Bomboloni are delectable Italian doughnuts that are impossible to resist. They are fried to perfection sprinkled with granulated sugar and typically filled with rich pastry cream. Enjoy these treats for breakfast as a snack or whenever your cravings strike.
INGREDIENTS FOR BOMBOLONI
Flour — Making bomboloni does not require anything elaborate only ordinary all-purpose flour is necessary.
Sugar — For sweetening the doughnut dough and to give it a sugary coating you will require sugar.
Yeast — It’s crucial to ensure that the yeast is still active. If the yeast has passed its shelf life the dough will not rise resulting in dense heavy and flat doughnuts.
Butter — It’s important to obtain unsalted butter not salted butter. To make the butter pliable and easy to work with allow it to come to room temperature. You’ll know it’s ready when you can apply gentle pressure with your finger and it makes an indentation. Using room temperature butter will help you avoid overworking the dough.
Milk — It is essential to regularly check the heat of the milk. If the milk is overheated it will destroy the yeast while if it’s not warm enough it won’t activate the yeast.
Eggs — The addition of eggs in the bomboloni recipe results in a smooth and soft texture. They play a crucial role in promoting dough rise and giving the doughnuts a light airy consistency.
Filling — The bomboloni can be filled with your preferred choice of filling ranging from creamy pastry cream to rich chocolate. Feel free to be as abundant as desired with the filling.
HOW TO MAKE BOMBOLONI?
In a stand mixer bowl mix together 1/2 cup sugar the yeast and the flour. Stir until well combined. Add the butter over the flour mixture. Slowly pour in the mixture of milk and egg then add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix the dough using the dough hook attachment on low speed until it reaches a smooth and bouncy consistency.
Take out the dough mold it into a ball shape and put it in a bowl that has been coated with oil. Ensure that the dough is fully coated by turning it in the bowl. Place a lid on the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm location until it has doubled in volume.
Gently press down on the risen dough and transfer it to a clean workspace. Gently work the dough with your hands 4 to 5 times until it forms a neat ball. Shape the dough into a roughly ¾ inch thick rectangle.
Then using a cookie cutter with a diameter of 3 inches cut the dough into 12 circular pieces. Arrange each round on a 4×4 inch square of parchment paper. Cover the rounds lightly and let them rise in a warm place until they have expanded to twice their original size.
To get ready add oil into a big dutch oven until it reaches a depth of 3 inches. Insert a thermometer specifically designed for deep-frying into the oil and set the heat to medium. Keep heating until the thermometer registers a temperature between 300°F and 310°F. When the oil is ready take 2 or 3 dough rounds at a time and carefully lift each one by its parchment paper. Gently drop the dough parchment side down into the hot oil. With the use of tongs take out the parchment paper from the dough once it has been placed in the hot oil.
Fry each dough round for 2½ minutes then flip and continue to cook for an additional 2½ minutes or until both sides are a rich golden brown. Remove the dough from the oil using a slotted spoon or spider and place it on paper towels to drain. Allow the fried dough to cool for 2 minutes before serving.
Coat each Italian doughnut with ¼ cup of sugar by rolling it in a bowl. Let it fully cool down on a wire rack.
After they have cooled make a tiny cut on the side of each doughnut using the point of a small knife and fill the interior with either pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread.
MY BEST TIPS
- To ensure the most accurate measurement of flour it’s recommended to use a kitchen scale. However if using cups it’s crucial to properly measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and tapping it gently until the surface is level. Accurate weight measurement relies on the importance of this step.
- When using a stand mixer it’s important to keep the speed setting low to prevent over-kneading the dough. A recommended speed for this task is KitchenAid speed 2.
- Approximately 3 inches of oil depth is ideal for optimal frying results.
- Avoiding overcrowding the pan during frying is important to maintain the oil temperature. To ensure ease of removal and safety it’s recommended to fry the doughnuts in smaller batches.
- To properly drain the fried doughnuts and ensure that the sugar coating sticks it’s recommended to place them on kitchen paper for about 2 minutes to allow for proper draining. Then while the doughnuts are still warm roll them in sugar. If this step is not done while the doughnuts are warm the sugar will not adhere.
It is essential to fully cool the bomboloni doughnuts before filling the recipe
