Bomboloni - Italian Doughnuts

Before starting this recipe

1. Please check the instructions on your yeast packet. Some yeast can be added straight to the dry ingredients (like we have done in this recipe) and others need to be activated in a little lukewarm liquid first. If this is the case, you can activate it in a little of the lukewarm milk, don't add extra liquid.

How to make the Bomboloni dough

1. Put the flour, sugar and yeast in the mixer bowl and stir to combine.
2. Scatter cubes of butter over the flour so it's evenly distributed then pour in the eggs and lukewarm milk, vanilla and salt.
3. Attach a dough hook attachment to the mixer then knead on a low speed for 10 minutes (on a KitchenAid mixer I use speed 2).
4. After 10 minutes the dough should be smooth, elastic and slightly tacky (see recipe notes 1 & 2 if using cups it's important).
5. Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface (you don't need any flour and extra flour should be avoided if possible). Shape the dough into a smooth ball by kneading it 2-3 times.
6. Place the dough in a clean bowl lightly greased with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to prove for 2-3 hours or until tripled in size.
7. Once the dough has risen, tip it out onto a clean work surafce, knock out the air then knead it a few times back into a smooth ball.
8. Flatten the dough with your hands then roll out on into a rectangle ½ inch (1.5cm) thick.
9. Use a cookie cutter or glass to cut out round doughnuts about 3.5 inch in diameter. You can cut the scraps into random shapes for frying or re-knead them and roll out again to cut out more doughnuts.
10. Place the cut out doughnuts on a surface lined with baking parchment and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave to prove for 1-1.5 hours or until tripled in size.
11. While the doughnuts are proving, make the pastry cream and leave to cool (directions below).

Frying

1. When ready to fry heat a large deep pan or pot of oil until it reaches 170°C/337°F.
2. Cut the parchment paper into squares so that each doughnut is on an individual square of parchment.
3. Carefully drop the doughnuts into the oil and immediatley remove the parchment paper with tongs. It's best to fry the doughnuts in batches and not overcrowd the pan.
4. Fry the doughnuts for 2 minutes then turn over and fry for another 2 minutes on the other side.
5. Remove and drain on kitchen paper for a around 2 minutes then roll the doughnuts in sugar. Leave to cool before filling.

How to fill the doughnuts

1. To fill the bomboloni insert a small knife into the side of a doughnut and move it around to make a small incision.
2. Fill a piping bag with the pastry cream or desired filling and pipe it into the doughnuts.
3. Serve immediately for best results or store in plastic containers for 1-2 days.

To make Italian pastry cream (crema pasticciera)

1. Put the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
2. Add the cornstarch and whisk again until well combined.
3. Heat the milk in a saucepan until hot then turn off the heat and let it sit for 1 minute.
4. Slowly pour in the milk into the egg mixture while constantly whisking so the eggs don’t scramble and there are no lumps.
5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat on a low heat whilst constantly stirring until thick and creamy (about 10-15 minutes) the mixture needs to be very thick. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat or the eggs will scramble.
6. Once thick, turn of the heat and pour into a clean bowl. Place plastic wrap directly over the pastry cream so a skin doesn't form and leave to cool.