuffed with cheese, tomato, pesto, or baccalà^[2]. So the possibility is endless 🙂

The traditional buns often contain orange zest in the dough, but I omitted it in this recipe. The reason is that I wanted to be flexible with stuffing. I was worried that whatever people decided to stuff with might not go with notes of orange. If you want your buns to have orange flavor, add 1 tablespoon orange zest with dry ingredients during preparation.

Ingredients

• Bread flour
• Granulated sugar
• Kosher salt
• Yeast
• Egg
• Warm water (not hot)
• Warm milk (not hot)
• Softened (not melted) butter
• Heavy whipping cream
• Powdered sugar
• (Optional) Fruits of your choice or anything else you want to stuff

How to make Maritozzi

For the buns

1. In a small bowl, add warm milk, warm water, and active dry yeast and mix. Set it aside for the yeast to bloom for 10 minutes or until creamy foam shows up on the surface. (This step is not necessary if using instant yeast. It can be added directly to the dry ingredients.)
2. In a large bowl, mix bread flour, granulated sugar, and salt.

3. Add the yeast mixture and ¾ beaten egg (40g to be exact) to the dry ingredients and mix. Set aside the leftover egg in a refrigerator.

4. Transfer the dough to the lightly floured work surface. Next, using your hand, knead by pushing the dough down and forward then folding the dough over itself. Repeat until it becomes smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes.

This is a sticky dough but try not to add too much bread flour. If it is so wet that it coats your fingers when kneading, you can add a small amount of bread flour. A scraper can be a helpful tool to collect the dough.

5. Spread the dough out on the work surface and add the softened butter. Then scrape the dough back into the center, and continue to knead the dough again until fully incorporated for about 5 minutes.

6. Place the dough ball in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, and leave it at a warm place (about 90ºF/32ºC) for 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.

7. Make a fist with your hand and push the dough ball gently and firmly into the center and deflate it. Fold the edges of the dough into the center to form the deflated dough into a ball. Next, cover with plastic wrap and leave it again in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes.

8. Turn the dough onto a work surface. Divide the dough into 8 (about 50g each). Roll each dough into a small round shape. Place them one by one onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap loosely, let them rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

9. Preheat the oven to 450ºF/240ºC, and brush the dough balls with the leftover egg then bake for about 5-7 mins or until golden on top.

10. Once baked, let the buns cool completely.

For the stuffing

1. (Optional) Chill a large bowl in a refrigerator.
2. In the large bowl, add heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar.
3. Whip the heavy whipping cream mixture until it gets fluffy with firm peaks.
4. Keep it in a refrigerator before assembling.
5. Cut fruits or any toppings you want to size. Set them aside.

For the assembly

1. Cut the buns in half without cutting through.

2. Open the bun slightly. Insert whipping cream into the slit with a small spatula or a piping bag, then add fruits. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

If you like this maritozzi recipe, you may also like:

• Winnie the Pooh Mushi Pan – Steamed Cake
• How To Make Rilakkuma Pull-Apart Bread
• Ham and Cheese Pockets – Rilakkuma