Maritozzo con la panna is Rome's classic sweet bun: a soft enriched-dough oval split lengthways and stuffed to overflowing with cold whipped cream. The morning pastry of the Centro Storico cafes.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
The maritozzo is one of Rome's oldest sweet breads, with origins reaching back to medieval times when sweet buns were eaten during Lent (the maritozzo's name is folk-etymology to mean little husband, marito, referring to the Lent betrothal tradition). The modern form with whipped cream emerged in the 19th-century Roman patisserie tradition and was codified by Pasticceria Regoli in 1916. The bun must be fluffy and lightly sweet, with the panna piled high and the bun split only just before the cream is added to prevent sogginess. Innocenti in Trastevere and Roscioli Caffe in the Centro Storico both serve canonical versions; Il Maritozzo Rosso pushes savoury variations with porchetta and mortadella as a sandwich form.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg
Tip from the editors. Fill with cream just before serving; the bun goes soggy if filled in advance. The cream should be piled high enough to over-fill the slit.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Pasticceria Regoli in Rome's Esquilino has baked the city's defining maritozzo con la panna since 1916, with the fluffy bun split and stuffed with whipped cream to order.
Tip: Open from 06:45; the maritozzo sells out by 11:00 on Saturdays. Cash and card; standing room only.
Worth the queue: Maritozzo con la panna
Pasticceria Innocenti in Rome's Trastevere stays open to 21:00 (late for a Roman pasticceria), with the evening maritozzo restock the late-night sweet ritual for Trastevere walks.
Try: Maritozzo con la panna
Tip: Open daily 06:30 to 21:00. The 19:00 maritozzo restock is the freshest of the day for 4 euros.
The Roscioli family's Antico Forno in Rome's Centro Storico is the 200-year-old neighbourhood bakery counter, with pizza bianca, pizza rossa, and the city's best maritozzo to order.
Signature: Pizza bianca, Pizza rossa, Maritozzo
Order: Pizza bianca (the classic), pizza rossa with anchovies, and a maritozzo con la panna.
Tip: Open Mon to Sat 07:00 to 19:30; closed Sunday. The maritozzo sells out by 11:00.
Il Maritozzo Rosso in Rome's Trastevere is the maritozzo specialist counter with 18 daily versions including porchetta, mortadella and vegan plus the classic cream version.
Tip: The savoury porchetta maritozzo is the lunch order; the cream version is the dessert pick.
Worth the queue: Maritozzo with porchetta
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