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.

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.

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