Craving Italian pastries? Try this authentic Sfogliatella Ricce recipe
Sfogliatelle Ricce, is an iconic pastry that originated in the beautiful region of Napoli, Campania, Italy. It features thin and crispy layers of dough filled with a mouthwatering combination of ricotta cream infused with delightful flavors of orange and cinnamon. The word "Sfogliatelle" (plural form) is pronounced as (sfol-ya-tel-le). When referring to a single pastry, it's called "Sfogliatella." Try this authentic Sfogliatella recipe.
Tools you will need
To make Sfogliatelle, you will need a few tools. For the dough, you can use a pasta machine if you have one, a rolling pin, and a food processor. For the filling, you will need a small pot to heat the ingredients. A large mixing bowl, a whisk, and a spatula will come in handy for combining and mixing the filling.
Ingredients
For dough, you'll need 500 grams of flour, a pinch of salt, butter, three-fourths cup of water, and three tablespoons of honey. The filling requires two cups of milk, half a cup of white sugar, salt, one cup of semolina flour, two cups of ricotta, one large egg, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and two-thirds cup of finely chopped candied orange peel.
Process the dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add water and honey, and mix to create a stiff dough. Gradually add more water as needed. Place the dough on the counter and knead until smooth and supple. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, divide the dough into four pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into thin pieces
Take one piece of dough and roll it through a pasta machine. Fold it in half and roll again. Repeat this process for each piece, gradually decreasing the width setting to create smooth, thin sheets. When the sheet reaches 1mm thickness, lay them on a surface and apply a thin layer of butter. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces to create similar thin layers.
Layer it up and refrigerate
Roll the first thin sheet of dough tightly to form a sausage shape. Then, take another thin dough sheet and wrap it around the original sausage-shaped pastry dough, layering it to create one large cylinder. Cover the cylinder with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one to two hours, allowing the pastry to firm up and set.
Prepare the filling
To prepare the filling, heat the milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan until it comes to a boil. Gradually add semolina flour and stir until it thickens and becomes smooth. Once cooled, transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir continuously until the filling turns smooth and thick. Set the filling aside, preferably in the refrigerator.
Add the filling
Preheat your oven to 190°C. Cut the pastry roll into one cm-thick slices. Use greased fingers to create a hollow cone shape in the center of each piece. Fill the hollow with a spoonful of the prepared filling. Press the pastry edges together to seal and lock the filling. Repeat for the remaining pastries and arrange them on a baking tray.
Bake and serve
After filling all the dough pieces, bake the pastries in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes. Once baked, let them cool for a couple of minutes, and then generously sprinkle them with confectioner's sugar. Your delightful combination of crispy pastry and flavorful filling is now ready. For the best taste and texture, serve the Sfogliatelle Ricce immediately when it is still warm.
