Neapolitan Sfogliatelle

History and Background

Originally created by an Italian nun, the sfogliatelle have been in existence for over 400 years old!

The challenge in making sfogliatella lies in the many layers needed, created by proper lamination, that crisp up into a beautiful, crackly, multi-layered shell that holds the thick, flavorful, sweetened cheese and semolina filling.

A pasta machine is required to get the dough thin enough, before rolling it up into a tight cylinder to achieve all those beautiful layers!

A variation of this pastry is called a lobster tail pastry, which contains a different filling (sweetened whipped cream and ricotta) along with a choux dough (pate a choux, cream puff dough) inside the laminated layers, which puffs up and allows the baker to fill the pastries after they have been baked, much like a cream puff. It is off-the-hook delicious!

Overview

For crafting these pastries, prepare a thick filling and the dough for the outer shell. The robust consistency of the filling is crucial to ensure the pastries puff up, achieving their signature clam-like shape.

Sfogliatelle dough is rolled out extremely thin, almost paper-like, and then liberally greased before being rolled into a tight cylinder. This cylinder is then sliced into discs, flattened, and filled with a sweet ricotta mixture before baking.

Ingredients for the Filling

Making the Filling

Add water, salt, and sugar to a large saucepan, simmer, and then sift semolina into the water mixture.

• Heat and stir until thickened.
• Afterwards, add the ricotta and continue cooking for a few minutes

• Add the yolks, and the remaining ingredients.
• Stir and cook for a couple more minutes.
• Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic, and store in the refrigerator after it has cooled down.

Ingredients for the Sfogliatelle Shell

Recipe update (8/2026): I previously included honey or sugar in the dough, but after additional testing, I no longer recommend either. The dough is now made with just flour, water, and salt.

Overview of Making the Shell

Mixing

• The dough is intentionally very dry and stiff.
• Don’t try to knead it like bread dough.
• Squeeze and turn the mixture repeatedly until all the dry flour is incorporated.
• Let the dough rest, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Shape the dough into a short log and flatten it with a rolling pin until it will fit through setting 0 of the pasta machine.
• Pass the dough through setting 0 several times to begin smoothing and developing the dough.
• Coat the dough generously with lard, fold it, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

Making the Cylinder/Roll

• Making the roll is the most laborious part of this recipe; make sure you have enough time and patience before you start!!!
• Let refrigerated dough warm 30–60 minutes.
• Start at setting 1. Progress one setting at a time to setting 9 on the Marcato Atlas. For other pasta machines, use the setting that rolls the dough to approximately 0.5 mm thick.
• Roll the increasingly long sheet onto a rolling pin between passes. Lightly flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
• I successfully managed the entire sheet with just one rolling pin. As the dough came out of the machine, I lightly floured it as needed and loosely gathered it on the work surface, keeping it neat and untwisted without compacting it. This made it easy to roll the dough back onto the rolling pin and feed it through the next setting.
• A rolling pin with a freely spinning barrel and stationary handles is especially helpful because it allows the dough to unwind smoothly and evenly as you feed it into the pasta machine.
• A motorized pasta machine is strongly recommended.
• After the final pass, elevate the rolling pin on the two flour bags.
• Unroll gradually, lightly grease with lard, gently stretch widthwise, and roll into one very tight cylinder.
• Grease the completed cylinder and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Cutting and Filling

• Trim the uneven ends from the chilled cylinder and cut into 12 to 14 even slices with a serrated bread knife.
• Generously grease both sides of each slice.
• With the spiral facing you, gently press the center outward with your thumbs while gradually sliding the concentric layers past one another.
• Rotate the dough as you work so the layers open evenly.
• Continue gently stretching and shaping until you have an elongated, cone-shaped shell with a hollow center.
• Avoid flattening or compressing the layers.
• Fill generously with the chilled ricotta-semolina filling and gently bring the edges together.
• The pastries do not need to be sealed

Tips for Success

• Read through the entire sheeting process before beginning. Once the dough becomes very thin, the sheet will be extremely long and much easier to manage if you understand the process before you start.
• Use bread flour or stronger (13% protein or higher)
• Let the dough rest if it is too difficult to roll. The gluten will relax as the dough rests making it easier to work.
• Definitely make this recipe in stages (day 1, day 2 at least); Making the filling is relatively easy, as is cutting and filling the pastries. You will need lots of time, patience, and energy to make the cylinder/roll (which involves many rounds of running the dough through the pasta machine).
• Using a rolling pin to gather the dough as it comes off the pasta machine during the thinning stage keeps everything running smoothly.
• Make sure the filling is thick like a paste; the thickness is needed to prevent flat pastries. The filling will thicken as it cools, but feel free to add a few tablespoons extra of semolina if the mixture seems too thin.