Bomboloni

Bomboloni are traditional Italian leavened sweets, very similar to Austrian krapfen, and are soft, fried doughnuts traditionally filled with custard cream. However, they can also be filled with jam, chocolate, or simply dusted with sugar. Here is the recipe for bomboloni:

Ingredients

• 500 g of type 00 flour
• 130 ml of warm milk
• 100 g of sugar
• 100 g of butter at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 25 g of fresh brewer’s yeast or 7 g of dry brewer’s yeast
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 pinch of salt
• Oil for frying
• Granulated sugar for dusting
• Custard cream, jam, or Nutella for filling

Preparation

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, the remaining sugar, the lemon zest, the salt, the eggs, and the softened butter in pieces.
3. Add the milk with the yeast and start kneading until the mixture is smooth.
4. Work the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, then put it in a bowl, cover it with a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it doubles in volume.
5. Roll out the leavened dough on a floured surface until it is about 1.5 cm thick.
6. With a pastry cutter or a glass, cut out circles of dough and arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between each.
7. Cover with a cloth and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
8. Fry the bomboloni in plenty of hot oil on both sides until golden brown, then drain them and roll them in granulated sugar.
9. Once the bomboloni are cool, fill them with custard cream, jam, or Nutella, using a pastry bag with a long nozzle.

Curiosities

Bomboloni are a beloved specialty throughout Italy and are often eaten at the beach as a snack. The origin of the name “bombolone” is quite curious and refers to the puffed and round shape of these sweets, which resembles a small bomb.