Sfogliatelle
Sfogliatelle ricce: Naples' shell-shaped flaky pastries with semolina and ricotta
Sfogliatella riccia is the most famous pastry of Naples, sold warm from bakeries on Via Toledo and eaten for breakfast with an espresso: dozens of paper-thin layers fanned into a shell that shatters when you bite, around a filling of semolina, ricotta, candied orange and cinnamon. It is a project for a weekend, as the dough needs to be rolled very thin, wound into a tight log and chilled overnight. Neapolitan bakers use lard; this version uses a mix of butter and vegetable shortening. Chef's tip: a pasta machine is your best friend; roll the dough to the thinnest or second-thinnest setting so the layers separate into crisp leaves.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
For the layering fat
For the filling
To finish
Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz strong white bread flour, ¼ oz salt, ⅔ oz honey and ¾ cup water to a very stiff, dry dough. Knead 10 minutes (a stand mixer with a dough hook helps); it should be firm and smooth. Wrap and rest 1 hour.
70 minStep 2: Beat 3 ½ oz unsalted butter and 3 ½ oz vegetable shortening together until smooth and spreadable.
Step 3: Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Pass each piece through a pasta machine, starting wide and narrowing a setting at a time, until you reach the thinnest or second-thinnest. You want long ribbons about 12 cm wide that you can see through.
30 minStep 4: Lay one ribbon on a long work surface and brush generously with the fat mixture. Starting at the short end, roll it up tightly, gently stretching the ribbon sideways as you go. When you near the end, overlap the next greased ribbon and keep rolling. Finish with a tight log about 5 cm thick.
30 minStep 5: Brush the outside with fat, wrap in cling film and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours).
480 minStep 6: For the filling, bring 1 cup milk to a simmer, whisk in 2 ⅞ oz fine semolina and cook over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, until very thick. Spread on a plate to cool.
5 minStep 7: Beat the cooled semolina with 9 oz ricotta, 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar, 1 egg, 1 ¾ oz candied orange peel, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Chill until needed.
Step 8: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Trim the ends of the log and cut into 12 slices, 1.5 cm thick.
Step 9: Take a slice and, with greased thumbs, push the centre outward and the edges forward so the layers slide over each other and form a cone, like a shell. Common mistake: pressing the layers flat; they must fan and slide over each other, or the pastry will not be flaky.
Step 10: Fill each cone with a heaped tablespoon of filling and press the opening lightly closed. Lay on lined trays, brush with any remaining fat.
Step 11: Bake for 20–25 minutes, until deep golden and the ridges are crisp and crackling.
25 minStep 12: Cool for 10 minutes and dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar. Eat warm the same day; reheat for 5 minutes in a hot oven to re-crisp.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 41 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sfogliatelle take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 180 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
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