Shell-Shaped Ricotta Pastry

Ingredients

• 250 g All-purpose flour
• 90 ml Water
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 pinch Salt
• 120 g Lard
• 150 ml Milk
• 80 g Semolina
• 250 g Ricotta
• 100 g Sugar
• 2 Egg yolk
• 50 g Candied orange peel
• 1 tsp Orange zest
• 1 tsp Lemon zest
• 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Powdered sugar

Steps

1. Make the dough: in a bowl combine the flour, salt, honey and water, kneading until you have a firm, rough mass.
2. Turn out onto the work surface and knead vigorously for 10 minutes, then wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Make the filling: in a small saucepan bring the milk and water to a boil with a pinch of salt and half the sugar.
4. Rain in the semolina while whisking and cook for 3-4 minutes until it thickens into a firm cream.
5. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic touching the surface and let cool.
6. Sieve the well-drained ricotta and stir it into the cold semolina along with the remaining sugar, the egg yolks, the orange and lemon zest, the cinnamon, the vanilla and the diced candied orange.
7. Mix to a smooth, fragrant cream, then keep refrigerated.
8. Take the dough and roll it through a pasta machine, passing it repeatedly until you have a very long, paper-thin sheet that is almost transparent.
9. Brush each strip generously with softened melted lard.
10. Roll the sheet up onto itself into a tight, compact cylinder, gently stretching the edges as you roll.
11. Wrap the roll in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
12. Cut the roll into slices about 1 cm thick.
13. With thumbs greased in lard, press into the center of each slice and push it outward from the inside, sliding the layers over one another to form a flared shell.
14. Fill each shell with a teaspoon of cream.
15. Close the edges, pressing firmly to seal and give the classic plump triangular shape.
16. Arrange the sfogliatelle on a parchment-lined baking tray.
17. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes, until golden and crisp.
18. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.

Tips

• Lard (strutto) is non-negotiable for authentic flaky layers and the characteristic flavor; butter will not give the same crackle.
• The colder and firmer the roll, the cleaner the slices and the more defined the shell layers, so don't skip the overnight chill.
• Eat them warm, within hours of baking, when the sfoglia is at its crispiest.