Sfogliatella napoletana:  the amazing shell-shaped filled pastries from Neaples, Campania.

The Sfogliatelle are one of the most amazing baked pastries in the world.
Likewise the Maritozzo in Rome City, the Sfogliatella is a must-try food when in Neaples.
Simply a pride of Neapolitan pastry! The sfogliatelle can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch and dinner and after dinner.
As you know, the name sfogliatella calls two types of dessert, riccia and frolla.
The filling is similar for both, made with semolina, ricotta, sugar, eggs. Candied fruit, lemon and cinnamon essence, while the wrapping changes.
The Riccia with puff pastry, the frolla with shortcrust pastry.
However, these are not two versions of the same dessert.
In fact, the two types of sfogliatelle are completely different.

The Legend of a delicious pastry

Firstly, the Legend tells that the sfogliatella was born in the monasteries of Campania.
Dating back almost five hundred years ago.
The sfogliatella riccia, in particular, seems to have been born in the monastery of Naples Croce di Lucca. Baked for the influential and political figures of the time.
The Neapolitan tradition wants the convents of the time to compete with each other. A lively competition about pastry works.
Twist!!! The recipe of the famous three novices of the convent of Croce di Lucca, was stolen.
As in a respectable industrial spy-story, the recipe reached the other convents of Naples soon.
Even the convent of Santa Rosa on the Amalfi coast received the secret recipe. Enriching it with an extra ingredient: the ricotta filling.

and more thrill…

Here we move from spy-story to erotic novel: to a secret love-story. Between one of the sisters of the Amalfi convent and a local pastry chef.
According to some rumors, the boy in question was Pintauro. This guy was the famous pastry chef from Naples in Via Toledo.
For others, the story was a brilliant marketing gimmick from the pastry chef himself..

How to make it?

It takes a lot of work, because the process is very long and complicated.
Perhaps this is why the legend of the nuns at work seemed likely.
The dough must be processed by folding it on itself hundreds of times. Until a proper level of finesse. By rolling it out, stretch it, and roll it up by greasing it with lard.
Two pastry chefs are needed to stretch the roll of puff pastry. Which from 60 cm reaches 2 meters in length. Cutting the roll into slices. The slices will become the shells to host the filling before passing them in the oven.
It is a tiring process to describe, just imagine making it at home!

Fortunately, the wonderful Neapolitan pastry shops churn out these wonders every day.
In other words, it is always worth trying to cook at home, but not in this case.

The list of the best sfogliatelle in Naples.

Attanasio – Vico Ferrovia 1

Bellavia – Via Fragnito 82

Scaturchio – Piazza San Domenico Maggiore 19

Sfogliatelab – Piazza Garibaldi 82

Sfogliatella Mary – Via Toledo 66

Pintauro – Via Toledo 275