INTRODUCTION
Italian Donuts Bomboloni are soft, round fried pastries filled with sweet cream. They come from Italy and feel like a warm hug. The dough is rich and tender. The outside is golden and slightly crisp. Inside you find a smooth custard or pastry cream. You will enjoy them with coffee or as a sweet snack.
If you enjoy other simple Italian sweets, you might like a savory dish like autumn butternut squash and Italian sausage casserole for a full meal idea.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
You will love this recipe because the bombs of cream are soft and fresh. The dough is easy to make with common ingredients. Frying gives a quick crisp shell that holds the cream. They are great warm or at room temperature. You can change the filling to match your mood. Kids and adults both like them. The recipe makes many donuts, so you can share with friends or neighbors.
HOW TO MAKE Italian Donuts Bomboloni
This recipe uses a rich yeast dough. You mix flour, sugar, and yeast first. Then you add butter, eggs, and flavor. Warm milk helps the dough come together. After a long first rise, you roll out the dough and cut circles. A second rise makes them light and puffy. You fry the dough in hot oil until golden. After frying, roll each donut in sugar while warm and then fill with pastry cream.
Make the pastry cream ahead if you like. A simple pastry cream uses milk, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and butter. Heat milk with half the sugar, whisk egg yolks with the rest of the sugar and cornstarch, then temper the eggs with hot milk. Cook until thick, remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla, and cool. You can chill the cream in the fridge until you need it.
If you want a dessert menu, try pairing these with a light cake like Italian love cake, which brings a soft citrus note that goes well with the sweet cream in the bombs.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling pin
- Round cutter or glass for cutting circles
- Baking sheet lined with parchment
- Deep skillet or heavy pot for frying
- Candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer to check oil temperature
- Slotted spoon or spider skimmer to remove donuts from oil
- Pastry bag with round tip for filling
- Cooling rack and paper towels
Ingredients You’ll Need :
- 3 cups bread flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup whole milk, lukewarm
- vegetable oil, for frying
- Pastry cream (see below)
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS :
- In a large bowl, sift together bread flour, sugar, and yeast.
- Add butter, orange zest, vanilla, and eggs, then mix with a dough hook while pouring in the warmed milk.
- Knead until a smooth dough forms, then place it in a greased bowl to rise for 1.5-2 hours.
- Roll out dough and cut into circles, then let rise for another 1-2 hours.
- Heat oil to 350°F and fry dough until golden brown.
- Roll in sugar and fill with pastry cream.
- Serve warm.
HOW TO SERVE Italian Donuts Bomboloni
Serve bomboloni warm for the best experience. Place them on a cooling rack or a plate. Dust extra sugar on top or roll them in granulated sugar. To fill, use a pastry bag with a round tip and pipe pastry cream into the center of each donut. Offer coffee, milk, or a light tea. If you like, serve with a small bowl of jam or melted chocolate for dipping. Simple presentation works best: a few bombs on a white plate look very inviting.
STORAGE & FREEZING : Italian Donuts Bomboloni
Short term storage: Keep filled donuts at room temperature for up to 2 hours. After that, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Unfilled donuts can stay at room temperature for a day in a covered container.
Freezing: Freeze unfilled donuts on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or reheat in a low oven to refresh the crust. Fill with pastry cream after reheating. Do not freeze donuts that are already filled with cream. Creamy filling can break when frozen.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Serve two per person as a dessert after dinner.
- Offer a small pot of espresso or a latte with the donuts.
- Arrange a platter with fresh fruit to cut the sweetness.
- For a brunch table, place donuts on a cake stand with powdered sugar dusted over them.
- Add a small bowl of jam or lemon curd so guests can dip or fill their own donut.
VARIATIONS
- Lemon curd filling: Replace pastry cream with lemon curd for a bright, tart flavor.
- Chocolate cream: Add cocoa powder to your pastry cream or fold in melted chocolate.
- Jam filled: Fill with raspberry or apricot jam instead of pastry cream.
- Ricotta twist: Mix ricotta with a bit of sugar and vanilla for a lighter filling. If you like ricotta sweets, you may also enjoy an easy cookie recipe like Italian ricotta cookies recipe that shares the same mild, creamy notes.
- Sugar coating changes: Use cinnamon sugar instead of plain sugar for a warm spice flavor.
FAQs
Q: How do I know when the oil is the right temperature?
A: Use a candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer. The oil should read about 350°F. You can also test with a small piece of dough. It should sizzle and turn golden in about 30-40 seconds.
Q: Can I bake these instead of frying?
A: You can bake a version, but the texture will change. Fried bomboloni have a soft interior and a slightly crisp outside. Baked donuts will be more like buns and will not have the same crust.
Q: How long does the dough take to rise?
A: The first rise is about 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on room temperature. The second rise after cutting is 1 to 2 hours. Dough should double in size in each rise.
Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
A: Yes, you can. Bread flour gives a chewier texture. All-purpose flour will work and give a slightly softer crumb.
Q: Is pastry cream hard to make?
A: No. It just needs careful whisking and heating. Temper the eggs with hot milk slowly to avoid cooking the eggs. Cook until thick and then cool.
Q: Can I make these nut-free?
A: Yes. Check your pastry cream and any decorations to be sure they have no nut ingredients. Use vegetable oil and plain sugar to keep them safe.
Q: What is the best way to fill the donuts?
A: After frying, insert a round tip into the side of each donut and pipe in pastry cream until you feel resistance or see filling appear.
MAKE-AHEAD TIPS FOR Italian Donuts Bomboloni
- Make the pastry cream a day ahead and chill. This makes filling quick and easy.
- You can make the dough the night before. Let it rise once, then refrigerate covered overnight. Take it out in the morning to warm and finish the process.
- Cut the dough and let the circles rise until puffy, then fry. This saves time on the day you plan to serve.
- Freeze unfilled fried donuts on a tray and store in freezer bags. Reheat and fill when ready to serve.
- Prepare a dry sugar mix in advance (plain or cinnamon sugar) to roll donuts quickly after frying.
Notes and tips to keep it simple: Always use warm milk, not hot. Warm milk helps the yeast but high heat will kill it. Keep the oil at a steady temperature. If oil is too cool, donuts soak oil. If too hot, they brown too fast and remain raw inside. Fry in small batches so the oil temperature stays even. Use a light hand when filling so the pastry cream stays inside.
Enjoy your Italian Donuts Bomboloni. They are a warm, simple treat that you can make at home with a little time and care.
Italian Donuts Bomboloni
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, sift together bread flour, sugar, and yeast.
- Add butter, orange zest, vanilla, and eggs, then mix with a dough hook while pouring in the warmed milk.
- Knead until a smooth dough forms, then place it in a greased bowl to rise for 1.5-2 hours.
- Roll out dough and cut into circles, then let rise for another 1-2 hours.
- Heat oil to 350°F and fry dough until golden brown.
- Roll in sugar and fill with pastry cream.
- Serve warm.
- Heat milk with half the sugar, whisk egg yolks with the rest of the sugar and cornstarch, then temper the eggs with hot milk.
- Cook until thick, remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla, and cool.