🍩 Bomboloni
Soft, pillowy, golden Italian donuts filled with silky vanilla pastry cream and rolled in sugar while still warm. Bomboloni are wonderfully light and fluffy inside, crisp and golden outside, and completely irresistible when filled with creamy custard.
Perfect for breakfast, brunch, afternoon coffee, special occasions, or whenever you’re craving an authentic Italian-style filled donut.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 1½–2 hours
Cook Time: 15–20 minutes
Total Time: About 2½ hours
Yield: 12–14 bomboloni
Difficulty: Intermediate
Method: Deep-Fried
🛒 Ingredients
For the Dough
- 500 g bread flour
- 250 ml whole milk, lukewarm
- 70 g granulated sugar
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 75 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Vegetable or neutral oil, for frying
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 500 ml whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 40 g cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Pinch of salt
For Finishing
- ½–1 cup granulated sugar, for coating
👩🍳 Instructions
Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream
1. Heat the Milk
Pour the milk into a medium saucepan.
Heat over medium heat until steaming and hot but not boiling.
Remove from the heat.
2. Whisk the Egg Yolks
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
Continue whisking for 1–2 minutes, until smooth and slightly lighter in color.
3. Temper the Eggs
Slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
This gradually raises the temperature of the eggs and prevents them from scrambling.
Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
4. Cook the Pastry Cream
Return the saucepan to medium heat.
Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to gently bubble.
Continue cooking for approximately 1–2 minutes, whisking continuously.
The pastry cream should become thick and smooth.
5. Add Vanilla and Butter
Remove from the heat.
Whisk in the vanilla extract and butter until completely smooth.
Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl.
Press plastic wrap directly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Refrigerate until completely chilled.
🍩 Make the Bomboloni Dough
6. Activate the Yeast
Pour the lukewarm milk into a large mixing bowl.
Add the yeast and about 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
Stir gently and let stand for 5–10 minutes, until slightly foamy.
The milk should be warm, not hot. Very hot milk can damage the yeast.
7. Add the Wet Ingredients
Add the eggs, remaining sugar, vanilla extract, and softened butter.
Mix until reasonably well combined.
8. Add the Flour and Salt
Add the bread flour and pinch of salt.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
The dough will initially feel somewhat sticky and soft—this is normal.
9. Knead the Dough
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface or knead using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Knead for approximately 8–10 minutes by hand or 6–8 minutes in a stand mixer.
The dough should become smooth, elastic, and soft.
It may remain slightly tacky, but it shouldn’t be excessively sticky.
10. First Rise
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for approximately 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
🍩 Shape the Bomboloni
11. Roll Out the Dough
Gently transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface.
Roll it out to approximately 1.5 cm (½–⅝ inch) thick.
Avoid pressing out all the air too aggressively.
12. Cut the Donuts
Using a 7–8 cm (2¾–3-inch) round cutter, cut out circles.
Transfer each round to a small square of parchment paper.
Gather the scraps, gently reroll them, and continue cutting.
You should get approximately 12–14 bomboloni.
13. Second Rise
Cover the dough rounds loosely with a clean towel or plastic wrap.
Let them rise for approximately 30–45 minutes, until noticeably puffy.
Don’t let them overproof.
🍳 Fry the Bomboloni
14. Heat the Oil
Pour enough neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot to create a depth of approximately 5–7 cm (2–3 inches).
Heat the oil to 170–175°C (340–350°F).
Use a kitchen thermometer for the most reliable results.
15. Fry
Carefully place a few bomboloni into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot.
Fry for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, turning gently once or twice.
They should become beautifully golden brown and puffed.
Maintain the oil temperature around 170–175°C / 340–350°F throughout frying.
If the oil is too hot, the outside will brown before the centers cook.
If it’s too cool, the bomboloni can become greasy.
16. Drain
Remove the cooked bomboloni using a slotted spoon or spider strainer.
Place them on a paper towel-lined tray to drain briefly.
17. Coat With Sugar
While the bomboloni are still warm, roll each one generously in granulated sugar.
The warmth helps the sugar adhere beautifully to the surface.
Set aside to cool slightly before filling.
🍮 Fill the Bomboloni
18. Prepare the Pastry Cream
Remove the chilled pastry cream from the refrigerator.
Whisk it briefly until smooth and creamy.
Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip.
19. Fill the Donuts
Use the tip of the piping bag or a small knife to make a hole in the side of each bomboloni.
Insert the piping tip and squeeze gently until you feel the donut becoming plump with pastry cream.
Don’t overfill—the cream should fill the center without bursting through the sides.
Serve fresh.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Use bread flour: The higher protein content helps create the characteristic stretchy, fluffy texture of bomboloni.
Don’t add too much flour: The dough should remain soft and slightly tacky. Excess flour can make the donuts heavy.
Watch the milk temperature: Lukewarm milk is ideal for activating the yeast.
Give the dough enough time to rise: Proper fermentation is essential for light, airy bomboloni.
Don’t overcrowd the oil: Fry only a few at a time so the temperature doesn’t drop dramatically.
Use a thermometer: Maintaining the oil around 170–175°C / 340–350°F gives you evenly cooked donuts.
Sugar while warm: Roll the bomboloni in sugar shortly after frying for the best coating.
Fill shortly before serving: Freshly filled bomboloni have the best texture.
🍓 Delicious Filling Ideas
Vanilla pastry cream is classic, but bomboloni are incredibly versatile.
Nutella Bomboloni
Fill with smooth Nutella or another chocolate-hazelnut spread.
Raspberry or Strawberry
Fill with thick raspberry or strawberry jam.
Lemon Cream
Fill with lemon curd or lemon pastry cream.
Pistachio Cream
Use smooth pistachio cream for an Italian-inspired variation.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
Add 100 g melted dark chocolate to the warm pastry cream for a rich chocolate filling.
Dulce de Leche
Fill with thick dulce de leche and finish with powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar.
☕ Serving Suggestions
Bomboloni are best served fresh with:
- Espresso
- Cappuccino
- Café latte
- Hot chocolate
- Fresh berries
- A dusting of powdered sugar
- Extra pastry cream or chocolate sauce
They’re especially delicious while still slightly warm.
🧊 Storage
Bomboloni are best enjoyed the day they are made.
Store filled bomboloni in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Allow them to sit at room temperature for approximately 15–20 minutes before serving.
Because the pastry cream is perishable, filled bomboloni should not be left at room temperature for extended periods.
❄️ Freezing
For the best results, freeze the unfilled fried bomboloni.
Allow them to cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month.
Thaw at room temperature, warm briefly in a low oven if desired, coat with fresh sugar, and fill with freshly prepared pastry cream.
🔥 Troubleshooting
Why are my bomboloni dense?
The dough may not have risen enough, or too much flour may have been added.
Why are they raw inside?
The oil was probably too hot. Lower the temperature and fry the next batch slightly longer.
Why are they greasy?
The oil may have been too cool. Allow it to return to 170–175°C / 340–350°F between batches.
Why didn’t they puff?
The yeast may have been inactive, or the dough may have been underproofed.
Why did the pastry cream become lumpy?
It may have been cooked too quickly or not whisked continuously. Straining it through a fine-mesh sieve while warm can restore a smooth texture.
🍩🇮🇹 Final Result
These Bomboloni are everything an Italian filled donut should be: golden and lightly crisp on the outside, incredibly soft and fluffy inside, coated in sparkling sugar, and generously filled with silky vanilla pastry cream.
Break one open and the creamy custard practically begs to spill out.
Soft, pillowy, creamy, and completely irresistible—one is never enough! 🍩🇮🇹✨