Bomboloni

These doughnuts, which are called Bomboloni and originate in Italy, are airy and light, making them an excellent choice for either breakfast or a snack in the middle of the day. Donuts that are filled with pastry cream and prepared with yeasted dough, fried till golden, rolled in sugar, and then baked again are very addicting.

When freshly baked and eaten while still hot, bomboloni doughnuts are at their most delicious. The notion of these bomboloni, which are both crispy and soft on the outside and filled with a delectable interior, will make anyone’s mouth water. You might enjoy one with your cup of coffee in the morning or as a snack in the middle of the day. You will be blown away by how airy and light a bomboloni that has just been baked is.

Even while making homemade bomboloni can seem difficult, the actual preparation of this dish is very straightforward. To create doughnuts, you only need to mix the ingredients, let the dough to rise, cut the dough, allow the dough to rise once more, fry the doughnuts, and fill them with a delectable cream. Waiting for the dough to rise is often considered to be the most difficult part of creating bread.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR THE RECIPE

• Flour is the single unique component that must be present in order to make bomboloni. The solution is as simple as using flour suitable for all purposes.
• Sugar, which may be used both as a flavoring ingredient and to coat the doughnuts after they have been fried.
• When using yeast, be sure to only utilize active yeast. If the yeast has been allowed to expire without being changed, the doughnuts will not rise properly and will have a thick, doughy texture.
• When shopping for butter, it is important to choose unsalted types rather than salted ones whenever possible. The butter has to be let to come to room temperature, at which point a dent may be created in it with your fingers. When the butter is at room temperature, there is less of a chance that the dough will be overworked.
• Milk, be sure to examine the temperature of the milk carefully. The yeast will die if the milk is heated to temperatures that are too high, and the yeast will not become active if the milk is at temperatures that are too low.
• Eggs are responsible for the velvety texture that the bomboloni have. They contribute to the dough’s ability to rise, as well as the doughnuts’ light and airy texture.
• Stuffing: When stuffing these bomboloni with your favourite filling, whether it be chocolate ganache or pastry cream, use as much of it as you want.

MEASUREMENTS FOR INGREDIENTS

For the Doughnuts:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar divided (150g)
• 2¼ teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (instant yeast) (7g)
• ½ cup unsalted butter diced and softened (113g)
• ½ cup warm whole milk (100F-110F) (120mL)
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil for frying

For the Filling:

• 1½ cups pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

• Calories: 403kcal 
• Carbohydrates: 52g 
• Protein: 9g 
• Fat: 18g 
• Saturated Fat: 7g 
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g 
• Monounsaturated Fat: 5g 
• Trans Fat: 0.4g 
• Cholesterol: 86mg 
• Sodium: 79mg 
• Potassium: 175mg 
• Fiber: 2g 
• Sugar: 15g 
• Vitamin A: 384IU 
• Vitamin C: 0.04mg 
• Calcium: 78mg 
• Iron: 2mg

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

1. Flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and yeast should be combined in the bowl of a stand mixer. Merge the ingredients together by stirring. Dot the flour with the melted butter. To the flour, vanilla, and salt, add the milk and egg mixture and stir until just combined. Turn the dough out and form it into a ball after beating it on low speed with the dough hook attachment until it is smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a bowl and turn it over to coat it with oil. Leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, covered.

2. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and punch it down to deflate it. Knead the dough for four or five times and form a new ball. Flatten the dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inches thick. Use a cookie cutter with a 3-inch diameter to separate the dough into 12 equal pieces. Put each one on a piece of parchment paper that’s 4 inches by 4 inches. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about an hour.

3. Put oil to a depth of three inches in a large Dutch oven. Put the pot of oil on the stove over medium heat until it reaches 300°F to 310°F on a deep-fry thermometer. Lift 2 or 3 dough rounds at a time by the parchment and gently lower them, dough side down, into the oil. Using tongs to take away the parchment.

4. Turn after 2 1/2 minutes and continue cooking for another 2 1/2 minutes, or until both sides are a rich golden brown. Take out using a spider or slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Wait 2 minutes for cooling.

5. To make Italian doughnuts, roll each one in a bowl of sugar. Cool completely before serving by setting on a wire rack.

6. Make a small incision on the side of each doughnut with the tip of a knife once they have cooled, and fill with pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread.

PROFESSIONAL GUIDE TO MAKING THIS RECIPE

• Do not forget to transfer the bomboloni to parchment squares. If you transfer the dough to the oil by hand after it has risen, you run the risk of deflating it.
• You can use homemade strawberry jam as a filling for doughnuts instead of the usual pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread.
• If you want perfectly consistent results every time, I suggest using a scale to measure your flour. If you don’t have a scale, you can measure flour by fluffing it with a spoon, spooning it into cups, and then leveling it off with a knife. If you overpack the measuring cup, you’ll end up with too much flour in the dough, so this is the best way to measure flour.
• Do not overwork the doughnut dough, so keep the mixer speed low.
• If you’re going to deep fry something, you’ll need a fairly sizable pot. It’s important to leave room for the bomboloni to rise as they fry in the oil.
• The secret to delicious bomboloni is a deep-fry thermometer. Adjust the heat so that the oil remains between 300 and 310 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. Doughnuts that are greasy on the outside and doughy on the inside are the result of using oil that is not hot enough. The bomboloni will brown too quickly and remain undercooked in the center if the oil is too hot.
• Don’t overcrowd the oil with doughnuts at once or the temperature will drop. It’s easier to flip the doughnuts if there’s some extra room for them to grow.
• The doughnuts need to be drained and rolled in sugar quickly, so you’ll have to work quickly. The doughnuts will lose their stickiness to the sugar coating if you let them cool for too long.
• Don’t bother filling the doughnuts until after they’ve cooled completely. The filling in the bomboloni will leak out if you eat them while they’re still hot.

FAQs

Where should I put my leftovers?

Day-of consumption is recommended for the Italian doughnuts. However, if you have any leftover bomboloni, you can store them in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.

When making these doughnuts, is a stand mixer necessary?

Don’t stress if you don’t have a mixer. The bomboloni dough can be kneaded by hand until it has a tacky texture but doesn’t stick to a clean finger when touched quickly.

What sets zeppole apart from bomboloni?

Unlike bomboloni, zeppole are a distinct variety of Italian doughnut. Bomboloni are preformed dough shapes that are dropped into hot oil, while zeppole are more akin to batter that must be spooned in. The use of ricotta cheese in zeppole contributes to their airy texture.

When frying, what kind of oil should I use?

Because of their neutral flavor and high smoke point, vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil are my go-to oils for frying. If you use an oil with a low smoke point, the fat in your bomboloni will burn as it is cooked. This will leave a bitter aftertaste.

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