Sfogliatella: Naples’ Iconic Pastry with Crispy Layers & a Sweet Heart

Golden, shell-shaped, and miraculously crispy, the sfogliatella is a dessert that delivers drama before the first bite. Break through its layers of flaky pastry and you’ll find a soft, fragrant filling of sweet ricotta, semolina, candied citrus, and a hint of cinnamon. It’s the ultimate Neapolitan treat, best enjoyed with an espresso in the early morning sun.

History and Origins:
The story begins in the 17th century at the convent of Santa Rosa on the Amalfi Coast, where nuns invented the pastry as a clever way to use leftover semolina and fruit. The recipe made its way to Naples, where it evolved into two iconic forms: sfogliatella riccia, with its multitude of crisp layers, and sfogliatella frolla, with a smooth shortcrust shell. The name means “small, thin leaf,” a tribute to the pastry’s delicate, leaf-like layers.

Ingredients and Preparation:
For the riccia version, the dough is rolled paper-thin, brushed with fat, and tightly wound into logs before being sliced and shaped into shells. The filling is a rich blend of semolina cooked in milk, ricotta, sugar, eggs, candied citrus peel, and cinnamon. Once baked, it emerges shatteringly crisp outside, tender and aromatic inside. The frolla version uses the same filling but swaps the layered dough for buttery shortcrust, resulting in a softer, biscuit-like texture.

Where to Taste It:
In Naples, Sfogliatella Mary in Galleria Umberto I is a landmark, while Attanasio near the main station is legendary for serving them fresh and warm from the oven. In Conca dei Marini, the birthplace of the original sfogliatella Santa Rosa, local pastry shops still serve it topped with a dollop of pastry cream and a cherry.

A sfogliatella is more than a pastry—it’s a piece of Neapolitan history, crafted with skill, tradition, and a touch of sweetness from the past. One is never enough—and that’s exactly the point.