Sfogliatelle Ricce

Combine semolina flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well. Add the beaten egg and warm water to the well. Mix by hand until a stiff, cohesive dough forms — this dough should be very firm and smooth, like pasta dough. Knead on the bench for 10–12 minutes until very smooth. The dough will be stiff and fight you — this is correct. A stiff dough extends into very thin sheets without tearing. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest for 30 minutes.

Bring milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Rain in semolina in a thin stream while whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking, for 5–7 minutes until the mixture becomes very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Beat in sugar, vanilla, and candied orange peel. Spread on a tray, cover with plastic touching the surface, and cool completely in the refrigerator — at least 2 hours.

Beat the cold semolina cream to break it up slightly. Add well-drained ricotta (excess liquid will make the filling too wet to hold its shape in the pastry shell) and mix together until smooth and uniform. Fold in candied orange peel and vanilla. Taste — the filling should be sweet, mildly lemony from the orange, and have the grainy-smooth texture of semolina. Refrigerate until needed.

Divide the rested dough in half. Using a pasta machine, roll the first piece from the widest setting to the thinnest (setting 7–9 on most machines), stretching into a long, thin sheet. Brush the entire surface generously with very soft (not melted) lard or butter. Fold the sheet like a letter — thirds — and roll again to the thinnest setting. Brush again. Roll the sheet into a tight log from one short end. Refrigerate the log for 30 minutes. Repeat with the second piece.

Cut the chilled log into 1.5 cm rounds. Using your thumbs, press and stretch each round into a cone shape — the spiral layers will fan out like the pages of a book. Work gently from the center outward, keeping the point of the cone closed while the opening widens into an oval shell. Fill each shell with a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta filling and press the edges firmly shut. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F). Bake sfogliatelle for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and the layers have fanned open dramatically and crisped. The pastry will open and separate into distinct shell layers as the fat melts and the steam puffs them apart. Cool for 5 minutes, dust generously with icing sugar, and eat warm — sfogliatelle should be eaten within 30 minutes of baking while the layers are at maximum crispness.