Bombolini. Small, soft, delicious Italian style fried doughnuts are rolled in sugar and dusted with strawberry sugar or cocoa sugar. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or snacking.
Why You Should Make These Doughnuts
- The dough comes together quickly.
- Dough can be made a day in advance.
- Roll out and cut into doughnut shapes as an alternative.
- A small saucepan is all you need for frying.
- Strawberry sugar and cocoa sugars make delicious doughnut coatings.
- Can be prepared a day in advance to save time.
How To Make Bombolini
Dry instant yeast added to lukewarm water (105 to 105 degrees F.). Yeast mixture set aside for 10 minutes.
Unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, 2 egg yolks, fresh lemon zest and vanilla bean paste added to stand mixer. Yeast mixture added to stand mixer. Bread flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt
Dough kneaded with hook attachment at low speed for 5 minutes. Speed increased and dough kneaded for an additional 5 minutes. Remaining egg added to dough, speed reduced to low and dough kneaded for 2 minutes. Speed increased to medium and dough kneaded long enough to fully incorporate the egg, about 3 minutes.
Dough transferred to lightly oiled bowl, covered with plastic, and proofed for 3 hours.
Dough knocked down and kneaded by hand for a few turns in the bowl.
Dough measured into 1/2 ounce portions (approximately 2 tablespoons). Dough rolled onto small balls and placed on lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Dough balls covered loosely with plastic wrap and proofed 90 minutes.
Vegetable oil added to deep saucepan (about 1-1/2 inches of oil.) Oil heated slowly to 330 degrees F. Bombolini fried a few at a time for 4 minutes, about 2 minutes per side.
Doughnuts removed from hot oil using slotted spoon and placed on paper towels to drain.
Cooled doughnuts rolled in granulated sugar.
Freeze dried strawberry powder combined with powdered sugar. Cocoa powder combined with powdered sugar.
Sugar coated doughnuts tossed in strawberry powder or cocoa powder.
Other Brunch Recipes You Might Enjoy
Some of our most popular brunch recipes include coffee cake doughnuts, baked lemon blueberry doughnuts, blueberry coffee cake, pear doughnuts and peach strawberry pop tarts.
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Bombolini
Ingredients
Bombolini:
- 7 grams dry instant yeast (1 packet or 2-1/4 teaspoons)
- 110 grams lukewarm water (1/2 cup)
- 100 grams unsalted butter (7 tablespoons), at room temperature
- 150 grams egg (3 large), divided
- 40 grams egg yolk (2 large)
- 3 grams fresh lemon or orange zest (1 tablespoon)
- 4 grams vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- 250 grams bread flour (2 cups)
- 250 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 70 grams granulated white sugar (1/3 cup)
- 7 grams fine sea salt (1-1/2 teaspoon)
- 25 grams granulated sugar (2 tablespoons), for coating
- 35 grams powdered sugar (1/4 cup)
Strawberry Sugar:
- 7 grams freeze-dried strawberry powder (2 tablespoons)
- 35 grams powdered sugar (1/4 cup)
Cocoa Sugar:
- 15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (2 tablespoons)
- 35 grams powdered sugar (1/4 cup)
Instructions
Bombolini:
- Add dry instant yeast to lukewarm water (110 degrees F.). Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, 2 egg yolks, fresh lemon zest and vanilla bean paste to stand mixer.
- Add bread flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt to stand mixer.
- Add yeast/water mixture to stand mixer.
- Using dough hook attachment, beat on low for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium and beat an additional 5 minutes.
- Add remaining egg and beat on low for 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and beat 3 additional minutes.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer. Transfer dough to lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic and proof for 3 hours at room temperature. Knock the dough down and knead it gently in the bowl. *
- Measure dough into 1/2 ounce portions and roll into small balls. Place rolled dough balls on lightly floured parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap loosely, and proof for 90 minutes.
- Heat oil in large deep saucepan (1-1/2 inches of oil) to 330 degrees F. Fry for 4 minutes, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Cool doughnuts completely.
- Coat cooled doughnuts in granulated sugar.
- Coat doughnuts in powdered sugar.
Strawberry Sugar:
- Mix strawberry powder with powdered sugar. Coat doughnuts in strawberry sugar.
Cocoa Sugar:
- Mix cocoa powder with powdered sugar. Coat doughnuts in cocoa powder.
