These Italian pastries are where passion and skill come together in a crispy, creamy explosion of flavour. Italian baker Adriana Cefala shows us the process step by step.
About Adriana:
Ciao! My name’s Adriana Cefala, a second-generation Italian living in Warragul, Victoria. I am a self-taught baker, specialising in Italian pastries and sweets. I believe good food is a cornerstone of happiness. Growing up, some of my fondest memories were created around the dinner table. My recipes have been passed down for generations and are as important as any family heirloom. My goal is to save these unique recipes from extinction, and teach you the origins, stories and most importantly the tastes! Follow more of my adventures on IG @ilmiomattarello.
Sfogliatelle (lobster tails) with Adriana Cefala
Serves 12
WHAT YOU NEED
For the dough:
500g 00 flour
250 – 270ml of water
1 tbsp honey
1 pinch of salt
250g of soft butter (for laminating)
For the filling:
500ml of tepid water
Pinch of salt
175g semolina
1 tsp of cinnamon
250g fresh ricotta
120g icing sugar
1 egg
1 sachet of vanillin
Zest of ½ an orange
WHAT TO DO
For the filling:
Place water, salt, semolina, and cinnamon into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick and sticky.
Cool completely in the fridge.
In another bowl add ricotta and icing sugar and mash until smooth.
Add vanillin, egg and orange zest and mix well.
Add cooled semolina and mix until combined. Set in the fridge until needed.
For the dough:
Part A
Place flour in a bowl and create a well.
In a glass add water, honey and salt and stir until dissolved
Add liquids to the flour and mix with hands until combined (it will seem dry, don’t worry). Turn out and kneed for 1min until it loosely comes together in a ball.
Lather with butter and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rest for 1hr in a warm place.
Take out and knead dough for approx. 5mins until soft and elastic.
Lather with butter and cover with damp cloth. Let it rest overnight in the fridge.
Part B
Take butter out of fridge and cut into small cubes. Set aside to come to room temp.
Take dough out of fridge and cut into 3 equal pieces.
Roll each piece out with a rolling pin into a long sheet. Attach each sheet together to create one long sheet. Spread with flour.
Pass sheet through a pasta machine on setting 7. Do the same for setting 5.
Finally, pass the sheet through setting 3 making sure you spread with flour. As it passes through, roll sheet onto a rolling pin and place on top of a casserole dish.
Flour your bench and pull a length of dough from the pin. Stretch out to become as wide as possible and lather with butter.
Roll up tightly. Continue this process until the roll is complete. It should resemble a large sausage. Cut off untidy ends.
Lather with butter and wrap with cling wrap as tight as possible. Place in fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
Part C
Take dough out of fridge and cut into 12 disks, lathering each disk with butter.
Starting from the middle of the disk, use your thumbs to gently push the dough down into a cone shape. Continue this until all 12 disks are complete.
Take approx. 2 tbsp of filling and place inside the cone.
Fold cone over and press ends gently together. Use your hands to shape into the signature shell shape.
Place 6 sfogliatelle onto a lined baking sheet spaced evenly apart. Repeat for other 6.
Bake trays in the oven for 20-25mins on 180 degrees Celsius, or until golden brown and crispy.
Let rest on a cooling rack.
When ready to serve, dust with icing sugar.
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