Michelle Tchea

Freelance writer

Ancient Romans had a seemingly predictable diet for pre-refrigeration days made up of mostly cereals, legumes and meats with sauces from fermented fish and vinegar. But perhaps it wasn’t just these staples that fueled Roman gladiators, but also a sweet cream-filled bun called a maritozzo.

In all its simplicity, the maritozzo is a soft bun filled with a hefty dollop of whipped cream, or panna, as it is referred to in Italian. If you regularly frequent Rome or keep a keen eye on viral foods on TikTok, you will no doubt have seen the luscious treat. It is a picture of indulgence—a bread with cream filled so high that when bitten it hits the tip of your nose, creating a viral moment that both social media influencers and celebrity chefs love filming with the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum or Pantheon as their backdrop.

“The maritozzo is a very Roman treat,” says Saghar Setareh, author of Pomegranates and Artichokes and a food photographer who has called Rome home for 18 years. “Until not too many years ago you wouldn’t find a maritozzo outside Rome. I like my maritozzo classic: feather light, with very little sugar and full to the brim with the freshest whipped cream.”

As French pastries became more popular in the early 2000s, maritozzi (plural of maritozzo) had to share shelf-space with croissants, madeleines and pain au chocolats in local pasticcerias and were not in as much demand as they were in the Middle Ages. Yet tradition proves to be victorious, because the buns are coming back with a vengeance in bakeries, cafés, restaurants and even bars in Rome and around the world. Today, Italians enjoy them as a butter-free treat during Lent or give them to Valentines as a sweet token of their affection.

History of Maritozzi

The history of maritozzi dates back to ancient times, and like many foods consumed in that era, it was a form of sustenance for laborers. Wives would pack calorie-rich maritozzi made of flour, lard, honey, eggs and salt in saddlebags for their husbands to feast on.

Since Ancient Times, Romans Have Gifted These Cream-Filled Treats to Their Sweethearts
Chef Marco Coppola at Palazzo Talia in Rome serves a savory maritozzo filled with fried shrimp, tartar sauce and celery puntarelle. Palazzo Talia

During the Middle Ages, the maritozzo became the only permissible indulgence during Lent since it was one of the few Roman treats that could be made with olive oil in place of butter or lard without compromising on taste. “These buns were huge, except for during Lent, when they were made smaller. Lard was substituted with oil and raisin, [and] pine nuts and candied fruit were added to the dough. To this day the version of the bun that has these dried fruit inside is called Quaresimali, meaning Lenten,” says Setareh.

In the 19th century, the maritozzo became a cult favorite among young lovers and an integral part of marriage proposals. The story goes that a man would share a maritozzo with his prospective wife, hiding a little ring in the bun to seal the deal. “Marito literally translates to the word husband in Italian, and after the proposal if the husband-to-be was successful, he would be referred to as maritozzo, meaning half husband,” says Christian Spalvieri, a Rome native and chef at the city’s San Baylon Ristorante and Cocktail Bar. Women would also use maritozzi to share their messages of love, carrying their homemade sweet bun to the Oppian Hill, an ancient hill near the Colosseum, where they would give it to the man they wished to marry. Apparently, men would judge their future brides by the beauty of their maritozzi.

Fortunately, the women of Rome did not have to wait for suitors or husbands to give them a maritozzo on Valentine’s Day to enjoy one. In the early 1900s, bakers started making the sweet treat for breakfast, served alongside a cappuccino. Regoli, a traditional bakery established in 1916, is still selling its famous maritozzi; locals will also name Il Maritozzaro as a top place to visit for your maritozzo fix when in Rome (they make close to 600 a day). As the maritozzo has become trendy again, these culinary institutions of Rome are not the only places you can find the pastry these days, with historical hotels like the St. Regis Rome and Michelin-rated restaurants now serving them as an amuse-bouche or merenda (snack), and even, during Italy’s most important hour of the day, aperitivo.

Revamping a classic

Located between two iconic fountains, the Moses and the Naiads in the Piazza della Repubblica, the St. Regis Rome remains an illustrious destination for Roman families. The luxury hotel built by César Ritz in 1894 was known for having the first public grand ballroom in Rome and for being the first hotel in Europe with private bathrooms, electric lighting and a hydraulic-generated lift (which is still in operation). Yet today it’s the Sunday brunch that brings Roman families together at the St. Regis for maritozzi and cappuccino before the start of another workweek.

“I have beautiful memories of walking the streets of Rome on Sunday morning with my mum and visiting our favorite café to enjoy maritozzi together,” says Francesco Donatelli, executive chef at the St. Regis Rome, who wanted to re-create the same tender moment he experienced as a child for all Romans to enjoy.

Since Ancient Times, Romans Have Gifted These Cream-Filled Treats to Their Sweethearts
Fabrizio Fiorani is the creator of Zucchero, located in W Rome.  Zucchero

“The maritozzo is a very Roman tradition,” he adds. Donatelli remembers eating them not only for his family Sunday ritual but also after late nights out. “When I was young, I would go clubbing and then stop by pastry shops on the way home to pick up freshly baked maritozzi,” says the 52-year-old chef.

At the St. Regis, where he has worked for 16 years, Donatelli makes his maritozzi as he remembers them from his childhood, without deviating too far from the traditional recipe of being a soft white bun filled with a copious amount of whipped cream.

“A good maritozzo all comes down to the bake of the dough: the maritozzo bun is a soft, slightly sweet dough, and while it is similar to that of a brioche, there are key differences,” says Donetelli. “We want the consistency of the bun to be soft, fluffy, yet have a slight chew to it so it can hold the cream when you bite into it.”

Spalvieri, the chef at San Baylon Ristorante, says that the first pastry dough he made in culinary school was for maritozzi. “I just remember trying to make them as soft as I remembered my grandma made,” he says. “There are two schools of thought—you can either use milk for a softer and more brioche-like bun or you can use water for something that will taste more like a sweet bread. Either way, both need to be enriched with fat to give it a lighter texture than say a regular bread bun. It’s not really an easy dough to master, but once you understand the timing and what texture you are trying to achieve, it is a real pleasure to make.”

Like many delicious desserts, the type of fat is important too. Some chefs use butter while others use oil. “Historically, in Rome, dairy- and butter-based products were difficult to find due to the lack of cows [in the region],” says Fabrizio Fiorani, creator of Zucchero, located in W Rome. “However, there were many olive trees and that’s why our maritozzo stays true to its roots and we use extra virgin olive oil infused with vanilla. We respect tradition but add a touch of vanilla, creating a uniquely rich and aromatic flavor experience.”

Since Ancient Times, Romans Have Gifted These Cream-Filled Treats to Their Sweethearts
"We took the classic round maritozzo and reimagined it, not just in flavor but in form, creating a square version that honors tradition while embracing innovation,” says Fiorani. Zucchero

Another hallmark of a traditional Roman maritozzo that can sometimes go unnoticed to the novice baker is the use of aromatics. “Traditional maritozzi may include orange zest, honey or a touch of vanilla, adding a special flavor that sets the bun apart from a regular brioche,” says Donatelli.

Fiorani agrees with Donatelli and tries to keep things classical when it comes to baking his childhood sweets. But as expected for a world-renowned pastry chef, a touch of creativity and innovation can also be injected into a maritozzo recipe without straying too far from tradition. “We’ve just put our own twist on tradition by adding mascarpone to the cream for extra richness and a hint of lime for a refreshing touch. This works particularly well when wrapped in a 100 percent olive oil dough,” says Fiorani.

He continues, “The maritozzo is a true symbol of Rome, but unlike the famous Roman saying, Chi nasce tondo, non può morire quadrato, “If you’re born round, you can’t die square”—which suggests that change is impossible—we believe that both tradition and evolution are essential. That’s why we took the classic round maritozzo and reimagined it, not just in flavor but in form, creating a square version that honors tradition while embracing innovation.”

Since Ancient Times, Romans Have Gifted These Cream-Filled Treats to Their Sweethearts
Executive chef Adriano Rausa of Giano Restaurant recently created a much-loved maritozzo alla parmigiana. Giano Restaurant

Other chefs are putting their own spins on the traditional cream-filled bun. Chef Marco Coppola at Palazzo Talia in Rome serves a savory maritozzo filled with fried shrimp, tartar sauce and celery puntarelle, and executive chef Adriano Rausa of Giano Restaurant recently created a much-loved maritozzo alla parmigiana. “We put into a maritozzo bun a small quantity of chopped parmigiana cheese mixed with Sicilian cherry tomato sauce and then we add fried aubergine, basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano and top the fluffy bun with basil pesto and burrata sauce,” says Rome’s hottest young chef of the moment, who has a passion for recreating Roman classics.

“Today lots of chefs are using the maritozzo dough to make interesting starters or street foods filled with creative ingredients,” says Spalvieri, who has created a maritozzo with beef tartare, capers, oyster mayonnaise and chives. Other savory versions found around Rome include a stracciatella- and mortadella-filled sesame bun found at Lumen Cocktails and Cuisine, also at the St. Regis Rome, and an octopus, Taggiasca olives and semi-dried tomatoes maritozzo at Sorso.

Whether it’s with a cappuccino or a negroni, maritozzi seem to be on everyone's lips at the moment. “A maritozzo is always a good idea—whether for breakfast or even as an evening snack with caviar,” says Fiorani. “It’s a treat that fits any occasion. But fair warning: After a plate of pasta and a maritozzo, you might just need a nap.”

Recipe for Maritozzi by Fabrizio Fiorani

Mascarpone and cream for filling

Make a preferment by mixing ¼ of the flour, half the yeast and the full amount of water by hand. Cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture rise until it doubles in volume. Slip the dough hook on the mixer. Pour the remaining flour and yeast, sugar, honey, milk and eggs into the bowl and mix for 5 minutes. Then, incorporate the preferment and mix for another 5 minutes, until it’s a firm, opaque dough. Add the salt, orange zest and vanilla-infused oil and mix until perfectly combined; then add the pine nuts and raisins and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Transfer to the fridge and leave it to ferment for 12 hours.

Divide the dough into pieces weighing 50 to 60 grams and, with a circular hand motion, shape into balls. Lay the buns on a micro-perforated silicone mat and let them rise until they double in volume. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 13 minutes. Then, with the oven slightly open, bake for another 3 minutes.

Combine the cream and mascarpone in a mixer until creamy and smooth. Cut the maritozzi horizontally (make sure not to split them apart) and fill them with the cream/mascarpone mixture.

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Michelle Tchea

Michelle Tchea is the owner of Chefs Collective and the author of five bestselling books on food, wine and global cuisines. Her work has been published by Time, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure.