Sfogliatelle Ricce

Before you start

Sfogliatelle ricce are Naples' famous "curly" pastries: cone-shaped shells made of dozens of thin, overlapping ridges that bake glassy-crisp around a filling of semolina, ricotta and candied orange. The layers do not come from lamination with a butter block. Instead, a very stiff, low-hydration dough is stretched into a long, thin ribbon, brushed with fat and wound into a tight log. Slices of that log are pushed open into cones, so each ring of the spiral becomes a ridge.

This is a project, best spread over two days. A pasta machine makes the stiff dough manageable, and a long overnight chill firms the fat so the slices hold their layers. Shaping takes practice: greased hands push the center of each slice outward, sliding the layers over each other like a telescope. Your first few may look uneven; they will still bake crisp and taste right.

Ingredients

• Dough500 g (4 cups) bread flour
• 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) water
• 25 g (1 heaping tbsp) honey
• 10 g (1¾ tsp) fine salt
• For layering150 g (⅔ cup) lard — softened
• 50 g (3½ tbsp) unsalted butter — softened and beaten with the lard
• Filling250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• 75 g (scant ½ cup) fine semolina
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 250 g (1 cup) whole-milk ricotta — drained
• 90 g (scant ½ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 50 g (⅓ cup) candied orange peel — finely chopped
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1–2 tbsp powdered sugar — for dusting

Method

1. Day 1: Mix the flour, water, honey and salt in the mixer with the dough hook for 8 to 10 minutes. It will be very stiff and crumbly at first and then come together into a firm, dry dough. Wrap and rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Cut the dough into four pieces. Flatten one and pass it through the pasta machine on the widest setting, fold it in half and pass it again, about 8 times, until smooth and pliable. Repeat with the others.
3. Roll each piece through progressively thinner settings to the second-thinnest, making long ribbons about 12 cm (5 in) wide. Lay one ribbon on the table and gently stretch it wider with your fingertips until you can almost see through it.
4. Brush the ribbon generously with the softened fat mixture. Starting from one short end, roll it up tightly, stretching the dough slightly toward you as you roll so the layers stay tight. Overlap the next stretched and greased ribbon onto the end of the roll and continue until all four are used. The log should be about 6 cm (2½ in) across. Brush the outside with fat, wrap and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
5. Make the filling: bring the milk and salt to a simmer, whisk in the semolina and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until very thick. Spread on a plate, cover and cool. Beat in the ricotta, sugar, egg yolk, candied peel, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate overnight with the dough.
6. Day 2: Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line two sheets with parchment. Trim the ragged ends of the log and cut it into 1.5 cm (⅝ in) slices.
7. Grease your hands with a little fat. Hold a slice with both thumbs in the center and fingers behind it, and push the center outward and downward with your thumbs while rotating, so the rings slide into a cone about 7 to 8 cm (3 in) long, like an open shell.
8. Fill each cone with a heaping 2 tablespoons (about 40 g) of filling and press the edges lightly together so the shell closes a little. Place them on the sheets 4 cm apart.
9. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until deep golden, crisp and the ridges have fanned open. Cool 15 minutes, dust with powdered sugar and eat warm.

Tips for success

• Keep the dough covered while you work. It is so low in water that it dries and cracks within minutes in open air.
• Stretch rather than tug. Small tears are fine; large holes break the spiral and make a weak shell.
• If slices are too firm to shape, leave them at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes until the fat softens slightly.

Substitutions

Lard

All-butter layering (200 g softened butter) gives a richer flavor but a less glassy, slightly softer crust, and it melts faster as you shape.

Candied orange peel

Use the finely grated zest of 1 orange for a fresher, less sweet filling with no chewy bits.

Semolina and ricotta filling

For a quicker version, fill with thick pastry cream mixed with chopped candied peel. It is softer and less traditional.

Variations

Sfogliatelle frolle

Skip the layered dough and wrap the same filling in a soft shortcrust dough made with lard for the smooth, tender Neapolitan version.

Lemon ricotta filling

Replace the candied orange with the zest of 2 lemons and 40 g finely chopped candied lemon peel.

Troubleshooting

Layers separated and fell apart

The ribbon was not rolled tightly or the log was not chilled long enough. Roll firmly with gentle tension and chill overnight.

Pastries are hard rather than crisp

The dough was too thick. Roll to the second-thinnest setting and stretch until nearly translucent.

Filling leaked out during baking

The cones were overfilled or the filling was too loose. Cook the semolina until very thick and use about 40 g per pastry.

Storage

Sfogliatelle are best within hours of baking. Keep leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 3 days, then reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 8 minutes to re-crisp. Shaped, unbaked pastries freeze for up to 1 month and bake from frozen with 5 to 10 minutes added.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw dough or filling before baking; the filling contains a raw egg yolk. Contains wheat, egg and milk.