Bomboloni Cream Donuts (Printable version)
Soft Italian donuts filled with vanilla cream and sugar-coated
# Ingredient List:
→ For the Dough
01 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ For Frying and Coating
09 - Vegetable oil, for frying
10 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar for dusting
→ For the Pastry Cream
11 - 2 cups whole milk
12 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
14 - 4 large egg yolks
15 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add warm milk, eggs, vanilla, and softened butter. Mix to form a soft dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size (about 1–1.5 hours).
02 - Punch down the risen dough and roll out to 3/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out rounds using a 3-inch round cutter. Place rounds on parchment-lined trays, cover loosely, and rise for another 30–45 minutes.
03 - In a saucepan, heat milk until steaming (not boiling). In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth. Slowly pour hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking, until thickened (about 2–3 minutes). Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and butter until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap (touching the surface) and chill until ready to use.
04 - Heat oil in a large, heavy pot to 350°F. Fry 2–3 donuts at a time, 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels. While warm, roll in granulated sugar to coat.
05 - Once cooled, poke a hole in the side of each donut with a small knife or piping tip. Fill a piping bag with chilled pastry cream and pipe generously into each donut.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The moment you bite through that sugar crust into cool cream is absolutely worth every minute of waiting for dough to rise
- These donuts freeze beautifully unfilled, so you can have fresh bomboloni on a weekday morning with zero effort
02 -
- Pastry cream must be completely cold before filling or it will melt into the donut and make everything soggy
- Dont crowd the frying pan or the oil temperature will drop and you will end up with greasy donuts
03 -
- Use a chopstick to create the filling hole instead of a knife, it makes a cleaner tunnel
- Sift the coating sugar onto a plate first so it adheres evenly to warm donuts