These Italian Donuts better known as a Bomboloni are made with a soft yeast dough, fried, rolled in sugar then filled with your favourite pastry cream filling. Served for breakfast and snack or just about anytime you want.
My first experience with eating a Bomboloni was an evening out with friends. It all started out as a walk along the boardwalk and then a delicious experience with a soft donut, that was filled with a creamy vanilla pastry cream.
We went to one of the famous bakeries near the sea and had a warm just made Bomboloni. There were so many different fillings to choose from, it was quite the decision!
But making them at home wasn’t as difficult as I thought, and not only could we have them whenever we wanted, we could also fill them with our own favourite fillings.
How to make Italian Donuts
In the bowl of the stand up mixer add the milk and sprinkle the yeast on top, let it sit for five minutes then mix together. Then add the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, orange zest and vanilla, whisk together to combine.
Slowly add the flour and with the dough hook attachment, start to mix the dough until it comes together, remember don’t go higher than speed 2, continue to knead the dough for about seven minutes, the dough must be smooth and elastic.
On a flat surface knead the dough a few times, then place it in a lightly oiled bowl, remember to roll the dough to cover it lightly in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm draft free area for about three hours.
Once the time has passed, knead the dough a few times, roll it to a thickness of 1/4 -1/3 inch, cut into six rounds, place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise again for another hour.
In a medium sized pot add about 2 inches of vegetable oil, and heat it to 340-350F (170-175C), try to keep it as close to this temperature while frying. Fry the donuts, turning a couple of times for about two to three minutes on each side.
Remove the fried Bomboloni with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate, but leave them only for a few seconds, then roll immediately in granulated sugar, be sure to cover them well. This is not the time to be watching your diet!
Let them cool a little then with the end of a wooden spoon make an indentation at the side of the donut or on top if you prefer, twist it around to open up some space. You are going to want to fill that space with some creamy pastry cream, a simple chantilly cream or even your favourite hazelnut cream.
Eat warm and as soon as possible. Apparently they can also be baked although I have never tried or made them that way. If you do bake them, they should be baked in a pre-heated oven at 350F, let them cool before filling, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Because they are baked the granulated sugar will not stick, so the dusting of powdered sugar is your best option.
What is the best oil for frying?
The best oils for frying are peanut oil and canola oil because of their high smoke points, which means the temperature when the oil begins to break down and, begins to smoke. Although sunflower and corn oil work well too.
What does Bomboloni mean
The direct translation means Bomb, which is actually the shape of these donuts. Parts of Italy they are often called Bomba / Bombe.
Where are they from in Italy
In Italy they are from Toscana and the Emilia-Romagna Region. But as most Italian foods they are now all over Italy.
What are the best fillings to use?
In Italy they are usually filled with a simple Pastry Cream, but a Coffee Pastry Cream or even a Chocolate one would work too. Or why not fill with some sweetened whipped cream or as my kids would always choose a Nutella filled Bomboloni.
How to store the Donuts
It is always best to eat the donuts immediately, or you could keep them unfilled in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days at most. If filled they should be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Freezing is not a good idea.
So if you want to give an Italian treat a try then I highly recommend these Italian Donuts – Bomboloni. Enjoy!
Italian Donuts – Bomboloni
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons milk (lukewarm – 2%) (105 grams)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar (30 grams)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (37 grams)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- zest of 1/2 an orange
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (275 grams)
- 1 pinch salt
FILLING
- 1 cup pastry cream of choice
Instructions
- In the bowl of the stand up mixer add the milk and sprinkle the yeast on top, let it sit for five minutes then mix together. Then add the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, orange zest and vanilla, whisk together to combine.
- Slowly add the flour and pinch of salt and with the dough hook attachment, start to mix the dough until it comes together, remember don't go higher than speed 2, continue to knead the dough for about seven minutes, the dough must be smooth and elastic.
- On a flat surface knead the dough a few times form it into a ball, then place it in a lightly oiled bowl, remember to roll the dough to cover it lightly in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm draft free area for about two-three hours or until tripled in bulk.
- Once the time has passed, knead the dough a few times, roll it to a thickness of 1/4 -1/3 inch, cut into six rounds with a 2 1/2 inch / 6 1/2 cm round cookie cutter, place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise again for another hour.
- In a medium sized pot add about 2 inches of vegetable oil, and heat it to 340-350F (170-175C), try to keep it as close to this temperature as possible while frying. Fry the donuts, turning a couple of times for about two to three minutes on each side.
- Remove the fried Bomboloni with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate, but leave them only for a couple of seconds, then roll immediately in granulated sugar, be sure to cover them well.
- Let them cool a little then with the end of a wooden spoon make an indentation at the side of the donut or on top if you prefer, twist it around to open up some space. You are going to want to fill that space with some creamy pastry cream, a simple chantilly cream or even your favourite hazelnut cream. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Maryanne says
Thanks for all the recipes u give us. I will surely try these doughnuts but not fried.
Thanks again.
Rosemary says
Hi Maryanne, thanks, I hope you enjoy them. Take care!
Mariam says
I tried these but they turned out a bit sense :/ could it be cuz i didnt measure in weight and followed the cups instructions?
Rosemary says
Hi Mariam, it could be because they weren’t proofed enough, with donuts sometimes you just need to practise to get them perfect. Cup measurement is fine, so it isn’t that. Hope that helps.
Divya says
Could the egg be replaced? Would there be a great difference in texture if we bake it instead of frying?
Rosemary says
Hi Divya, there are some substitutions you can make for eggs this link might help https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/egg-substitutes. There will be a bit of a difference between baking and frying, but they are good that way too. Let me know. Take care.
Cathi says
Made these last night/this morning with the Italian pastry cream that’s also on the website. They came out fantastic… my only observation…I took out a ruler to make sure I had a 2 1/2” cutter… which I did… and I got a lot more than 6! Not a complaint, just an observation! Wish I could post a pic… I think you would be proud. 🙂 thanks!
Rosemary says
Hi Cathi, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed them. Oh maybe my cutter was bigger. I will have to check. Take care. 🙂
Prerna says
Maiden attempt at making something like this. I need to work on my dough handling…but the recipe turned out rather nice. The yield was for more than 6 though. The first two didn’t cook all the way through, so I reduced the size and those cooked through perfectly. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Rosemary says
Hi Prerna, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed them. Keep on eye on the oil temperature as the cook, sometimes that can affect the inside. Happy New Year.
Dee says
I made these doughnuts and they were delicious…and “gone” quickly! My son asked could I make some with the white cream filling…like inside twinkies, hostess cupcakes, or Krispy cream doughnuts….and I said “uhhhh, I’ll get back to you”:) Do you have a recipe for that type of cream?
Thanks; I love your site!!
Dee
Rosemary says
Hi Dee, thanks so much, so glad they were enjoyed. Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe for the twinkie filling although you could check this link https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/fast-easy-fillings-frostings-and-glazes/ or maybe even try a search on google. Let me know. Glad you enjoy the recipes.
xs says
Hello, is orange zest necessary for this recipe? Will it affect the taste?
Rosemary says
Hi xs, no it isn’t necessary, Italians like adding zest to recipes, if you want you can leave it out.
Krithika Anand says
Hi, is it a slow bulk? Or it triples in size in 2 hours? My dough is taking a long time to triple in size.
Rosemary says
Hi Krithika, it all depends if you need 2 or 3 hours and of course how warm your house is. Let me know.
Liz says
Hello!
Can you leave the dough to proof over night in the fridge? If so, what are the times/temp?
Can you freeze the dough?
Thank you for any answers.
Best wishes!
Rosemary says
Hi Liz yes you can let it proof overnight, let it come to room temp about an hour then cut into donut shapes and continue with the recipe. And the donut shaped and proofed can be frozen, freeze them on a cookie sheet, thaw them at room temperature before frying. Hope that helps.
Lauren says
These look wonderful! I will have to make these!
Rosemary says
Hi Lauren thanks so much, let me know if you make them.
Deana says
Hello,
Do you have to leave to prove for 3 hours? We have a warming drawer that i often put my dough in to prove on a low heat which lessens the time…. Can you see any problem with that?
Rosemary says
Hi Deana, that would be fine as long as it triples in bulk. Let me know how it turns out.