10:00 PM – Sweet Stiff Starter Build: In a small glass jar, dissolve the 6g of sugar directly into 30g of water, then whisk in your 10g of sourdough starter culture. Stir in the 60g of bread flour thoroughly. Gather the stiff mixture together with your hands and roll it into a tight, compact dough ball. Place it inside the jar, cover loosely, and let it ferment at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until it at least doubles or triples in volume.

8:00 AM – The Enriched Autolyse: In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 64g of your active overnight sweet stiff starter, 153g of whole milk, 50g of eggs, 320g of bread flour, 30g of sugar, 15g of honey, and the optional 0.5g of dry yeast (if using to minimize sour profiles). Mix together with a large spoon just until the flour hydrates and forms a rough, messy mass. Cover and let it autolyse untouched for 30 minutes.

8:30 AM – The Core Mix: Attach your dough hook. Mix the autolysed dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on a KitchenAid using speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until the ingredients are completely integrated. Add the 5g of salt and mix for an additional 2 minutes. The dough will start gathering into a ball but will still stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl.

The Butter & Zest Incorporation: With the machine still running, gradually add the 60g of soft butter and your fresh orange zest. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and mix continuously for 10 to 15 minutes until the fat is completely incorporated and the dough smoothly pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (The Backup Check: If your environment is humid and the dough refuses to clear the bowl sides after 15 minutes, feel free to add an extra 20 to 30g of bread flour to assist).

9:00 AM – Bulk Proof with Intervals: Cover the mixing bowl tightly and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours in a warm zone kept at 76–80°F (24–28°C). During this window, perform 2 gentle rounds of stretches and folds to structure the expanding gluten. By the end of this stage, the dough should feel noticeably light and puffy.

12:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Retard: Slide the entire covered container directly into your refrigerator to rise slowly for 8 to 10 hours of cold retard.

9:00 PM – Portioning & Tension Rounding: Remove the chilled dough from your refrigerator. Tip it onto a lightly dusted surface and divide it cleanly into 11 or 12 equal pieces (aiming for roughly 60g to 65g per bun).

Pan Setup & Room Rise: Take each individual piece, pinch all the loose outer edges cleanly down into the bottom center, and roll it firmly against your counter using a cupped hand to create a perfectly smooth, taut sphere. Place the shaped rolls side-by-side onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely and let them proof overnight on your counter for 8 to 10 hours at room temperature 70–74°F (20–23°C) until they cleanly double in size.

7:00 AM – Preheating & Glazing: Preheat your home oven to 375°F (190°C). In a tiny bowl, whisk together your 1 whole egg and 2 tbsp of water. Using a pastry brush, gently sweep the egg wash glaze over the top surface of each fully risen bun.

Baking: Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops turn a stunning, uniform golden brown. Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Whipping the Cream Filling: While the buns cool, pour 500g of heavy whipping cream and 200g of sugar into a chilled bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff, stable peaks form.

The Signature Maritozzi Slice: Using a sharp knife, slice each completely cooled bun right down the middle, making sure not to cut all the way through the bottom base. Open the bun gently and fill the cavity with 2 to 3 large tablespoons of your sweetened whipped cream. Smooth down the front edge cleanly with a spatula, dust a snow-like layer of powdered sugar over the top, and serve immediately!