Bomboloni

Bomboloni is an Italian donut coated in coarse sugar with a surprise inside - when you bite into one, the vanilla cream filling bursts out like a sweet explosion. These traditional Italian pastries are wonderfully delicious when eaten warm for breakfast or as a snack.

What is Bomboloni

The name comes from bomba which means "bomb" in Italian and bomboloni truly look like explosive bombs of sweetness. They are round, plump and stuffed with explosive filling that just bursts in your mouth.

Originally from Tuscany and popular in northern Italy, you can find these cute doughnuts all over Italy today. Just pop into any Italian bar or pasticceria (an Italian bakery in the morning anywhere in Italy and there's a good chance you'll find bomboloni there!

Here's why bomboloni is so good, even if you've never had one

• The dough: Soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy. Imagine biting into a little warm bread that's been fried until golden and lightly crisp on the outside. It's not heavy or greasy at all.
• The filling: Unlike regular doughnuts that sometimes skimp on filling, bomboloni are generously stuffed. Think silky pastry cream!
• The sugar coating: After frying, they're rolled in sugar, so the outside is slightly crunchy and sweet. That mix of crisp sugar outside and soft fluffy inside? Pure magic.

Ingredients and why you'll need them

• Flour: It's what everything else holds together with (unbleached flour is best). Think of it as the framework for your dough. You can use Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour.
• Sugar: Gives sweetness and helps the dough brown nicely. Also feeds the yeast a little bit, helping the dough rise.
• Yeast: Instant yeast is what makes the dough puff up, become airy and soft. Without it, you'd just have dense fried dough.
• Milk: Adds moisture and flavor. Makes the dough richer and softer. Warmish milk is better so the yeast works well.
• Eggs: They might seem like a simple ingredient, but eggs are a really important part of making bomboloni. Think of eggs as the glue and the magic that holds your dough together. They also add moisture to the dough, which keeps your bomboloni soft and fluffy on the inside. 
• Butter: Adds fat which gives flavor and makes the dough softer and more luxurious to eat.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out all the flavors-you don't want bomboloni bland.
• Sunflower oil: Frying in oil gives that golden crust on the outside and soft inside. You'll need enough to submerge the bomboloni.
• Vanilla extract: The vanilla cream filling is what makes the difference
• Egg yolks and cornstarch: Both of these prevent the pastry cream for the bomboloni filling from becoming too runny or separating.

How to make Bomboloni

Below are step by step instructions with photos. For the full recipe with measurements scroll down to the recipe card.

Step 1. Wake up the yeast

In a larger measuring cup, warm the ¾ cup of milk to between 100-110 degrees.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the warmed milk and stir in a little.  Let the yeast start to foam.

Step 2. Make Bomboloni dough

• In a stand mixer add the flour, sugar and salt and whisk together.  When your milk and yeast mixture is foamy, about 3-5 minutes, add it on top of the flour along with the eggs and oil and whisk the liquids together with a fork to break up the eggs. 
• Add your dough hook to the mixer and begin bringing all your ingredients together on low speed.  When the mixture comes together, turn the mixer up to medium low - medium and knead for about 7-8 minutes. 
• If the dough is staying too sticky and not pulling away from the sides of the bowl, start adding additional flour, about ¼ cup at a time until the dough is soft and only slightly sticky to the touch. You may end up adding up to a cup depending on the moisture of your dough after its initial mix. 

Step 3. Proof the dough (1st proof)

Roll the dough out onto the counter and pull it into a tight smooth ball.  Spray the inside of the mixing bowl with release spray and place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to proof for about 1-1 ½ hours or until doubled in size. 

Step 4. Make Bomboloni cream

1. While the dough is proofing, make your pastry cream.  In a small saucepan add the milk and heat on low until you see small bubbles around the outside of the pan.
2. In a medium bowl add sugar, cornstarch and the salt and whisk together. 
3. Add in your egg yolks and mix them in until all the ingredients are coming together.  Remove about ⅓ of a cup of the heated milk from the saucepan and while continually whisking, pour the heated milk into the bowl with the eggs so you temper your eggs.
4. Pour the mixture in the saucepan and continue to cook on low for about 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is thick like pudding. 
5. Add your vanilla extract and mix in.
6. Pour your pastry cream into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap so it's touching the cream and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.  

Step 5. Roll out the dough and cut!

1. When your dough is completely proofed, remove it from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface.
2. Roll the dough out to about ½ inch thick and cut circles out with a 2 inch round cutter. 
3. Place the rounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
4. You should get about 18 rolls out of your dough, only reroll the dough once to avoid them being tough.  

Step 6. Proof dough again (2nd proof)

***Cover your rolls lightly with plastic wrap and allow them to proof again for about 30 minutes. You can also proof them on the cookie sheet.***

Step 7. Fry the bomboloni

1. Heat about 2 inches of neutral oil to 350 degrees in a dutch oven or frying pan. 
2. Carefully place as many rolls that will fit in your dutch oven or pan without overcrowding and fry them until golden brown on both sides, about 3 -4 minutes for each batch. 
3. Place your bomboloni on a cooling rack (inside your cooking sheet so that they are raised above it and so that any oil can drip off) after they are fried.
4. While the donuts are still hot, roll them around in your sugar and place them back on the rack to cool completely.  

Step 8. Pipe the cream

Donuts are easy to fill with a pastry bag and pointed tip.

1. Simply fill a piping bag (use a small circle tip) with your pastry cream. 
2. Press the tip into the top of your bomboloni and move it back and forth to create a space to squeeze your pastry cream into it until it squeezes through the top.  
3. Fill each bomboloni with cream and top with a sprinkle of coarse sugar. 

Tips on making Bomboloni

• Be Prepared:  Gather all your ingredients at once and prepare equipment ahead of time.  Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature unless mentioned not to.
• Easy Clean Up:  when you can, use your larger measuring cups as your "mixing bowl".  You use less dishes making less clean up.  
• Be Gentle:  When you remove your donuts from the parchment paper, be gentle so you don't deflate the air created by the proofing.  
• Deflate the bump:  While frying the donuts, if it creates an air filled bump on the surface, deflate the air by pricking it and flattening the bump before you flip it over. 
• Light & Fluffy:  If you prefer a lighter, fluffier pastry cream in your donut, fold in some whipped topping, careful not to deflate it, before piping it into the donuts.  
• Be patient about adding flour and not add too much flour at once and allow the mixer to do its job. You may need to add about ½-¾ cup of flour to achieve the consistency I wanted in the dough, that soft and just sticky surface.  
• Pastry cream tips: With pastry creams I have found that you really need to watch your milk, possibly rewarming it a little after tempering so that it's at that low bubble stage before adding the tempered mixture.  Otherwise it can take a long time to cook and you lose some of the thickening capability of the eggs.  
• Keep an eye on the oil temperature: Frying oil can be hard to control on a stove top which may result in a darker fry. I kept testing the heat as I added each batch. 
• Donuts should still be warm when rolling it in the sugar so it sticks

Supplies and baking equipment you'll need                                                                                             

• Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
• Mixing bowls of various sizes
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Stand mixer with a dough hook
• Saucepan and dutch oven (or deep pot)
• Slotted spoon or spider strainer

How do I make the pastry cream fluffier?

If you like a little fluffier and lighter pastry cream, fold in some whipped topping into it before piping (it's an option to the recipe).  Further, if your pastry cream doesn't turn out thick enough this is a great save to add some whipped topping. 

Can I make my Bomboloni dough by hand?

Yes, you can make your dough by hand.  Bring your dough together with a wooden spoon in a bowl until all the ingredients come together in a soft dough ball.  Roll out onto a generously floured counter and knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough is soft and just slightly sticky to the touch.  

Why do I have to proof the dough a second time?

Proofing the dough after you have cut into 2" rounds allows the dough to spring back before frying and gives you that light and airy donut.  

Why do I have to "temper" my eggs before adding them to the saucepan?

If you don't "temper" (bring up the temperature of the eggs) and you add them directly to your hot milk, you will more than likely create scrambled eggs in milk rather than a smooth pastry cream. 

What fillings work best?

Classic vanilla pastry cream is traditional, but chocolate, jam, or Nutella are wonderful alternatives.

Serving suggestions

• Serve bomboloni warm right after frying for the best texture and flavor experience, with the vanilla cream filling still gooey inside.
• Pair with a strong espresso or cappuccino for a traditional Italian breakfast or brunch.
• Enjoy bomboloni with a hot tea or a glass of cold milk for brunch or as a snack.
• Dust with extra powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate or caramel sauce for a decadent dessert.

Storage

• Store Bomboloni in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They keep fresh for up to 1 week.
• Donuts can get "watery" from the sugar if they are stored in a bag.  I stored them in a plastic container and they did better. 
• Freeze undusted Bomboloni for up to 6 months. Place each filled donut on the parchment paper covered cooking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, pack frozen bomboloni inside a resealable bag and store in the freezer.

More delicious desserts with surprises inside

• Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
• Cookie Dough Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes
• Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes