Italian Cream Bomboloni (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dough for Bomboloni
01 -
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract
02 -
1/2 cup warm milk (120ml)
03 -
2 cups 00 flour or all-purpose flour (280g)
04 -
6.5 tbsp soft butter (90g)
05 -
2 cups strong bread flour (280g)
06 -
3 large eggs (room temp)
07 -
2-3 tbsp superfine sugar or powdered sugar, to coat doughnuts
08 -
1/2 cup white sugar (100g)
09 -
1 small pinch of salt
10 -
Cooking oil like sunflower or vegetable, for frying
11 -
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (7g)
→ Italian Crema Pasticciera (Pastry Cream)
12 -
1/3 cup sugar (70g)
13 -
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or use 1 vanilla bean instead
14 -
Zest from 1 lemon
15 -
5 egg yolks
16 -
1/4 cup cornstarch (30g)
17 -
2.5 cups milk (500ml)
# Instructions:
01 -
Check your yeast package for directions. Some types can go straight into dry ingredients, like here, but others might need mixing with lukewarm liquid first. If activating it, use a bit of the warm milk and don’t add too much liquid.
02 -
Mix yeast, sugar, and flour together in the mixer bowl. Add cubes of butter on top of the flour mixture, then mix in the eggs, vanilla, warm milk, and salt. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and knead the mixture gently for about 10 minutes on a low setting (like speed 2 for a KitchenAid). By the end, you’ll have smooth dough that’s soft and not sticky.
03 -
On a clean surface that doesn’t need extra flour, work the dough just enough to make it smooth. Put it in an oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise until it’s about three times larger (takes 2-3 hours).
04 -
Once the dough has grown, turn it out onto your surface, lightly knead it to take out the air, and form it into a smooth ball again. Roll it into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick (1.5cm), and cut circles with a round cutter or glass, about 3.5 inches wide. Use up scraps as you like—either fry them or reuse by rolling and cutting again.
05 -
Place your cut dough rounds onto baking parchment and loosely cover them with plastic wrap. Let them rise again until they’re roughly three times bigger. This takes about 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
06 -
While waiting, whip up your pastry cream. Use a large bowl to mix lemon zest, egg yolks, vanilla, and sugar with a whisk until blended. Stir in the cornstarch. Heat up the milk just until it’s hot, then take it off the heat for a minute. Slowly pour it into your egg mix while whisking nonstop to prevent the eggs from cooking. Put it all back in the saucepan and cook at a low temperature, stirring often, for 10–15 minutes until it thickens nicely. Remove from heat, transfer to a clean bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap to stop a skin forming, and let it cool completely.
07 -
Heat a pot or pan filled with about 3 inches of oil until it reaches 170°C/337°F. Cut the parchment around the doughnuts so that each one is on a small square, lift the doughnut and paper together, and gently place it into the oil. Quickly pull away the paper with tongs. Fry in smaller batches for 2 minutes per side (don’t overcrowd!), then let them sit on paper towels to cool slightly. Finally, roll the warm doughnuts in some sugar.
08 -
To fill, use a small knife to poke a hole into each doughnut from one side. Wiggle the knife around inside to create a space for filling. Then, put your pastry cream (or whatever you choose) into a piping bag and carefully fill each doughnut. Serve fresh, or keep in a sealed container for 1-2 days.
# Notes:
01 -
Fluffy, sugar-dusted Bomboloni filled with homemade vanilla pastry cream are something special you’ll keep wanting to eat.
02 -
Spoon flour loosely into your measuring cup, tap lightly to settle, then level it for proper measurement, or grab a kitchen scale for foolproof results.
03 -
Your dough should feel slightly sticky when touched but not wet. Add flour by the spoonful if you need to firm it up.
04 -
Leaving the doughnuts on parchment squares makes frying much easier and ensures their shape stays nice.
05 -
The oil needs to be around 3 inches deep to cook doughnuts nicely. Avoid frying too many at once so the oil temp doesn’t drop.