Mawmaw’s Bomboloni (Italian Doughnuts)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
milk (warmed, 110F)
130 g
granulated sugar (divided)
95 g
active dry yeast
8 g
butter (softened)
113 g
egg (room temperature)
3 piece
vanilla extract
1 tsp
lemon (zested)
1 piece
bread flour
480 g
salt
5 g
peanut oil
1000 ml
Vanilla Pastry Cream
whole milk
480 ml
vanilla bean (split lengthwise)
1 piece
lemon (rind strip)
1 piece
egg yolk
3 piece
granulated sugar
100 g
all-purpose flour (sifted)
15 g
cornstarch (sifted)
15 g
salt
1 pinch
unsalted butter
30 g
Coating
granulated sugar
150 g
Instructions
Activate the yeast
Mix the warm milk with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and yeast. Let sit until frothy.
Make the dough
Mix the flour and salt, then add the yeast mixture, remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Slowly mix in the softened butter.
Knead and rise
Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Let rise for 1–2 hours, until doubled in size.
Make the pastry cream
Heat the milk with the vanilla bean and lemon rind until steaming. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt together. Temper in the hot milk, then cook until thickened. Whisk in the butter and chill completely.
Shape and proof
Punch down the dough and divide into 10 equal pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball using pinch-and-tuck method, place on parchment squares. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour until puffy.
Fry the doughnuts
Heat the oil to 163–177°C. Fry 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown, using the parchment to gently lower them into the oil.
Sugar coat and fill
While warm, roll the doughnuts in sugar. Once slightly cooled, fill with chilled pastry cream.
Original recipe
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Store unfilled doughnuts in airtight container. Pastry cream can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
Your kitchen, together
Try Chopa today
Save recipes, plan meals, and manage your groceries — all in one place.