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Dolci Rotolo

A recipe for Dolci Rotolo! This rolled pizza is filled with a creamy ricotta cinnamon filling and topped with a caramel sauce and pecans.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Keyword caramel, cinnamon, dessert, pecan, pizza, ricotta, roll
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time: 2 days
Total Time 2 days 1 hour
Servings 12 Rotolos

Ingredients

Naples Dough at 60% Hydration:

Starter:

  • 354 grams (2 2/3 cups) King Arthur bread flour
  • 354 grams (1 1/2 cups) water at 45˚F (7˚C)
  • 0.8 grams (1/4 teaspoon) fresh yeast or 0.3 grams (scant 1/8 teaspoon) active dry yeast

Dough:

  • 241 grams (1 cup) water at 55˚F (13˚C)
  • 1/3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) fresh yeast or 0.6 grams (generous 1/8 teaspoon) active dry yeast
  • 638 grams (4 2/3 cups) King Arthur bread flour
  • 20 grams (3 1/2 teaspoons) fine sea salt

Home Oven Dolci Rotolo:

Dough and Filling:

  • 3 dough balls preferably Naples Dough at 60% Hydration (recipe above)
  • 14 ounces ricotta impastata
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons (80 grams) sugar
  • 2 3/4 tablespoons (41 milliliters) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon (2.6 grams) ground cinnamon
  • Flour for dusting

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup (112.5 grams) packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup (158 milliliters) heavy cream
  • 2 3/4 tablespoons (37.5 grams) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (82 grams) pecans toasted and chopped

Instructions

To make the dough:

  • Day 1: For the starter, mix everything together in the bowl of an electric mixer, crumbling in the yeast if it's fresh or sprinkling the dry yeast over the water. Mix just long enough to make sure all the flour is wet. The starter will be wet and sticky. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature (about 70˚F/21˚C) for 24 hours.
  • Day 2: For the dough, pour the water into a small bowl, crumble in the yeast, and whisk them together until no lumps remain; or, if using dry yeast, you can just sprinkle the yeast over the starter.
  • To Mix and Knead: Add the water (or water/yeast mixture) to the starter and then add the flour and then the salt. Attach the dough hook and mix on low speed until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. This dough will be fairly stiff during mixing and kneading in the mixer. If your mixer is less than 600 watts, remove half of the dough and mix it in 2 batches to avoid burning out your mixer motor. Recombine the dough at the end of mixing both batches. Either way, mix and knead each batch of dough in the mixer on low speed for 7 minutes. Then switch to medium-low speed and mix for another 4 minutes. The dough should look smoother and feel somewhat resilient when poked. 
  • To ferment: Cover tightly and let the dough ferment in the refrigerator until it proofs and almost doubles in size, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours for more flavor. You could also let the dough ferment at room temperature for 5 to 6 hours if you're pressed for time.
  • To ball up and ferment again: When finished fermenting, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, about 250 grams (8.8 ounces) each. Make a tight ball out of each piece using your dry hands and a dry work surface: pick up a piece of dough and make the smooth side the top, tucking the rough bottom side into itself to swell up the top. It's like stuffing a sock into itself. When all the loose dough is tucked into a ball, firmly squeeze the ball near the bottom to get out any big air pockets. The top should swell up like a balloon and be smooth like a baby's bottom. Gently roll the bottom under your palm on a dry work surface, using a circular motion to close the bottom and smooth it out. Ideally, the dough ball will be tight and smooth all over.
  • Place the dough balls evenly in a proofing box or on a wide tray, making sure they are separated and not touching. I don't dust them with flour. They get plenty of flour when you shape them. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours. Or leave at room temperature for up to 12 hours.

To make the Home Oven Dolci Rotolo:

  • For the dough and filling: Let the dough warm up at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. As it warms up, the dough will relax and become easier to shape.
  • Meanwhile, mix together the ricotta, sugar, cream, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 6 hours.
  • To shape the dough: The goal is to stretch the dough to a rectangle about 18 inches long by 13 inches wide (45 by 33 centimeters) with an even thickness across the middle and no rim at the edge. Flour a work surface and lay the dough balls end to end in a horizontal line in front of you. Gently flatten and pinch the ends of the dough together to make 1 bigger piece of dough. Dust the top with flour and then press the dough with your palms and fingers, stretching outward to shape the dough into a large rectangle that roughly matches the dimensions of a half-sheet pan (18 by 13 inches/45 by 33 centimeters). If the dough is stiff, you can also pick up the edges of the dough to stretch it outward, or use a rolling pin. As you work, loosen the dough from the work surface with a bench knife and reflour the work surface as necessary. You don't want the dough to stick. When the dough is an even thickness of about 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters), square up the edges with your hands to make a nice rectangle.
  • Spread the ricotta filling in an even layer all the way to the edges of the dough. Fold the short sides of the dough rectangle over the filling, about 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters). Then starting at the long side (nearest you), begin rolling the dough over the filling into a tight roll, enclosing the filling in a spiral. The sides will want to spread as you roll. Try to keep the roll tight,. When fully rolled, compress gently around the roll with your palms to make it nice and compact. Cut the roll crosswise into 12 pieces, each 1 1/2 to 2 inches (3 to 5 centimeters) wide.
  • Lightly oil a half-sheet pan (18 by 13 inches/45 by 33 centimeters). Place the retools, cut side up, on the baking sheet, reshaping them as necessary so each is a nice, stable spiral. Cover and let stand at room temperature until puffy and almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 450˚F (232˚C) and place a baking stone or steel on the middle rack. Let the oven preheat for at least 45 minutes.
  • To bake the rotolos: Bake the rotolos until puffed and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan once or twice for even cooking. Remove the entire pan from the oven, let cool for a minute, and then use a metal spatula to transfer the retools to a platter or plates. These rotolos may spread a bit, which is fine. Each one will have its own unique character. 
  • For the topping: While the rotolos bake, combine the brown sugar, cream, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until everything is melted and smooth, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the rotolos and top with the pecans.