These Sourdough Maritozzi are Italian sweet buns made from brioche dough and filled with vanilla whipped cream. The buns are cloud-like, fluffy, and absolutely delicious!
Build the Sweet Levain:In a clean jar, mix the sourdough starter, bread flour, sugar, and water.Cover and set in a warm location (between 75-80ºF) for about five hours until it is at least doubled, bubbly, and ripe.Set aside the unsalted butter, eggs, and whole milk to come to room temperature.
Make Yudane:Immediately after making the levain, make the yudane. Place the bread flour in a small, heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water on top of the flour.With a silicone spatula, mix together the flour and boiling water until the flour is gelatinized and forms a thick paste.Cover and let it cool until your levain is ripe.
58 grams Bread Flour, 58 grams Boiling Water
Mix the Dough:Once the levain is ripe, pour all of the dough ingredients except the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer with the bread hook attachment.Mix on low speed for a few minutes until the flour is incorporated and the dough is rough and shaggy. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes until the dough becomes more cohesive.
Add the Butter and Mix:Slice the room-temperature butter into six tablespoon-sized pieces. Continuing to mix the dough on medium speed, add one tablespoon of butter to the bowl at a time until it is fully incorporated into the dough. Repeat with the remaining pieces of butter (about 10 minutes in total).Continue to mix the dough for at least five more minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test, is silky smooth, and easily slides off the dough hook.
85 grams Unsalted Butter
Bulk Fermentation:Transfer the dough to a medium bowl, gather it into a round, cover it, and place it in a warm location to proof. At 78ºF, bulk fermentation takes 4-5 hours.After one hour, perform one stretch and fold on the dough. Rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation.Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough is doubled, domed in the bowl, and there are visible bubbles on top of and around the dough.
Overnight Proof:Cover the bowl and place it into a refrigerator to proof overnight, 8-12 hours.
Divide and Shape the Maritozzi:The next day, place a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a half-sheet pan.Remove the dough from the refrigerator and bowl, weigh it, and divide the weight by 10. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 10 equal-sized pieces (mine typically are about 65-70 grams each).Lightly flour a surface and press one piece of divided dough into a flat square. Pinch the four corners of the dough into the center of the square like a dumpling. Turn it over and use a hand to quickly roll it on the surface to create tension into a sphere shape.Repeat with the remaining buns. Space the 10 buns evenly on the baking sheet.
Final Proof:Cover the baking sheet and place the buns in a warm location for the final proof.At 78ºF, the final proof takes about 4.5 hours. The maritozzi are finished proofing when they've doubled in size. If you poke the rolls with a floured finger, they should leave a slight indentation and feel full of air.
Bake:Near the end of proofing, preheat the oven to 375ºF (191ºC).Make the egg wash by whisking one egg and a splash of water in a small bowl. Brush a light egg wash onto the buns.Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reads 200ºF (93ºC).Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make Whipped Cream:Just before serving, make the whipped cream.Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream on medium speed until stiff peaks start to form, a few minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the whipped cream and whip briefly until combined.
1 cup Heavy Cream, 3 TBS Powdered Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Assemble the Maritozzi:Assemble the maritozzi just before serving.Use a serrated knife to slice the maritozzi buns vertically, almost in half. Don't cut through the entire bun, as you want to keep the base intact.Open the buns and use a piping bag or a spoon to fill the bun openings with 2-3 TBS of whipped cream. Make the cream flush with the buns using an offset spatula or butter knife. Clean up the edges of the whipped cream to tidy the maritozzi.Dust with powdered sugar and buon appetito!
Notes
Try to keep the dough at a constant, warm temperature (between 75-80ºF) as much as possible throughout fermentation. I use the Brød and Taylor bread proofer to keep my dough at a constant 78ºF. If your dough and environment are cooler, bulk fermentation will take longer. Conversely, in warmer conditions, the dough will ferment faster.
View my guide above for more detailed instructions, including photos of each recipe step.
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