I don't think there's much that can beat fresh, warm doughnuts?
Unless they are filled with thick limoncello spiked Italian pastry cream (crema pasticciera), now that is pure heaven! I'm obsessed with crema pasticciera in every way whether it's used as a tart filling for Torta della Nonna, mixed with whipped cream and used to fill layer cakes or piped into Italian pastries like cornetti (croissants) or bomboloni.
In Italy bomboloni are often served in bars for breakfast alongside a cappuccino and like cornetti con crema they are generously filled, so much so that they feel heavy in your hand but are so light and delicious when you take a bite.
Fun fact: Bomboloni literally translates as big bombs which is such a perfect name for big round doughnuts jam-packed with an irresistible filling!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ITALIAN DOUGHNUTS
Bomboloni are made with simple store cupboard ingredients including; flour, eggs, butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, fast action yeast, salt and pastry cream. For a super light doughnut dough use half Italian 00 flour (you can also use all-purpose) and half strong bread flour.
HOW TO MAKE BOMBOLONI - STEP BY STEPHOW TO MAKE THE DOUGHPut the flour, sugar and yeast in the mixer bowl and stir to combine (photo 1).
Scatter cubes of butter over the flour so it's evenly distributed then pour in the eggs and lukewarm milk (photo 2).
Attach a dough hook attachment to the mixer then knead on a low speed for 10 minutes (on a KitchenAid mixer I use speed 2).
After 10 minutes the dough should be smooth, elastic and slightly tacky (photo 3).
Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface (you don't need any flour and extra flour should be avoided if possible). Shape the dough into a smooth ball by kneading it 2-3 times (photo 4).
Place the dough in a clean bowl lightly greased with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to prove for 2-3 hours or until tripled in size (photos 5 & 6).
Once the dough has risen, tip it out onto a clean work surface, knock out the air then knead it a few times back into a smooth ball (photo 7).
Flatten the dough with your hands then roll out into a rectangle ½ inch (1.5cm) thick (photo 8 & 9).
Use a cookie cutter or glass to cut out round doughnuts about 3.5 inch in diameter. You can cut the scraps into random shapes for frying or re-knead them and roll out again to cut out more doughnuts (photo 10).
Place the cut out doughnuts on a surface lined with baking parchment and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave to prove for 1-1.5 hours or until doubled in size (photo 11).
While the doughnuts are proving, make the pastry cream and leave to cool (directions below).
FRYING THE DOUGHNUTSWhen ready to fry heat a large deep pan or pot of oil until it reaches 170°C/337°F.
Cut the parchment paper into squares so that each doughnut is on an individual square of parchment (photo 12).
Top Tip: the parchment paper helps keep the doughnuts nice and round, you can easily knock air out if you handle them.
Carefully drop the doughnuts into the oil and immediately remove the parchment paper with tongs (photo 13)
Fry the doughnuts for 2 minutes then turn over and fry for another 2 minutes on the other side (photo & 15).
Remove and drain on kitchen paper for around 2 minutes then roll the doughnuts in sugar. Leave to cool before filling (photo 16).
To fill the bomboloni insert a small knife into the side of a doughnut and move it around to make a small incision (photo 18).
Fill a piping bag with the pastry cream or desired filling and pipe it into the doughnuts (photo 19 & 20).
HOW TO MAKE THE FILLINGPut the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
Add the cornstarch and whisk again until well combined.
Heat the milk in a saucepan until hot then turn off the heat and let it sit for 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the milk into the egg mixture while constantly whisking so the eggs don’t scramble and there are no lumps.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat on a low heat whilst constantly stirring until thick and creamy (about 10-15 minutes) the mixture needs to be very thick. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat or the eggs will scramble.
Once thick, turn of the heat and leave to cool before piping into the Bomboloni. For a more comprehensive guide on how to make the Crema Pasticcera check out our Italian Pastry Cream Recipe! 
MORE FILLING OPTIONSThere are so many filling options when it comes to bomboloni you don't need to stick to pastry cream, here are some more delicious options:
- Chocolate spread (If you're like me and avoid palm oil I have a super easy recipe for makinghomemade Nutella).
- Jam - strawberry, blackberry, raspberry or apricot just to name a few
- Whipped cream - simple and delicious
- Dulce de leche or a caramel cream
TOP TIPS FOR MAKING AND FRYING ITALIAN DOUGHNUTS- If you are using cups to measure the flour you must spoon the flour into the cup then lightly tap the cup until the flour has settled and levelled. This is important to achieve as accurate a weight as possible. A kitchen scale is recommended for accuracy.
- If using a stand mixer keep it on a low-speed setting to avoid over kneading the dough (KitchenAid speed 2).
- The oil should be around 3 inches deep for best results when frying.
- Try not to overcrowd the pan when frying as the oil will cool down when you add more dough. Fry the doughnuts in batches to make it easier and safer to remove them too.
- Drain the fried doughnuts on kitchen paper for about 2 minutes to allow them to drain properly then roll in sugar whilst still warm. If you don't do this when the doughnuts are warm the sugar won't stick.
- Wait until the bomboloni are cooled before filling them.
BOMBOLONI MAKING FAQS[size=1.2em]Do I need to use a stand mixer to make doughnuts?
Post time 7-2-2022 12:17 PM
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Post time 7-2-2022 12:30 PM
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