Dessert pastry / Italian bakery pastry
A classic pastry from Campania, sfogliatella riccia is the curly version of sfogliatella, known for its many thin, crisp layers and a fragrant filling of ricotta, semolina, sugar, and candied citrus. It is best served slightly warm, when the shell is crackly and the center is creamy.
Recipe video
Drain the ricotta. Put the ricotta in a sieve over a bowl for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge. A drier filling gives cleaner shaping.
Cook the semolina base. Heat the milk with a pinch of salt until steaming. Rain in the semolina while whisking constantly. Cook 2–3 minutes until thick and smooth. Spread on a plate and cool completely.
Make the filling. In a bowl, mix the cooled semolina with sugar, ricotta, egg, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon, and chopped candied orange peel. Beat until smooth and thick. Chill.
Mix the dough. Combine bread flour, semolina flour, and salt. Add honey and most of the water. Mix into a very firm dough. Add the remaining water only if needed.
Knead and rest. Knead 8–10 minutes until dense and smooth. Wrap tightly and let rest 30 minutes.
Roll very thin. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece through a pasta machine or with a rolling pin until almost paper-thin. Keep unused dough covered.
Laminate. Brush one sheet lightly but completely with softened lard. Roll it up tightly from the short side into a log. Repeat with the next sheet, wrapping it around the first log, brushing with more lard each time, until you have one thick cylinder.
Chill the cylinder. Wrap the dough log tightly and chill 1½ to 2 hours, until firm. This helps the layers set.
Slice and open. Cut the cylinder into slices about 1 cm / 0.4 in thick. Grease your fingers lightly, then press from the center outward to form a small cone or shell, keeping the layers visible.
Fill. Spoon in enough filling to generously fill the shell without bursting it. Gently press the opening together just enough to hold the shape.
Bake. Arrange on a lined tray. Bake at 200°C / 390°F for 20 minutes, then lower to 180°C / 355°F and bake 8–10 minutes more, until deeply golden and crisp.
Finish and serve. Cool 10 minutes, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm or just slightly cooled.
