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bomboloni alla crema recipe

Bomboloni alla Crema Recipe (Italian Cream-Filled Donuts)

Barbara Felicità Lucchini
Bomboloni alla Crema are soft and fluffy Italian donuts filled with smooth lemon-scented pastry cream and generously coated in granulated sugar. Golden on the outside and wonderfully light inside, they are one of the most irresistible treats found in Italian pastry shops and cafés.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 14 bomboloni
Calories 1214 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Crema Pasticcera (Italian Pastry Cream)

  • 500 ml whole milk - 2 cups
  • 4 large egg yolks - about 70-75 g (about 2.5 oz)
  • 80 g granulated sugar - ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon
  • 30 g cornstarch - ¼ cup
  • ½ organic lemon peel

For the Bomboloni Dough

  • 250 g Manitoba flour or strong bread - about 2 cups
  • 250 g Italian “00” flour - about 2 cups
  • 200 g whole milk - ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon, at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs - about 100 g (3.5 oz) without the shells
  • 80 g granulated sugar - ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon
  • 70 g unsalted butter - 5 tablespoons, very soft but not melted
  • 5 g instant dry yeast - about 1½ teaspoons
  • 8 g fine salt - about 1¼ teaspoons
  • ½ organic lemon, finely grated zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Frying and Coating

  • 1.5 liters vegetable oil for frying - about 6⅓ cups, such as peanut, sunflower or canola oil
  • 150-200 g granulated sugar - ¾–1 cup, for coating the bomboloni

Instructions
 

Make the Crema Pasticcera

  • Pour the milk into a saucepan. Using a vegetable peeler, remove two or three wide strips of peel from half an organic lemon and add them to the milk.
  • Heat the milk over medium-low heat until it's hot and begins to steam, but do not let it come to a full boil. Turn off the heat and leave the lemon peel to infuse for about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk briefly until combined.
  • Then add the cornstarch and mix until smooth and free of lumps.
  • Remove the lemon peel from the milk. Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
  • Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk.
    As soon as the pastry cream begins to thicken, continue cooking for about 30–60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.
  • Transfer the pastry cream immediately to a shallow bowl or container. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
    Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely cold.
  • Before filling the bomboloni, whisk the chilled pastry cream by hand for a few seconds to make it smooth and creamy again. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a long, plain nozzle.

Make the Bomboloni Dough

  • Place the Manitoba flour, “00” flour, dry yeast, granulated sugar and grated lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir briefly with a spoon to distribute the ingredients evenly.
  • Add the eggs and begin kneading with the dough hook at medium-low speed. Once the eggs have been incorporated, gradually pour in the milk and continue kneading.
  • Knead for about 6–8 minutes, or until the dough begins to come together and become more elastic.
  • Add the salt and vanilla extract, then knead for another minute.
  • Add the softened butter a little at a time, ideally in three or four additions. Wait until each addition has been completely incorporated before adding the next.
  • Continue kneading for another 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, glossy and very soft, but no longer fluid. It should also pass the windowpane test: stretch a small piece of dough gently between your fingers. If it becomes thin and almost translucent without tearing, the gluten has developed sufficiently.
    The total kneading time will usually be about 15–20 minutes, depending on your stand mixer.

First Rise

  • Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large, lightly buttered bowl. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place, ideally at about 24–26°C (75–79°F), for approximately 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
    Rising times may vary significantly depending on the temperature of your kitchen/room. In a very warm kitchen, the dough may double in as little as one hour. In a cooler environment, it may take considerably longer. Always check the volume and appearance of the dough rather than relying only on the clock.

Shape the Bomboloni

  • Once the dough has doubled in volume, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Press it down gently with your hands to release some of the gas, without kneading it again.
    Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of approximately 1.5 cm (⅝ inch). Try to give the dough a roughly rectangular shape, as this will make it easier to cut out as many bomboloni as possible.
  • Cut out the bomboloni using an 8 cm (about 3-inch) round cutter. Press the cutter straight down into the dough without twisting it, as twisting can seal the edges and prevent the bomboloni from rising evenly.
    With these quantities, you should obtain approximately 14 bomboloni.

What to Do with the Dough Scraps

  • Instead of kneading and rolling the scraps again, cut them into small, irregular pieces. Let them rise until puffy, then fry them and coat them in sugar just like the bomboloni.
    They may not have a perfect shape, but they are delicious. Reworking the scraps into new bomboloni is not ideal because the dough would need to rise again after being kneaded, rolled and cut, and the final result is usually less soft and airy than the first batch.

Second Rise

  • Cut out individual squares of parchment paper and place one bombolone on each square. The paper will make it much easier to transfer the delicate, risen dough into the hot oil without deflating it.
  • Arrange the bomboloni on a tray, leaving some space between them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lightweight kitchen towel.
  • Let them rise for approximately 30–60 minutes at about 24–26°C (75–79°F), or until visibly puffy, light and well risen.

Fry the Bomboloni

  • Pour the frying oil into a wide, deep saucepan. The oil should be deep enough for the bomboloni to float without touching the bottom.
    Heat the oil to approximately 170°C (340°F). A reliable kitchen thermometer is extremely useful for this recipe, as the temperature should be checked both before and during frying. Make sure the tip of the thermometer is immersed in the oil without touching the bottom of the pan.
    Fry only one or two bomboloni at a time, so the oil temperature does not drop too sharply.
  • Lift one bombolone by holding the edges of its parchment square. Gently turn it over into the oil so that the dough touches the oil first and the parchment paper remains on top. After a few seconds, the paper should release easily. Remove it carefully using kitchen tongs.
  • Fry the bomboloni for approximately 30–60 seconds on each side, turning them once with a frying skimmer.
    The exact cooking time will depend on their size and on the temperature of the oil. Keep checking the thermometer and adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a temperature close to 170°C (340°F).
    The bomboloni should become evenly golden and develop the characteristic pale ring around the center. This lighter band is usually a sign that the dough was properly proofed and that the bomboloni floated correctly during frying.

Drain and Coat with Sugar

  • Remove the bomboloni from the oil with a frying skimmer and place them briefly on a tray lined with paper towels.
  • While they are still warm, but no longer dripping with oil, roll them in granulated sugar until evenly coated.
    Do not allow them to cool completely before coating them, or the sugar will not stick as easily.

Fill the Bomboloni with Pastry Cream

  • Let the bomboloni cool until they are just slightly warm or at room temperature.
  • Transfer the chilled pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a long, plain filling nozzle.
  • Make a small hole in the side or center of each bombolone. You can use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently create enough space for the filling.
  • Insert the piping nozzle into the hole and fill each bombolone with approximately 35–40 g (1¼–1½ oz) of pastry cream.
  • The Bomboloni alla Crema are now ready to serve. They are at their best when freshly made, while the dough is still wonderfully soft and the sugar coating is crisp.

Nutrition

Serving: 100gCalories: 1214kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 7gFat: 110gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 29gMonounsaturated Fat: 66gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 286mgPotassium: 135mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 316IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2mg
Keyword bomboloni alla crema recipe, Italian cream filled donuts
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