TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Sfogliatelle RicceCrispy Layered Shell Pastries — Sfogliatelle Ricce
An emblematic Neapolitan dessert with crisp, shell-shaped pastry. Dough stretched into dozens of layers is rolled into a log, sliced thinly, shaped into shells and baked with a semolina and ricotta filling. The process is complex, but the sense of achievement is exceptional.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (12 servings)
- Soft wheat flour for the dough500 g
- Water for the dough200 ml
- Salt for the dough5 g
- Lard or unsalted butter for layeringVery soft at room temperature. Lard is traditional.200 g
- Semolina150 g
- Water for the filling500 ml
- RicottaDrained.250 g
- Sugar for the filling150 g
- Eggs for the filling2 eggs
- Candied citron, chopped50 g
- Orange blossom water10 ml
- Ground cinnamon3 g
- Vanilla5 ml
- Icing sugar for finishing20 g
Method
Knead and rest the dough
- 1 Mix 500 g soft wheat flour, 200 ml water and 5 g salt and knead for 10 minutes.
- 2 Wrap in plastic and rest for 30 minutes.
Ready when
Proceed when the dough is firm and smooth, after 30 minutes.
Make the filling
- 1 Bring 500 ml water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Gradually add 150 g semolina, stirring constantly, and cook for 10 minutes.
- 2 Spread on a tray and cool.
- 3 Once cool, thoroughly mix in 250 g drained ricotta, 150 g sugar, 2 eggs, candied citron, orange blossom water, cinnamon and vanilla.
Ready when
Proceed when the semolina has a polenta-like consistency and the filling is evenly combined.
Caution
Stir constantly while adding the semolina to prevent lumps.
Roll the dough very thinly and form a log
- 1 Roll the dough through a pasta machine to its thinnest setting.
- 2 Spread a thin layer of lard over the whole surface as you roll it into a log 5–6 cm in diameter.
- 3 Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Ready when
Proceed once you have a log 5–6 cm in diameter that has rested in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Caution
Pausing allows the dough to dry and crack. Spread with lard and roll immediately after thinning it.
Shape the shells
- 1 Cut the log into discs 2 cm thick.
- 2 Press both thumbs into the center while rotating each disc to form a shell or cone shape.
Ready when
Proceed when the pastry is shaped into shells or cones.
Caution
Dry dough cracks, so shape it quickly.
Fill and bake
- 1 Spoon in the filling and seal the edges firmly.
- 2 Spread a thin layer of lard on the surface.
- 3 Bake in a 210°C oven for 25–30 minutes.
Ready when
They are baked when the layers separate crisply and turn golden.
Caution
The filling leaks if the edges are not sealed.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm
- 1 Immediately after baking, sprinkle with 20 g icing sugar.
- 2 Serve while warm.
Caution
The layers lose their texture over time. Eat while warm.
About this dish
The name sfogliatelle means “many leaves.” Dozens of thin pastry layers form a concentric pattern like the cross-section of a shell. This is both an aesthetic design and the physical structure that creates a crisp sensation on the first bite. Thinner layers and a greater number of layers make that texture more pronounced.
Once baked, sfogliatelle begin to absorb moisture over time. Freshly baked examples are a completely different pastry from those that have stood, so queues form outside Neapolitan pastry shops as people wait for a batch to emerge. This is a pastry intended to be bought and eaten immediately.
The most technically demanding part is creating the layers. The dough is rolled as thinly as possible in a pasta machine, spread with strutto, or lard, and wound into a log. If your hands stop, the pastry dries and cracks.
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