Sfogliatella (Riccia & Frolla)
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Origin
Region: Campania (Amalfi Coast / Naples)
Historical Context: Originally invented in the 17th century at the Santa Rosa monastery near Salerno, it was later modified in 1818 by Neapolitan pastry chef Pasquale Pintauro, who introduced the ultra-crispy Riccia shell.
Description
A spectacular shell-shaped pastry available in two forms: Riccia (made with hundreds of paper-thin, crispy layers of laminated puff pastry) or Frolla (made with smooth shortcrust). Both hold a dense, warm filling of cooked semolina, fresh ricotta, candied orange bits, and a heavy scent of cinnamon.
Presentation
Served warm directly from the pastry shop oven, dusted with a layer of powdered sugar. Best enjoyed alongside a shot of dark Neapolitan espresso.
Ingredients
Pastry (Riccia): 400g strong bread flour, 150ml water, 10g salt, 150g lard (or melted clarified butter, for laminating the dough layers).
Filling: 150g semolina flour, 400ml water, 250g fresh ricotta, 150g sugar, 1 large egg, 75g candied orange peel diced, 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
Step-by-Step Directions
Stretch Dough: Roll out the flour and water dough into an incredibly thin, translucent ribbon using a pasta roller. Brush the entire surface heavily with lard.
Roll Log: Roll the thin ribbon up tightly into a dense cylinder log (like a long cigar). Wrap in plastic and chill for 24 hours. This sets the layers.
Make Semolina Porridge: Boil water with a pinch of salt. Rain in the semolina flour, whisking for 5 minutes until a thick paste forms. Let cool completely.
Mix Filling: Combine the cooled semolina paste with the ricotta, sugar, egg, diced candied orange peels, and cinnamon until perfectly smooth.
Shape Disks: Slice the chilled dough log into 1/2-inch thick coins. Using your thumbs greased with lard, push the center of the coin outward to create a hollow, layered pastry cone.
Stuff and Bake: Pipe the sweet semolina-ricotta filling into the center of each cone. Seal the edges gently and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes until the ridges separate into crisp golden layers.
Optional Variations
Sfogliatella Santa Rosa: The original monastic version, which features a wider base and is topped with a dollop of thick pastry cream and a single preserved black amarena cherry.
Cooking Tips
Lard is traditionally used instead of butter for laminating the Riccia shell. Lard has a higher melting point and zero water content, which is what allows the pastry layers to fry up into impossibly crisp, shatteringly brittle ridges.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 310 kcal
Carbohydrates: 42g
Protein: 6g
Fat: 13g
Sodium: 190mg
Comments