How to fry homemade donuts?

Place the sunflower oil in a cast-iron skillet or a shallow pot and bring it up to 170 °C (about 338 degrees F). Bear in mind that when you're adding the donuts, the temperature of the oil will slightly decrease. If the oil gets too hot, just add a little more oil and that will adjust the temperature. Fry a couple of donuts at a time (2 or 3 maximum) and turn them around every 30 seconds or so. Cook then no longer than 2 - 3 minutes in total. When cooked, dry on a paper towel to remove any excess oil, then toss them whilst they are still warm lemon sugar. Allow cooling completely before filling them.

Other donuts fillings recommendations

You can opt for no filling at all and eat the donuts just tossed in lemon sugar (that's how I used to eat them when I was a kid!). Alternatively, you can fill them with Nutella or jam for an easy, delicious and speedy filling!

Homemade Bomboloni - Italian Donuts

Great days start with bomboloni (italian donuts). They are soft, fluffy and filled with delicate vanilla cream. They pair beautifully with a cappuccino or a glass of milk for colazione (Italian breakfast). However, if you’re anything like me, you’ll find every excuse to grab a few more during the day. They’re just SO GOOD.

JUMP TO RECIPE

Let’s be honest, who can say “no” to freshly baked, homemade, pillowy bomboloni donuts filled with delicious vanilla cream?! Made with a simple dough that has just the right amount of sweetness, these donuts are fried into soft, fluffy perfection, then tossed in a generous coating of lemon sugar. Fill them with delicate vanilla flavoured cream for extra indulgence and deliciousness!

Ingredients

For the Bomboloni Dough:

Milk: Use lukewarm, whole milk.
Fresh Yeast: You’ll need 20g of fresh yeast. Crumble the yeast with your hands and add it to the lukewarm milk. Combine until it’s completely dissolved using a spoon or a small whisk.
Sugar: This type of dough is just slightly sweet, therefore 60 g of granulated sugar is what you’ll need for making the dough. Additional sugar will be needed to coat the donuts after they are cooked.
Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil as in my opinion, it’s a type of oil that doesn’t add any additional flavour. In this recipe, I add 70 ml to the dough and use extra sunflower oil for frying the donuts.
Eggs: You’ll need 2 large eggs at room temperature.
Orange Zest: You can use the zest from 1 orange. This will add a subtle flavour and an amazing citrusy smell to the dough. However, you can use lemon zest instead if you prefer.
Vanillina: Using vanillina is optional, however, if it’s available to you, I would strongly recommend it. It adds a subtle vanilla flavour to the dough that combines beautifully with the rest of the ingredients. You can also order it from Amazon if it’s not available at your local supermarket (that’s what I do!)
Flour: First of all, use a scale to measure your flour. It’s the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will lead to great bakes each time! Second of all, sift the flour before baking. Use 550 g of “00” flour or ideally half “00” flour and half Manitoba flour.

What you’ll need for the Vanilla Cream (Crema Pasticera)

Eggs: You’ll need 4 eggs, separated. Only the egg yolks will be required to make the crema pasticera.
Milk: Use whole milk. You’ll need to heat the milk into a pot over medium-low heat until it’s hot. Then, with the help of a ladle, you will start incorporating the milk into the rest of the ingredients whisking continuously. Read the full recipe instructions on the recipe card for step-by-step instructions.
Corn Starch: Sift the corn starch before using it. This way, you will avoid having a lumpy texture. Don’t allow the corn starch and egg yolks to sit without whisking as the corn starch will start cooking the eggs and this is not what we’re after here. It’s best to heat the milk first, then incorporate egg yolks, corn starch and vanilla and then add a ladle of hot milk at a time and incorporate. The corn starch will help thicken the cream.
Vanilla Bean Pod or Vanilla Extract: You can use either a vanilla bean pod or 1 1/2 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract.

FAQ

How to fry homemade bomboloni donuts?

Place the sunflower oil in a cast-iron skillet or a shallow pot and bring it up to 170 °C (about 338 degrees F). Bear in mind that when you’re adding the donuts, the temperature of the oil will slightly decrease. If the oil gets too hot, just add a little more oil and that will adjust the temperature.

Fry a few donuts at a time (3 or 4 maximum depending on the size of your pot or skillet). Turn them around every 30 seconds or so. Cook them for no longer than 2 – 3 minutes in total.

When cooked, dry on a paper towel to remove any excess oil, then toss them whilst they are still warm in lemon sugar. Allow cooling completely before filling them.

How long does bomboloni last?

Bomboloni are best eaten the day they are made. If you want to keep them for longer, store them in an air-tight container, at room temperature for 2 – 3 days. If you are making the donuts ahead of time, do not fill them with vanilla cream. Keep the vanilla cream in the fridge and pipe the donuts only when you are ready to serve them. I would recommend that you warm the donuts in the microwave if you are eating them in the next couple of days.

Can I make the Vanilla Cream ahead of time?

Yes! I would actually recommend making the cream the night before and storing it in the fridge in an air-tight container or covered in cling film. When ready to use, allow the cream to come at room temperature before piping, otherwise, if you try mixing the cream whilst cold from the fridge you will see “lumps” forming and you might think that you’ve done something wrong. If you wish to speed things up, place the cream over a bain-marie and allow it to warm up slightly, whisking continuously. Be mindful not to warm it up too much otherwise, it will become too runny and you’ll not be able to pipe the donuts after.