Bomboloni Cream Donuts (Printable version)

Soft Italian donuts filled with rich vanilla cream and dusted with sugar

# What you need:

→ 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:

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 to 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 to 45 minutes.
03 - In a saucepan, heat milk until steaming but 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 to 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 to 3 donuts at a time, 2 to 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 Advice:

01 -
  • The pastry cream is what dreams are made of, silky and rich without being cloyingly sweet
  • These donuts transform a regular morning into something that feels like a celebration
  • They are surprisingly forgiving, even if your dough isnt perfectly circular
02 -
  • Hot milk must be added to the yolks slowly or you will end up with scrambled eggs
  • The oil temperature matters, too cool and they soak up grease, too hot and they burn outside while raw inside
  • Freshly fried donuts hold sugar better than ones that have cooled completely
03 -
  • Use a chopstick to create the filling hole, it is the perfect size and creates less damage than a knife
  • Let the oil come back to temperature between batches for consistent results

Go back