Maritozzi — Fluffy Roman Buns with Whipped Cream

Warm 180 ml milk in a small saucepan over low heat for approximately 1 minute, just until lukewarm; it should not be hot. In a large bowl, mix all the flour with the instant yeast, 55 g white sugar and the salt. Add the lukewarm milk, the whole egg and the orange zest, then mix until no dry flour remains visible. Keep the remaining 20 ml milk in the refrigerator for brushing, and keep the cream chilled until whipping.

Knead the dough by hand in the bowl, stretching and folding it until it begins to feel elastic. Gradually add 35 g olive oil, waiting for each addition to be absorbed before adding more; knead for approximately 15–20 minutes in total. The finished dough should be smooth, soft and slightly sticky but pull away from the sides of the bowl, and a piece stretched gently should form a thin membrane instead of tearing immediately. Do not add more flour: the dough will be stickier at first and will come together as you knead.

Coat a clean large bowl with 2 g olive oil and place the dough inside, shaped into a ball. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place without drafts for approximately 90–120 minutes, until the dough doubles in volume and is noticeably airy. Judge it primarily by its increase in volume; it may take longer in a cool room.

Line a flat metal baking sheet approximately 40 × 30 cm with parchment paper. Spread the remaining 3 g olive oil thinly over your hands and a section of the counter, turn out the dough and gently deflate it. Divide all the dough into 8 equal pieces, approximately 86 g each; flatten each one lightly, fold the edges into the center and pinch them together underneath, then gently roll into an oval approximately 8 cm long and approximately 4 cm wide. Place the buns seam side down in 2 rows of 4, leaving at least 3 cm between them; do not dust the counter with extra flour.

Loosely cover the baking sheet so the cover does not press down on the dough, and leave the buns to rise again for approximately 45–60 minutes. They should grow noticeably larger and look fluffy, and a shallow indentation made with a gentle touch of your finger should slowly fill back in. During approximately the last 20 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 180°C on the conventional (no-fan) setting, with a rack in the middle.

Remove the cover and gently brush the buns with the remaining 20 ml milk, distributing all of it in a thin layer; brush each bun again if needed. Bake all 8 buns on one baking sheet for approximately 20–25 minutes at 180°C on the conventional (no-fan) setting. The tops should be evenly golden, the bottoms light brown, and a gently pressed side should spring back. While they bake, prepare the syrup as described in the next step.

Pour 25 ml water into a small saucepan and add the remaining 25 g white sugar. Heat over low heat for approximately 2–3 minutes, stirring just until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is clear; do not caramelize it, and do not let it reduce for a long time. Set aside, then brush all the syrup evenly over the hot bun tops when they come out of the oven. If needed, apply another thin layer after the first has soaked in, without leaving syrup in the saucepan.

Transfer the buns to a wire rack and cool for approximately 60 minutes, until completely cool, including in the center. Toward the end of cooling, refrigerate a mixing bowl and the mixer beaters for approximately 15 minutes. With a sharp serrated knife, cut each cooled bun lengthwise from the top to approximately three quarters of its height, leaving the base joined. Gently open the slit without tearing the bun into two separate pieces.

Pour all the thoroughly chilled cream into the chilled bowl and add 25 g powdered sugar. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for approximately 3–5 minutes, until the cream thickens and the lifted beaters leave distinct, stable peaks. Stop the mixer when the cream retains its shape but is still smooth; do not beat until grainy.

Divide all the filling among the 8 buns, using a spoon or piping bag to add approximately 65 g to each slit. Fill right to the top and smooth the cream with a small spatula or the blunt side of a knife, creating a wide, smooth white band between the two sides; use any cream scraped off while smoothing to fill the next buns. Serve immediately, with 1 maritozzo per portion. If the dessert is waiting to be served, refrigerate it so the filling stays cold and retains its shape.