Authentic Italian Sfogliatelle Recipe

Authentic Italian Sfogliatelle Recipe

Yield: About 10 pastries
Difficulty: Advanced (requires patience and precision)
Preparation time: 2 hours active + resting time
Baking time: 25–30 minutes

🧈 Ingredients
For the Pastry Dough:

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup (180 ml) warm water

2 tbsp lard or unsalted butter (melted, for brushing)

Extra lard/butter for greasing

For the Filling (Semolina–Ricotta Cream):

½ cup (100 g) semolina flour

1 cup (250 ml) milk

1 tbsp sugar

1 pinch salt

1 cup (250 g) ricotta cheese (preferably sheep’s milk)

¼ cup (50 g) sugar

1 egg

½ tsp cinnamon

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

2 tbsp chopped candied orange peel (optional)

👩‍🍳 Preparation
1️⃣ Make the Dough

Mix flour and salt in a bowl.

Gradually add warm water and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).

Shape into a ball, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

2️⃣ Stretch the Dough

Divide dough in two.

Using a pasta machine or rolling pin, roll each piece into a very thin sheet (as thin as possible — almost transparent).

Brush the surface generously with melted lard or butter.

Roll it tightly into a log, stretching slightly as you roll to create many layers.

Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

3️⃣ Prepare the Filling

Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.

Slowly add semolina while whisking to avoid lumps.

Cook until thick (2–3 minutes), then let it cool.

Mix the cooled semolina with ricotta, sugar, egg, orange zest, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in candied peel if using. Chill until needed.

4️⃣ Shape the Sfogliatelle

Slice the chilled dough log into 1 cm thick discs.

With your thumbs, press the center of each disc outward, forming a cone shape while keeping the layers visible.

Fill the cavity with about 1 tablespoon of filling.

Close the top gently (do not seal completely — leave a small opening).

5️⃣ Bake

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).

Place pastries on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Brush lightly with melted butter or lard.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and crisp.

6️⃣ Serve

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Best eaten warm, when the layers are crispy and the filling is fragrant.

🍊 Tips for Perfection

The thinner you roll the dough, the flakier your sfogliatelle will be.

Lard gives the most authentic flavor and crispiness (as in Naples), but butter works too.

Keep the dough well-chilled before shaping — it makes it easier to handle.

You can freeze unbaked sfogliatelle and bake straight from frozen (add 5 extra minutes).

[Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Wow. Authentic Italian spoken. [Music] Delicious. So creamy, so tasty, so sweet. Amazing. Thank you, Libra. [Music]