BREAD FLOUR: Bread flour is chosen for its increased protein content material, sometimes between 12% and 14%. This protein is crucial for creating gluten, which provides the dough energy and elasticity. The gluten community created by kneading ensures the dough might be rolled skinny with out tearing, ensuing within the delicate layers that outline sfogliatelle’s flaky texture.
KOSHER SALT:A significant ingredient in each taste and construction, salt not solely enhances the pure flavors of the dough but in addition strengthens the gluten construction. It helps management the fermentation and hydration course of, making certain that the dough stays manageable and maintains its form throughout rolling and baking. The small quantity of salt enhances the pure flavors of the filling whereas stopping it from changing into overly candy. It additionally helps stability the general profile of the filling, enhancing the spices and different elements.
WATER: Water prompts the gluten-forming proteins within the flour, which is essential for making a dough that may be kneaded and stretched skinny with out breaking. Guaranteeing the proper water-to-flour ratio is vital for attaining the suitable dough consistency.
HONEY: This ingredient provides a refined, pure sweetness and acts as a tenderizer. The pure sugars in honey entice moisture, serving to maintain the dough mushy and pliable. Honey additionally contributes to the dough’s means to carry collectively, facilitating the rolling and layering course of.
LARD: The important thing to creating the signature flaky layers of sfogliatelle is the usage of lard. Its excessive fats content material (about 100%) ensures that the dough layers separate throughout baking, creating that crisp, mild texture. The fats coats the gluten strands, inhibiting their growth and permitting the dough to take care of its thinness and flakiness.
WHOLE MILK: The bottom of the semolina combination, milk supplies moisture and a wealthy, creamy texture. The pure fat in entire milk assist stability the sweetness of the sugar and create a well-rounded filling.
GRANULATED SUGAR: Sugar sweetens the filling and acts as a stabilizer. It not solely provides taste but in addition helps retain moisture within the semolina combination, stopping it from changing into too dry when cooled. It additionally works to stability the tanginess of the ricotta.
SEMOLINA FLOUR: This finely floor durum wheat product is the important thing thickening agent for the filling. When mixed with scorching milk, the semolina kinds a wealthy, porridge-like consistency that units to a clean, pliable texture because it cools. It provides a slight graininess that contrasts with the creamy ricotta, creating an fascinating textural layer.
WHOLE-MILK RICOTTA CHEESE: The star of the filling, ricotta supplies a clean, creamy base with a refined tang. The excessive moisture content material of whole-milk ricotta ensures that the filling stays wealthy and never overly dense. Selecting high-quality ricotta with a balanced fats content material helps create a velvety consistency that pairs fantastically with the semolina.
EGG YOLK: The egg yolk provides richness and shade and helps bind the filling collectively, stopping it from separating throughout baking. The lecithin within the yolk acts as an emulsifier, selling a clean and uniform texture.
VANILLA EXTRACT: Vanilla introduces an fragrant word that enhances the sweetness of the sugar and the richness of the ricotta. It enhances the general taste with out overpowering the fragile spices.
GROUND CINNAMON: A warming spice that provides depth and complexity to the filling, cinnamon’s pure oils additionally contribute to the general sensory expertise, balancing out the sweetness and offering a refined warmth.
GROUND CARDAMOM: A barely floral and citrusy spice that enhances the flavour profile and provides a layer of sophistication to the filling, cardamom’s distinctive taste pairs effectively with the opposite spices and enhances the candied orange peel.
CANDIED ORANGE PEEL: The candied orange peel provides a contact of citrusy sweetness and a slight chewiness that contrasts with the smoothness of the filling. It supplies an genuine Italian contact and brightens up the
wealthy and spiced filling.
CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR: The ultimate flourish that provides sweetness and a visually interesting end, a light-weight dusting of confectioners’ sugar enhances the pastry’s look and provides an additional contact of sweetness to stability the wealthy, flaky layers.
