INTRODUCTION

When traveling through Italy you most likely tried the enticing Bombolone, a donut-style pastry shaped like a bomb. They can contain almost any filling, and in New York are sometimes served with chocolate sauce, they make a great dessert fresh from the oven. If you want to make them at home, here is the Bombolone recipe.

BOMBOLONI DOUGH

3 large eggs

280 grams of plain flour

280 grams of bread flour

90 grams of soft butter

100 grams of granular sugar

120 ml of room-temperature milk

half a teaspoon of vanilla paste

7 grams of fast-action yeast

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons castor sugar for rolling donuts in.

vegetable oil for frying

PASTRY CREAM FOR FILING THE BOMBOLONI

5 egg yokes

2.5 cups of milk

1/4 cup corn flour

1/3 cup of sugar

Lemon zest

half a teaspoon of vanilla paste

METHOD

Before you start the preparation of your Bomboloni make sure that you have yeast that can be added directly into your recipe with the other dry ingredients.

You will need a large mixing bowl to combine the dry ingredients together, then add the butter dispersed through the dry mixture evenly in small pieces.

Beat the eggs and milk together until mixed, and add them to the dry mixture along with vanilla and salt.

Attach your dough hook to the mixer and beat the dough at low speed for ten minutes. If you don’t have a dough hook knead the mixture by hand for ten minutes.

When you have finished kneading, roll the dough into a ball and transfer it to the workspace. Cover with cling wrap as it must sit for two or three hours to allow the yeast to ferment and ‘rise’. Once it is about three times the original size you will be ready to roll out the dough. When rolled out it should be 1.5 cm thick, then use a cookie cutter for the final shaping. If you have any odd bits over, shape them by hand.

FRYING

Bombolone donuts are fried in a deep pan of oil at a temperature of 170 degrees centigrade. Use tongs to place the donuts in the pan, and cover your eyes with a clear spatter guard. For best results cook in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook for two minutes on either side. Place them on kitchen paper when cooked, as this removes excess oil. Allow them to cool before filling them with the creamy filling.

ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM FILLING

Beat the cream-filling ingredients together until absolutely smooth and integrated.

Then place on the cooktop at a very low heat to warm and thicken, takes 10-15 minutes of constant stirring. Allow it to cool off before filling the donuts.

Use a piping bag, Italians fill the Bombolone from the top. They will keep for two or three days, however, they are delicious when eaten fresh from the oven.

CONCLUSION

If you are having a dinner party Bomboloni makes an impressive dessert, and there are different fillings that you can use, try the chocolate sauce.