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Golden sugar-coated bomboloni alla crema stacked on a wooden board with one split open to reveal thick vanilla cream filling

Soft Fried Bomboloni alla Crema with Vanilla Cream

Yeasted dough fried until golden and filled with vanilla pastry cream, rolled warm in sugar.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian (Tuscan)
Calories: 582
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 500 g all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
  • 180 ml whole milk warmed to 43 C / 110 F
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 7 g active dry yeast 1 packet
  • 60 g unsalted butter softened
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated, optional
Vanilla Pastry Cream
  • 500 ml whole milk
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 120 g granulated sugar
  • 40 g cornstarch
  • 1 vanilla bean split and scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
Frying and Coating
  • 1.5 liters neutral oil (sunflower or peanut) for deep frying
  • 100 g granulated sugar for coating

Method
 

Make the Dough
  1. Warm the milk to 43 C / 110 F. Sprinkle in the yeast with a pinch of sugar and let it sit 10 minutes until foamy on top.
  2. In the stand mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the yeast mixture, eggs, and yolks. Mix on low with the dough hook for 3 minutes until shaggy.
  3. Add the softened butter a piece at a time, then increase to medium speed and knead 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides.
  4. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and proof at 24 C / 75 F for 60 to 75 minutes until doubled.
Shape and Second Proof
  1. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide into 16 pieces, about 55 to 60 g each. Roll each into a smooth ball.
  2. Space the balls 5 cm apart on a parchment-lined sheet pan, cover loosely, and proof 30 minutes until visibly puffy.
Fry the Bomboloni
  1. Heat the oil in a 26 cm / 10-inch deep pot or dutch oven to 175 C / 347 F, checking with a thermometer before frying.
  2. Fry in batches of 3 to 4 so the oil temperature holds steady. Cook 2 minutes per side until deep gold and cooked through. If the outside browns too fast, lower the heat slightly, it means the oil crept above 175 C / 347 F.
  3. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly on a rack, then toss warm in granulated sugar while the surface is still tacky enough for it to stick.
Make the Pastry Cream
  1. Heat the milk with the vanilla bean in a 2-quart / 2L saucepan until steaming, not boiling.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornstarch and salt until smooth.
  3. Pour the hot milk slowly into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, then return everything to the saucepan.
  4. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes until thick enough to hold a ribbon trail off the whisk. Remove the vanilla pod, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and chill at least 2 hours.
Fill and Serve
  1. Whisk the chilled pastry cream smooth again and transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
  2. Poke a hole in the side of each cooled bombolone with the tip and pipe in cream until you feel the dough expand slightly.
  3. Serve the same day, dusted with a little extra sugar if you like.

Notes

  • Dough should feel tacky but not sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time if needed.
  • Oil that's too hot browns the outside before the center cooks, keep it at 175 C / 347 F.
  • Pipe the cream in right before serving for the crispest exterior.
  • Discard oil after two frying sessions, reused oil turns the shells dark and bitter.