Bomboloni alla Crema (Printable Version)
Fluffy Italian doughnuts filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream, ideal for sweet breakfast moments
# What You Need:
→ For the Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 packet instant dry yeast (7g)
04 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
05 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ For the Pastry Cream
10 - 2 cups whole milk
11 - 4 large egg yolks
12 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
13 - 3 tbsp cornstarch
14 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
15 - Zest of 1/2 lemon
16 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
→ For Frying and Finishing
17 - Vegetable oil, for deep frying
18 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for coating
# How To Make:
01 - Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together lukewarm milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in a separate bowl. Mix wet and dry ingredients, then add softened butter. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
02 - Heat milk with lemon zest in a saucepan until just simmering. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Gradually pour hot milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill.
03 - Punch down risen dough and roll out on floured surface to 5/8 inch thickness. Cut rounds using 2.5-3 inch cutter. Place on baking sheet, cover, and let rise 30-40 minutes.
04 - Heat oil in deep pan to 340°F. Fry bomboloni in batches, 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and roll in granulated sugar while still warm.
05 - Place chilled pastry cream in piping bag fitted with long nozzle. Poke hole in each bombolone and pipe in cream generously.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The pastry cream filling is what dreams are made of, thick and custardy with just enough vanilla to make you close your eyes while eating
- These doughnuts fry up impossibly light, with a pillowy interior that practically collapses when you bite into it
- Theres something magical about dipping warm doughnuts in sugar and watching it sparkle like edible morning frost
02 -
- I learned the hard way that underchilled pastry cream will turn your beautiful bomboloni into sad, soggy doughnuts within minutes
- The oil temperature is everything, too cool and they will absorb grease, too hot and they will burn outside while remaining raw inside
- Letting the dough rise twice, once after mixing and once after shaping, is what creates those light, airy pockets that make them so pillowy
03 -
- Grate your lemon zest directly into the sugar for both the dough and pastry cream to distribute the oils evenly
- Keep a thermometer in your oil at all times, because guessing temperature is how you ruin perfectly good dough
- Roll them in sugar immediately after frying while they are still warm, or the sugar will just fall right off