Martin van Groenigen
As Italy lovers, we are always looking for excuses to feel like a real Italian in our own country. For example, if we know the wine on the menu in restaurants, or if we can order in Italian from a good Italian. We Italy lovers are easily satisfied, if only we can feel as special as if we are in Italy. Have you ever heard of maritozzi? A husband is a sweet sandwich that also gives you that little bit more 'italianity'. Because oh, how we sometimes long for the charm and temperament of the Boot.
Table of contents
Mari-watts?
Maritozzi are sweet pastries that have come over from Rome. It can be compared – if you are necessarily looking for a comparison – with the traditional Dutch pudding sandwich. But comparing a maritozzi with a pudding sandwich is actually like saying that bitterballen is the Dutch arancini to be. Total cold. The maritozzi (one husband, two maritozzi) are made from a soft, sweet brioche bread. Then they are filled with fresh whipped cream or other whipped mass.
The sweet breakfast
The maritozzi are mainly eaten in and around Rome, in the region Lazio. Here it is - partly because every Italian less than 50 meters from their home has a good confectionery has been sitting – the local take on the peanut butter brownie sandwich. Roll out of bed in the morning, drink the first cup of coffee and score a breakfast right away.
Marrying a Maritozzo
There are – of course – many different age-old stories about the Roman maritozzi. For example, one says that the sandwiches could only be sold on Sundays for after the Catholic mass. And another says that a maritozzo stood for luck, prosperity and was only eaten at baptisms and other traditional occasions. What is certain is that the maritozzo gets its name from the married man: il marito.
Proposal without rings
The story goes that a maritozzo was eaten right after the marriage proposal. A man would propose to his wife and as soon as the ring was placed on the ring finger, the box of sweet maritozzi from the local pasticceria emerged. Almost a proposal without rings. Because in Catholic Italy everyone - according to the book - only gets married once in their life, the use of the maritozzi was relaxed. Because only once in your life do you sink your teeth into such a cloud of sweet cream? That is of course a sin.
Sunday snacks
And so the theories and family stories that flew around Italy about the history of the maritozzo are bundled. They have been merged, which now makes the maritozzo a 'regular' snack with fun anecdotes around it. However, the maritozzo in Lazio remains a classic Sunday snack for after the church service.
Gets in the morning grandmother the fresh maritozzi at the pasticceria around the corner (or somewhere down the road, if they're better there) and after the church service and the elaborate Pranzo della domenica the box with maritozzi appears and one suddenly understands where the expression like hot cakes and sweet cake comes from.
Want to taste maritozzi in the Netherlands yourself?
Maritozzi are all over the world at the moment. You read about them on almost every culinary blog and you come across them at every fancy bakery. Some bakers are even tired of the fresh cream and make all kinds of fillings for the sandwiches. More and more experiments are also being done with the dough. I recently saw a maritozzo with beetroot through the dough (it was bright pink) and a cream of mortadella. Feast!
If you want to taste the maritozzi in the Netherlands, go to your nearest (good) Italian specialty store. Perhaps they have them. If not, and if you live in – or near – Amsterdam, you can indulge yourself at Baked By Salvo on Sundays at the Hermitage market. Salvo and his wife make delicious Italian baked goods every week that you can reserve and eat.
Maritozzi in Italy
Are you looking for a maritozzo in Italy? Then find a local market or a Roman bakery. The maritozzo has become real street food – in parts other than Lazio – and you see a lot at Christmas and other special markets, for example. Also some coffee shops where you can enjoy your morning second colazione meanwhile have the maritozzi in the fridge.
But it is and remains a Roman specialty. And so you will find the most beautiful, tastiest and above all largest (this is not an exaggeration) maritozzi, at one of the many confectioneries in Rome. Take one with you when it's not too hot and eat it in a cute alley or along the Tiber. Or – if the sparrows fall from the roof – eat it in the pasticceria and top it off with a fresh granita. It doesn't get any tastier than this!
Make your own maritozzi (recipe for 10 pieces)
Do you want to get started and make maritozzi yourself? In principle it is not even very difficult. Provided you are a good baker, because there is quite a bit of precision involved when it comes to the balls. These should of course be super airy, but with a slightly crunchy outside. Sounds difficult, but it's easy if you pay attention.
A recipe for traditional maritozzi can be found below. Most importantly (as with any bread you make) is patience and love. Knead the dough by hand, or with a mixer and knead it by hand, and let it rise really long enough.
Don't think, if it says an hour, well 50 minutes is also possible. No: stick to the recipe strictly! And then it will all work itself out and you can put the delicious sweet rolls on the shelf in no time.
Pro-tip: let the buns cool really well when they come out of the oven. If necessary, put them in the fridge for an hour or leave them (covered) on the counter overnight. If you don't do this, your whipped fresh cream is of no use, because it will run out immediately.
Ingredients maritozzi
For the sandwiches:
- 4 cups (500 g) flour (wheat flour or farina tipo 00)
- 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon Instant dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 2 tablespoons (40g) honey
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) oil
- 1 teaspoon orange zest/lemon zest
For the crispy crust:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of milk
For the cream:
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Preparation maritozzi
- Place the flour, sugar, yeast, salt in a large bowl. Make a well and add milk, honey, egg, vanilla extract, oil and orange/lemon zest. Mix until dough forms. Knead the dough for 7-8 minutes, until smooth, soft and elastic.
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 9 to 12 pieces (about 80 g), roll each piece into a ball. Place the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and leave space in between to rise. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- In a small bowl, beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush each bun with the egg mixture.
- Bake the buns for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let cool completely (important!).
- Make the cream: In a large bowl, whisk whipping cream, vanilla extract, and icing sugar. Beat until the cream is stiff. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag.
- Cut each bun open at the top. Fill each bun with the cream and smooth with a spatula.
- Sprinkle each bun with icing sugar and serve immediately.
Instead of making a maritozzo yourself, I recommend a return trip to Rome. Then stop by Regoli in a side street of Via Merulana, near the Santa Maria Maggiore. They know more about it.
Pasticceria Barbarini near the Pyramid is also an excellent place for this.
Yes, if you could at any time, Hansoli!