Maritozzi
Prep 25 mins (plus proving)
Cook 20 mins
Makes 8
Difficulty 2
“I grew up in the south of Italy and then moved to Rome at a young age,” says Flavio Carnevale of Sydney osteria Marta. “I remember the first time I had maritozzi was in a pasticceria near me where the baker made the best. In Rome, maritozzi have become an iconic street food up there with supplì and pizza bianca. At Marta, we produce the classic panna version, filled with sweetened whipped cream, as well as pistachio, coffee and Nutella flavoured versions. We also make baba-tozzi, soaked in limoncello and filled with lemon custard. The important thing is how fresh they are. They can last two or three days in the fridge and toasted later, but if you want to have them with the cream, they need to be baked, filled and eaten within the hour.” You’ll need to start this recipe a day ahead to prove the dough.
600ml pouring cream
120g pure icing sugar
MARITOZZI DOUGH
375g cake flour (preferably ‘0’ manitoba flour)
90g caster sugar
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
125ml lukewarm milk
6g (about 1 sachet) dried yeast
2 small eggs
1 egg whisked with 1 tsp caster sugar, for brushing
1. For dough, combine milk and yeast in a bowl and set aside to dissolve yeast (5 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, stir flour and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add oil, milk mixture and mix until a dough starts to form. Add eggs one at the time until combined. Turn off mixer and set aside covered to rest (5 minutes), then give the dough 2 more minutes of mixing on medium speed. Remove dough in a lightly oiled container, cover and leave at room temperature in a cool dark place (under 28C) to start to prove (4 hours). Transfer dough to the fridge to prove slowly (12 hours).
3. The next day remove the dough from the fridge and divide into 8 even pieces, then working with one piece at a time, shape the dough rolling under your hand until smooth to a ball, then shape into an oval shape. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and leave space between each. Brush top only with a very small amount of oil and cover them completely with plastic wrap or baking paper; it’s important no air is let in and space for rising is sufficient. Rest dough at room temperature until double in size (about 2¾ hours).
4. Preheat oven to 180C. Remove cover and brush maritozzi with eggwash and bake until golden (13-14 minutes). Set aside to cool completely on tray (30 minutes).
5. To serve, whisk cream and icing sugar to firm peaks. Cut a wedge out of the centre of each maritozzo from end to end, then fill with cream and smooth the top with a palette knife. Maritozzi are best eaten on the same day as making.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Recipe by Flavio Carnevale and image by Eatable.
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