Sfogliatelle with ricotta and orange

Sfogliatelle means “small, leaf layers” in Italian. These flaky, ricotta-filled, clamshell-like pastries first became popular in Naples.

Credit: Bake With Anna Olson

• makes

  16

• prep

  1:30 hour

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Ace

The flaky dough is made very differently from a French puff pastry – essentially a pasta dough is rolled thin, brushed with butter and then spiral-rolled into a cylinder that is then sliced, and when pushed out and filled, the layers bake up flaky, crispy and light. 

The texture of a baked sfogliatelle is not as buttery-rich as a croissant – it has more of a substantial crunch, need to hold that orange-spiked ricotta and semolina filling.

Ingredients

Dough

• 2⅓ cups (350 g) bread flour
• ¾ cup (150 g) durum semolina
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) salt
• 1 cup (250 ml) warm water
• 115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100 g vegetable shortening

Filling

• ½ cup (125 ml) water
• ½ cup (125 ml) 1% or 2% milk
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup (100 g) durum semolina
• 1½ cups (450 g) fresh ricotta (not dry), full-fat
• 2 large egg yolks
• zest of 1 orange
• pinch ground cinnamon
• pinch ground nutmeg
• ½ cup (75 g) finely diced candied orange peel
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Chilling time: 5 hours total (this can be spread out over two days).

You will need a pasta machine for this recipe.

Instructions

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, semolina and salt. Add the water all at once and mix until the mixture is and even texture (but it will be quite dry and crumbly) and it comes together when squeezed in your hand, about 3 minutes. Turn this out onto a work surface and knead with your hands to bring the dough together into 4 small discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (or this can be made a day ahead.)
2. This next step requires a bit of space and a pasta rolling attachment for your mixer, or pasta rolling machine. Beat the butter and shortening together by hand to combine and set aside. Roll each piece through this widest setting at least 4 times, folding the piece into thirds and re-rolling at a 45° rotation each time. Set the pieces aside (covered under a piece of plastic wrap) while working on them one at a time.
3. Roll the first piece through each setting of the pasta maker, progressively getting thinner one step at a time, until it is as thin as possible (it will be about 150 cm/5 feet long by the time you’re done!), and 15 cm (6 inches) across (as wide as the pasta roller). If you run out of space, you can cut the piece of dough in half.
4. Gently stretch the dough to widen it to 20-23 cm (8 or 9 inches) across, making it even thinner (almost sheer.) Spread a sheer layer of the butter mixture of the entire surface of the dough – using your hands is easiest, so that you don’t tear the dough. Starting from the short end, roll up the dough while holding it taut so that the dough continues to stretch as you roll it up. If cut into two pieces, overlap the dough an inch as you continue to roll. 
5. Repeat this same process with each of the three remaining pieces, latching each onto the one previous.  By the time you are done, you will have a cylinder that is 6-7.5 cm (2 ½-3 inches) in diameter and 20-23 cm (8 to 9 inches) long. Wrap this in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
6. For the filling, bring the water, milk and sugar up to a simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, whisk in the semolina and keep whisking, reducing the heat to medium-low, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer this to a large bowl and add the ricotta, beating in with a spatula until smooth. Add the egg yolks, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir in, followed by the candied orange peel. Chill until ready to assemble.
7. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400 °F) and line 2 baking trays with baking (parchment) paper.
8. Unwrap the cylinder of dough, trim off the ends and cut into slices that are just under 12 mm (½ inch) thick – you should get about 16. Use the base of the palm of your hand to flatten each piece just a little (no flour needed), pushing outward from the centre. Hold the piece of dough with your thumbs in the centre and carefully coax the dough into a cone shape by pushing your thumbs up and pulling the sides down with your fingers.  Dollop a generous spoonful of the ricotta filling into the cone and press to bring the edge together in a seashell shape. The ends should meet, but do not have to be sealed.
9. Place each of the pastries on the prepared baking trays, leaving 5 cm (2 inches) between them (they will expand a fair bit as they bake.
10. Bake the pastries for 25 to 30 minutes, until a rich golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the tray for about 15 minutes, before dusting with icing sugar and enjoying warm or at room temperature.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

The flaky dough is made very differently from a French puff pastry – essentially a pasta dough is rolled thin, brushed with butter and then spiral-rolled into a cylinder that is then sliced, and when pushed out and filled, the layers bake up flaky, crispy and light. 

The texture of a baked sfogliatelle is not as buttery-rich as a croissant – it has more of a substantial crunch, need to hold that orange-spiked ricotta and semolina filling.