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Bomboloni Italian Doughnuts

Featured in Sweet Treats and Baked Goods.

Bomboloni bring a taste of Italian pastry shops right to your home kitchen. These light, airy doughnuts are distinctly different from their American counterparts - less sweet in the dough itself, with a more bread-like texture that's incredibly soft and tender. What makes bomboloni special is their perfect balance: the dough is enriched with eggs and butter for richness without being heavy, while the filling of smooth, vanilla-scented pastry cream (crema pasticciera) creates a luxurious contrast with the freshly fried exterior. The process requires patience as the dough needs multiple rises to develop its characteristic texture, but the techniques are straightforward. After frying to golden perfection, these pillowy treats are rolled in sugar while still warm, then filled with the cool pastry cream once they've rested. The result is a sublime textural experience - a slightly crisp exterior giving way to a soft, tender crumb and finally the creamy, rich filling at the center.
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Mina cooking in her kitchen
Updated on Sat, 08 Mar 2025 07:13:48 GMT
A bowl full of powdered donuts. Pin it
A bowl full of powdered donuts. | lastminrecipes.com

Bite into a pillowy soft, sugar-dusted Bomboloni and experience a moment of pure Italian pastry perfection. The delicate, yeasty dough gives way to rich, velvety pastry cream that oozes from the center – a heavenly contrast of textures and flavors that transports you straight to an Italian café. These traditional Italian doughnuts have been my passion project for years, perfected through countless weekend baking sessions and trips to Italy where I studied the technique of local pasticcerie in Florence and Rome.

Last month, I made these for my son's birthday breakfast instead of a traditional cake. The look on his face when he bit into the vanilla-flecked cream center was priceless. Even my mother-in-law, who rarely compliments my cooking, asked for the recipe and admitted they were better than the ones she remembered from her childhood in Naples.

Essential Ingredients and Selection Tips

  • Italian 00 Flour: This finely milled flour is crucial for the delicate texture.
  • Whole Milk: Use only full-fat milk for both the dough and the pastry cream.
  • Fresh Eggs: Always use room temperature eggs for the dough.
  • European-Style Butter: The higher fat content makes a difference in the richness of the dough.
A wooden tray filled with powdered sugar doughnuts. Pin it
A wooden tray filled with powdered sugar doughnuts. | lastminrecipes.com

Detailed Cooking Instructions

Prepare Your Work Environment:
Ensure your kitchen is warm (around 75°F) as yeast doughs prove best in slightly warm conditions.
Create the Perfect Dough:
In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 250g Italian 00 flour, 250g strong bread flour, 80g granulated sugar, and 7g fast-action yeast.
First Prove:
Shape the dough into a tight ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and set in a warm spot to prove until tripled in size.
Prepare the Italian Pastry Cream:
Whisk together 4 egg yolks, 100g granulated sugar, and vanilla, then slowly incorporate warm milk and cook until thickened.
Cool and Store the Pastry Cream:
Pour the pastry cream into a bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and refrigerate until completely cold.
Shape Your Bomboloni:
Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut into circles.
Second Prove:
Let the cut bomboloni prove until doubled in size.
Prepare for Frying:
Heat oil to exactly 170°C/338°F and prepare a tray with paper towels for draining.
Fry to Golden Perfection:
Fry each bombolone until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
Sugar Coating and Filling:
Roll warm bomboloni in sugar and fill with pastry cream using a piping bag.

My first attempt at bomboloni years ago was a disaster – dense little hockey pucks with barely any rise. After consulting with an Italian pastry chef friend, I learned that I had rushed the first prove and used milk that was too hot, which killed the yeast.

These bomboloni represent more than just a delicious treat – they're a connection to culinary heritage and the joy of sharing food made with care.

A plate of powdered donuts with white powder on top. Pin it
A plate of powdered donuts with white powder on top. | lastminrecipes.com

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I make the dough for Bomboloni ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the dough a day ahead and let it rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight (first rise). The next day, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then shape, allow for the second rise, and fry.
→ What's the difference between Bomboloni and regular doughnuts?
Bomboloni are Italian-style doughnuts that tend to be lighter, less sweet, and have a more bread-like texture than American doughnuts. They're typically filled rather than having a hole in the center, and are traditionally rolled in granulated sugar rather than glazed.
→ Can I fill Bomboloni with something other than pastry cream?
Absolutely! While pastry cream is traditional, you can fill Bomboloni with Nutella, jam, chocolate ganache, or even custards flavored with coffee, pistachio, or hazelnut.
→ How do I know when the oil is at the right temperature for frying?
The recipe recommends using a sugar thermometer to ensure the oil reaches 170°C/337°F. If you don't have a thermometer, you can test by dropping a small piece of dough into the oil - it should sizzle immediately and rise to the surface, browning gradually over about 2 minutes.
→ Why did my Bomboloni collapse or deflate after frying?
Deflating can happen if the doughnuts aren't fully proofed before frying, if the oil temperature is too low, or if they're filled while still too warm. Make sure they've tripled in size during the second rise, maintain the correct oil temperature, and allow them to cool completely before filling.

Bomboloni Italian Doughnuts

Soft and pillowy Italian doughnuts (Bomboloni) rolled in sugar and filled with creamy Italian pastry cream. A traditional Italian treat that's worth the time to make at home.

Prep Time
180 Minutes
Cook Time
60 Minutes
Total Time
240 Minutes
By: Mina

Category: Desserts

Difficulty: Difficult

Cuisine: Italian

Yield: 12 Servings (10-12 large doughnuts)

Dietary: Vegetarian

Ingredients

→ For the Bomboloni Dough

01 2 cups strong bread flour (280g)
02 2 cups 00 flour or all purpose flour (280g)
03 3 large eggs, at room temperature
04 6.5 tbsp butter, softened (90g)
05 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
06 1/2 cup lukewarm milk (120ml)
07 1/2 tsp vanilla paste, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
08 2 1/4 tsp fast action yeast (7g)
09 1 small pinch of salt
10 2-3 tbsp caster sugar or confectioners sugar, for rolling doughnuts
11 Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

→ For the Italian Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticciera)

12 5 egg yolks
13 2.5 cups milk (1/2 litre)
14 1/4 cup cornstarch (30g)
15 1/3 cup sugar (70g)
16 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean
17 Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Step 01

Check the instructions on your yeast packet. Some yeast can be added straight to the dry ingredients (as in this recipe) and others need to be activated in lukewarm liquid first. If activation is needed, use a small amount of the lukewarm milk (don't add extra liquid).

Step 02

Put the flour, sugar and yeast in the mixer bowl and stir to combine. Scatter cubes of butter over the flour so it's evenly distributed, then pour in the eggs, lukewarm milk, vanilla and salt. Attach a dough hook to the mixer and knead on a low speed for 10 minutes (on a KitchenAid mixer use speed 2). After 10 minutes the dough should be smooth, elastic and slightly tacky.

Step 03

Tip the dough onto a clean work surface (no extra flour needed) and shape it into a smooth ball by kneading it 2-3 times. Place the dough in a clean bowl lightly greased with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to prove for 2-3 hours or until tripled in size.

Step 04

Once the dough has risen, tip it out onto a clean work surface, knock out the air, then knead it a few times back into a smooth ball. Flatten the dough with your hands then roll it out into a rectangle 1/2 inch (1.5cm) thick. Use a cookie cutter or glass to cut out round doughnuts about 3.5 inch in diameter. You can cut the scraps into random shapes for frying or re-knead and roll out again to cut more doughnuts.

Step 05

Place the cut out doughnuts on a surface lined with baking parchment and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave to prove for 1-1.5 hours or until tripled in size.

Step 06

While the doughnuts are proving, make the pastry cream. Put the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the cornstarch and whisk again until well combined. Heat the milk in a saucepan until hot, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 1 minute. Slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture while constantly whisking so the eggs don't scramble. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat on low while constantly stirring until thick and creamy (about 10-15 minutes). Once thick, turn off the heat and pour into a clean bowl. Place plastic wrap directly over the pastry cream so a skin doesn't form and leave to cool.

Step 07

When ready to fry, heat a large deep pan or pot of oil to 170°C/337°F. Cut the parchment paper into squares so each doughnut is on an individual square. Carefully drop the doughnuts into the oil and immediately remove the parchment paper with tongs. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry for 2 minutes, then turn over and fry for another 2 minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper for around 2 minutes, then roll in sugar. Leave to cool before filling.

Step 08

To fill the bomboloni, insert a small knife into the side of a doughnut and move it around to make a small incision. Fill a piping bag with the pastry cream or desired filling and pipe it into the doughnuts. Serve immediately for best results or store in plastic containers for 1-2 days.

Notes

  1. Soft and light Italian Bomboloni Doughnuts rolled in sugar and filled with Italian pastry cream (crema pasticciera). These doughnuts are insanely delicious and make such a special treat!
  2. If using cups to measure flour, spoon the flour into the cup then lightly tap until the flour has settled and leveled. For best results, use a kitchen scale for accuracy.
  3. The dough should be tacky to touch but shouldn't be wet or stick to your hands. If it's too wet, add 1 tbsp of flour at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
  4. Parchment paper helps keep the doughnuts nicely shaped when transferring to the oil.
  5. The oil should be about 3 inches deep for best frying results. Don't overcrowd the pan as this will lower the oil temperature too much.

Tools You'll Need

  • Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
  • Sugar thermometer for frying
  • Piping bag and medium sized nozzle
  • Large round cookie cutter (about 3.5 inch diameter)
  • Deep frying pan or pot
  • Baking parchment
  • Tongs
  • Kitchen paper

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Contains dairy (butter, milk)
  • Contains eggs
  • Contains wheat and gluten (flour)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 320
  • Total Fat: 12 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 45 g
  • Protein: 8 g