I miss Italy tremendously, and today I want to share one of Naples' most traditional pastries: the Sfogliatella. This iconic Neapolitan sweet comes in two versions: “sfogliatella riccia”, famous for its crisp, paper-thin layers, and “sfogliatella frolla”, known for its soft, buttery pastry shell.

The riccia is made with flour, water, and lard, forming thin concentric layers.
The frolla, on the other hand, uses flour, sugar, and butter or lard—similar to a rich, sweet pie crust.

Both versions are filled with a delicious mixture of sweetened ricotta, semolina, vanilla, millefiori essence, and candied fruits.
Here, I’m sharing the Sfogliatella Frolla recipe, which is much easier to prepare at home but just as amazing as the riccia. The filling remains the same in both versions.

Makes

About 20 sfogliatelle

Ingredients

For the pastry crust

500 g pastry flour
180 g sugar
200 g lard or butter (traditionally lard)
75 g cold water
1 egg
1 pinch salt
1/3 tsp baking soda
10 g honey
Grated peel of 1 organic lemon

For the filling

200 g semolina
1/2 liter boiling water
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
400 g fresh ricotta
200 g powdered sugar
150 g mixed candied fruits
2 tbsp millefiori or rose water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch cinnamon
Grated peel of 1 organic orange

For glazing

1 beaten egg
1 tbsp milk

Instructions

Prepare the pastry

Mix all the ingredients in a stand mixer until the dough forms a smooth ball.
Wrap it and refrigerate overnight (or at least 1 hour).

Prepare the filling

Cook the semolina in boiling salted water, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps.
Once fully cooked, let it cool completely.

Mix the cooled semolina with ricotta, powdered sugar, and the remaining ingredients.
Taste and adjust sweetness or aroma if needed. You can even add a splash of rum for extra flavor.
Refrigerate the filling until ready to use.

Shape the Sfogliatelle

Preheat your oven to 185°C.
Divide the chilled pastry dough into four balls.

Roll out the first ball on a floured surface until you get a round sheet about 1 cm thick.
Cut out discs using a cup or glass.

Roll each disc slightly thinner and place one tablespoon of filling in the center.
Fold the disc over like a raviolo and press the edges tightly to seal.
Trim the edges with a pastry cutter and repeat with the remaining dough.

Bake

Brush each sfogliatella with the egg-milk glaze.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, depending on your oven.
When they turn golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Serve

Dust generously with powdered sugar.
These sfogliatelle are absolutely irresistible—soft, fragrant, and full of authentic Neapolitan flavor.

Buon appetito!

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Makes