Sfogliatella Recipe

Activate yeast and mix dough

Warm the milk to about 37–40°C (slightly warm to the touch). In a small bowl sprinkle the active dry yeast over 2 tablespoons of the warm milk and let sit 5–7 minutes until foamy. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, semolina (if using), sugar and salt. Make a well, add the activated yeast, remaining warm milk, cold water and 30 g room-temperature butter. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft but not sticky; add a teaspoon of flour at a time if excessively sticky.

First rest

Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes until slightly puffy (not necessarily doubled).

Prepare butter block

While the dough rests, place 300 g cold unsalted butter between two sheets of parchment and bash/roll into a flat rectangle about 1–1.5 cm thick and roughly 15 x 20 cm. Keep chilled until firm but still pliable (refrigerate 15–20 minutes if needed).

Laminate: enclose butter

On a floured surface roll the rested dough into a rectangle about 25 x 35 cm. Place the butter block in the center, fold dough edges over the butter like an envelope to fully enclose. Seal seams so butter is contained. Lightly dust outside and using a rolling pin roll into a long rectangle about 25 x 60 cm (do not let butter break through).

Turns and rests

Perform the first letter fold: fold the top third down and the bottom third up to form three layers. Rotate the dough 90°, wrap in plastic and chill for 20–30 minutes. Repeat rolling to 25 x 60 cm and do two more single letter folds (total 3 single folds), chilling 20–30 minutes between each. This creates multiple thin butter layers (highly laminated). Keep dough cold but pliable throughout—if butter begins to smear or break, chill longer.

Final roll

After the last chill, roll the laminated dough into a long rectangle approximately 30 x 60 cm and about 2–3 mm thick. Brush the entire surface lightly with vegetable oil or melted lard to help layers separate during shaping. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a long, even log (jelly-roll style). Wrap the log tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to firm.

While the laminated dough is chilling, prepare the ricotta filling. Place the drained ricotta in a bowl and whisk or beat lightly to smooth. Add the granulated sugar, semolina, the egg, vanilla, orange zest, chopped candied peel, cinnamon (if using), chocolate chips (if using) and a pinch of salt. Mix until homogeneous. Cover and chill—cold, slightly firm filling is easier to work with. Taste and adjust sweetness/vanilla if desired.

If your ricotta is very wet, place it in a fine sieve over a bowl and drain in the refrigerator 1–3 hours or press gently with a paper towel before mixing. The semolina will also help bind moisture while baking.

Form sfogliatelle

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Line two baking trays with parchment. Remove the laminated dough log from the refrigerator. With a very sharp knife cut the log crosswise into pieces approximately 5–6 cm wide (you should get about 10–12 pieces from a 60 cm log). Take one piece at a time: hold it on its cut end and, using your fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon, press down the center of the disc to create a hollow cavity while simultaneously opening the layers into a fan or scalloped shape. The traditional method pulls and spreads layers into a shell—work gently so the layers separate without tearing completely. You want a crisp multi-layered cup with an internal cavity for the filling.

Fill shells

Spoon about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of the chilled ricotta filling into each formed shell, taking care not to overfill and to leave the top layers free to crisp. Press filling down gently so it sits inside the cavity.

Egg wash and sugar

Lightly brush the outer layers with the prepared egg wash (be careful not to drip onto the exposed filling). Sprinkle a little granulated sugar over each pastry for extra shine and caramelization.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, rotating trays halfway, until the pastry is deep golden brown and the layers are crisp. Start checking at 18 minutes—browning time varies with ovens. The filling should be set but still moist.

Finish

Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. If desired, sift a light dusting of powdered sugar over the warm sfogliatelle before serving. Allow to cool 10–15 minutes—the shells will crisp further as they cool.