I finally perfected an Italian Bomboloni Recipe with a secret Nutella center that will leave you wondering how I manage to hide it inside.

Jump to Recipe

I never thought a fried pillow could cause this much trouble, but here we are. I messed with the Italian Bomboloni Recipe until my kitchen looked like an all purpose flour storm and I still grin when I dust them with a little granulated sugar.

These Bomboloni are soft, slightly chewy and have that kind of browned, blistered skin that makes you stop talking. Sometimes I go full indulgence and try a Nutella Filled Donuts Recipe version, cause why not, life is short.

You’ll see little flaws, weird shapes, honest results, and somehow that makes them better, trust me.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

All purpose flour: Mainly carbs little protein, gives structure and chew, not much fiber tho.
Granulated sugar: Pure carbs, makes donuts sweet and brown when fried, no real nutrients.
Yeast: A living organism that ferments, adds flavor and airiness, tiny protein and B vitamins.
Milk: provides fat protein and calcium, makes dough tender and richer, kinda nice.
Eggs: Protein and fat, helps bind and add richness, gives color and lift.
Butter: Mostly fat, adds flavor and softer crumb, high calories so use wisely.
Vegetable oil: High in fat, makes donuts crisp and golden, calories go up fast.
Pastry cream or jam: Adds sweetness and moisture, cream brings protein, jam just sugar.

Ingredient Quantities

All purpose flour 450 g (about 3 1/2 cups) plus extra for dusting

Granulated sugar 100 g (1/2 cup) for dough

Granulated sugar about 200 g (1 cup) for coating

Active dry yeast or instant yeast 7 g (1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp)

Salt 1/2 tsp

Whole milk warm 180 ml (3/4 cup)

Large eggs 2 at room temp

Unsalted butter softened 75 g (about 1/3 cup)

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Lemon zest from 1 lemon optional but nice

Vegetable oil for frying about 1.5 liters (6 cups) or enough for 2 to 3 inches oil depth

Cinnamon 1 tsp optional to mix with coating sugar

Pastry cream about 480 ml (2 cups) or good jam or Nutella for filling

Powdered sugar for dusting optional about 2 tbsp

Water 1 to 2 tbsp only if dough needs loosening

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Warm the milk to about 40 C (100 F) so it feels warm not hot, stir in 1 tsp of the dough sugar and sprinkle the 7 g yeast on top if using active dry yeast, let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy; if using instant yeast just mix it into the flour.

2. In a large bowl whisk together 450 g flour, 100 g sugar (for dough) and 1/2 tsp salt, add the foamy yeast milk (or milk + instant yeast), 2 room temp eggs, 1 tsp vanilla and lemon zest if using; mix until a shaggy dough forms, add the 75 g softened butter in pieces and knead until smooth and elastic about 8 to 10 minutes by hand or 5–6 minutes in a stand mixer, add 1 to 2 tbsp water only if dough feels too stiff.

3. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic or a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours; poke with a finger, if the dent stays it’s ready.

4. Punch the dough down gently, turn onto a lightly floured surface, roll to about
1.2 cm (1/2 inch) thickness, cut rounds with a 6 to 7 cm cutter or glass, re-roll scraps once and keep rounds lightly floured; place on a parchment lined tray and cover loosely.

5. Let the rounds proof again until puffy, about 30 to 45 minutes; meanwhile heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 175 to 180 C (350 to 360 F) and keep a thermometer handy — oil too hot will burn the outside and leave raw center.

6. Fry the bomboloni in batches, slipping them gently into oil so there’s 2 to 3 inches depth around each, cook about 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden, turn only once with a slotted spoon, don’t overcrowd the pot so temperature stays steady.

7. Drain on a cooling rack over paper towels so they stay crisp, while still warm toss each one in the 200 g granulated sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon if using, this sticks best when they are warm.

8. Cool slightly, then fill using the pastry cream (chilled) or jam or Nutella in a piping bag with a long thin tip; insert tip into the side or top and squeeze about 2 tbsp filling into each donut so they are nicely filled.

9. Dust with powdered sugar if you like, and give a quick poke to distribute the filling inside, taste one right away but careful it’s hot inside.

10. Serve same day for best texture, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temp up to one day or refrigerate filling separately, rewarm for a few seconds in the microwave before eating if needed.

Equipment Needed

1. Kitchen scale (for weighing flour, sugar etc)
2. Measuring cups and spoons
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Whisk and rubber spatula
5. Stand mixer with dough hook or a sturdy wooden spoon and bench scraper for hand kneading
6. Rolling pin and a 6 to 7 cm round cutter or drinking glass
7. Heavy deep pot or Dutch oven plus a candy/deep fry thermometer
8. Slotted spoon or spider and a pair of tongs
9. Baking tray lined with parchment, cooling rack and some paper towels for draining
10. Piping bag with a long thin tip for filling the bomboloni

FAQ

Q: Can I make the dough ahead and refrigerate it? A: Yes. After the first rise you can cover and chill the dough up to 24 hours for better flavor, then bring it back to room temp before shaping and the final rise. If chilled longer let it warm and rise until puffy, sometimes that takes an hour or more.

Q: What oil temperature should I use and how do I test it? A: Keep oil around 170 to 175 C (about 340 to 350 F). Use a candy or deep fry thermometer for best results. No thermometer? Drop a small piece of dough in: it should bubble steadily and brown in about 40 to 60 seconds per side. If it browns too fast lower the heat, if it soaks oil it's too cool.

Q: Do I need special equipment to fill them? A: No but a long narrow piping tip or a filling syringe makes life easier. Warm thick pastry cream or Nutella slightly so it pipes smooth. Poke the tip into the side of a cooled bombolone and squeeze gently, don't overfill or it'll leak.

Q: Active dry vs instant yeast, any difference? A: Both work. Instant can be mixed straight into the flour, active dry should be dissolved in the warm milk for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy before mixing. Same packet weight works either way, just use the right method.

Q: How do I stop them from being greasy? A: Keep oil at the right temp, do not overcrowd the pan, and let each batch come back to temp between drops. Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan not just paper towels, and lightly pat if needed. That keeps them crisp not soggy.

Q: How should I store and reheat leftover bomboloni? A: Best eaten same day. Unfilled ones keep 1 to 2 days in an airtight container at room temp. To refresh, warm in a 175 C oven (350 F) for 3 to 5 minutes. Avoid microwave or they'll get gummy. You can freeze unfilled donuts, then reheat from frozen in the oven.

BOMBOLONI BEST ITALIAN DONUTS Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap with 00 flour for a silkier, more tender bite or use bread flour for a chewier crumb. Use same weight, but bread flour may need a touch more water if dough feels stiff.
Whole milk: replace with full fat oat or soy milk warmed to the same temp, or use half-and-half diluted with a little water for extra richness. Volume stays the same.
Unsalted butter: you can use salted butter (skip or cut back the recipe salt), or sub in melted coconut oil or vegetable shortening 1:1. Flavor and mouthfeel will be a bit different but it works.
Active dry yeast: swap for fresh yeast at about 3 times the weight (so ~21 g fresh for 7 g dry) or, if you want a tangy, slower rise, use an active sourdough starter (roughly 150 g fed starter and much longer proof times), expect timing and flavor to change.

Pro Tips

1. Use a thermometer and keep the oil steady at about 175 to 180 C. If the outsides brown way faster than they puff, lower the heat, if they take forever and soak up oil raise it a little. Don’t crowd the pot or the temp will plummet and you get greasy bomboloni.

2. Proof until the rounds are noticeably puffy but not collapsed. A gentle poke that springs back slowly is better than one that disappears, overproofed dough can go flat in the oil and taste overly yeasty.

3. Toss in the sugar while the fried dough is still warm so it sticks, but let them drain on a rack first so they stay crisp. If the coating clumps, give them a gentle shake in a colander or flip them with tongs while sugaring.

4. Fill right before serving when possible. Keep the pastry cream cold and transfer to a piping bag with a long thin tip, insert the tip into the side and gently squeeze about 2 tablespoons so they dont burst. Unfilled bomboloni store better at room temp for a short time, fillings stay best refrigerated.

BOMBOLONI BEST ITALIAN DONUTS Recipe

Recipe by Toni Baldesera

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected an Italian Bomboloni Recipe with a secret Nutella center that will leave you wondering how I manage to hide it inside.

Servings

servings

Calories

383

kcal

Equipment: 1. Kitchen scale (for weighing flour, sugar etc)
2. Measuring cups and spoons
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Whisk and rubber spatula
5. Stand mixer with dough hook or a sturdy wooden spoon and bench scraper for hand kneading
6. Rolling pin and a 6 to 7 cm round cutter or drinking glass
7. Heavy deep pot or Dutch oven plus a candy/deep fry thermometer
8. Slotted spoon or spider and a pair of tongs
9. Baking tray lined with parchment, cooling rack and some paper towels for draining
10. Piping bag with a long thin tip for filling the bomboloni

Ingredients

All purpose flour 450 g (about 3 1/2 cups) plus extra for dusting
Granulated sugar 100 g (1/2 cup) for dough
Granulated sugar about 200 g (1 cup) for coating
Active dry yeast or instant yeast 7 g (1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp)
Salt 1/2 tsp
Whole milk warm 180 ml (3/4 cup)
Large eggs 2 at room temp
Unsalted butter softened 75 g (about 1/3 cup)
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
Lemon zest from 1 lemon optional but nice
Vegetable oil for frying about 1.5 liters (6 cups) or enough for 2 to 3 inches oil depth
Cinnamon 1 tsp optional to mix with coating sugar
Pastry cream about 480 ml (2 cups) or good jam or Nutella for filling
Powdered sugar for dusting optional about 2 tbsp
Water 1 to 2 tbsp only if dough needs loosening

Directions

Warm the milk to about 40 C (100 F) so it feels warm not hot, stir in 1 tsp of the dough sugar and sprinkle the 7 g yeast on top if using active dry yeast, let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy; if using instant yeast just mix it into the flour.
In a large bowl whisk together 450 g flour, 100 g sugar (for dough) and 1/2 tsp salt, add the foamy yeast milk (or milk + instant yeast), 2 room temp eggs, 1 tsp vanilla and lemon zest if using; mix until a shaggy dough forms, add the 75 g softened butter in pieces and knead until smooth and elastic about 8 to 10 minutes by hand or 5–6 minutes in a stand mixer, add 1 to 2 tbsp water only if dough feels too stiff.
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic or a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours; poke with a finger, if the dent stays it's ready.
Punch the dough down gently, turn onto a lightly floured surface, roll to about
2 cm (1/2 inch) thickness, cut rounds with a 6 to 7 cm cutter or glass, re-roll scraps once and keep rounds lightly floured; place on a parchment lined tray and cover loosely.
Let the rounds proof again until puffy, about 30 to 45 minutes; meanwhile heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 175 to 180 C (350 to 360 F) and keep a thermometer handy — oil too hot will burn the outside and leave raw center.
Fry the bomboloni in batches, slipping them gently into oil so there's 2 to 3 inches depth around each, cook about 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden, turn only once with a slotted spoon, don't overcrowd the pot so temperature stays steady.
Drain on a cooling rack over paper towels so they stay crisp, while still warm toss each one in the 200 g granulated sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon if using, this sticks best when they are warm.
Cool slightly, then fill using the pastry cream (chilled) or jam or Nutella in a piping bag with a long thin tip; insert tip into the side or top and squeeze about 2 tbsp filling into each donut so they are nicely filled.
Dust with powdered sugar if you like, and give a quick poke to distribute the filling inside, taste one right away but careful it's hot inside.
Serve same day for best texture, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temp up to one day or refrigerate filling separately, rewarm for a few seconds in the microwave before eating if needed.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.