Maritozzi: The Age-Old Roman Breakfast Pastry That’s Easily Made at Home

Dating back as far as the Middle Ages, so the stories go, maritozzi apparently served two purposes. The simple buns, enriched with honey and olive oil, studded with pine nuts and dried fruit, were a treat during Lent (not too sweet, no animal fat). Keeping in mind that “marito” is Italian for “husband,” legend also has it that by the 18th century, to propose marriage, a man would give his intended one of these buns, perhaps even having a ring or another token of affection baked inside—thus earning the maritozzi their name (though whether the practice or name came first is a chicken-or-the-egg situation).

“Maritozzi is a very Roman pastry, and some outside the city hardly even know about it,” Saghar Setareh, a Rome-based food photographer and writer who hosts food tours and cooking classes, told me. It’s for that reason that he always makes a point to bring his groups for maritozzi before a morning tour of the city. “My favorite place is Pasticceria Barberini…they slice and stuff the maritozzo when you order.”

Cookbook author and photographer Kristina Gill, who’s also based in Rome, explains that word-of-mouth is the best way to find pasticcerie that make their own maritozzi. “Some places who have external suppliers don’t offer maritozzi at all,” she says, adding that she’s had luck at Bar Benaco, Pasticceria Linari, and Pasticceria Regoli (the latter is mentioned in her cookbook, Tasting Rome).

Over the past few years, Rome has hosted maritozzi festivals as part of an attempt to embrace the pastry as part of its unique cultural tradition. Food tour company Tavole Romane hosts an annual Maritozzo Day, where local shops are invited to participate. The buns can be sweet or savory; you can find them filled with everything from gianduja and zabaglione custard to eggplant caponata, meatballs, and mortadella. Vegan and gluten-free versions also appear to be growing in popularity.

Since it’s unlikely you’ll travel to Rome anytime soon, now’s a good time to make maritozzi at home. The technique is straightforward and the ingredient list relatively short. Gill noted that when developing the recipe featured in Tasting Rome, she wanted the buns to be quite similar to a classic brioche, which would call for all-purpose flour, but after recipe testing, she found that higher-protein bread flour worked as well, “I’d say a reader could use either with great results.”

Stephanie Tantillo, an Educational Chef at Eataly in New York, offered yet another option: 00 flour. Tantillo, who learned to make maritozzi while working as a baker at Fedora in Florence, found that most Italian enriched doughs, including maritozzi, were made with soft wheat 00 flour, which produces a finely textured bun. “Italian flour has different classifications than American. All-purpose is the most similar to 00,” she added. “The big difference is 00 is only soft wheat, whereas all-purpose is a mixture of soft and hard.” That said, it’s clear that the buns are wildly adaptable to whatever the home baker has on hand.

On the matter of the historical practice of folding nuts or dried fruit into the dough: “I am one of those people who discards candied fruit,” said Gill, on her decision to omit them in her recipe. Setareh said “maritozzi are supposed to be like soft clouds, not dense with dry fruits,” but adds that she wouldn’t mind finding a raisin or two in a bun. While Fedora serves versions both with and without dried fruit, Tantillo says that the plain option is more popular.

*Find our how-to video guide to perfect whipped cream here.