Bomboloni Cream Donuts (Printable)
Soft Italian donuts filled with rich vanilla cream and coated in sugar
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Dough
01 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ For Frying and Coating
09 - Vegetable oil, for frying
10 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar for dusting
→ For the Pastry Cream
11 - 2 cups whole milk
12 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
14 - 4 large egg yolks
15 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
# Directions:
01 - Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add warm milk, eggs, vanilla, and softened butter. Mix to form a soft dough, then knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1–1.5 hours.
02 - Punch down the risen dough and roll out to 3/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out rounds using a 3-inch round cutter. Place rounds on parchment-lined trays, cover loosely, and let rise for another 30–45 minutes.
03 - Heat milk in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl until pale and smooth. Slowly pour hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking continuously. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened for about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and butter until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and chill until ready to use.
04 - Heat oil in a large, heavy pot to 350°F. Fry 2–3 donuts at a time for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels. While warm, roll in granulated sugar to coat evenly.
05 - Once cooled, poke a hole in the side of each donut with a small knife or piping tip. Fill a piping bag with chilled pastry cream and pipe generously into each donut until filled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The moment you bite through that sugar crust into cool vanilla cream is pure magic
- These donuts are incredibly light, thanks to a long slow rise that does most of the work for you
02 -
- I once tried rushing the rising time and ended up with dense hockey pucks instead of pillowy donuts
- Let the pastry cream cool completely before filling or it will melt right out of the donuts
03 -
- Use a kitchen scale for the flour if possible, as measuring by cup can be inconsistent
- The donuts are best within 4 hours of frying but the pastry cream can be made days ahead