These small Italian doughnuts are half doughnut and half filling. They taste amazing andcan be eaten in one or two bites. Before you know it, you’ve eaten the whole lot. Make sure to fry these doughnuts to a rich dark brown colour so they have a thin crisp coating, then toss them in the sugar almost immediately. Pipe cream or jam into them while they are hot and the dough is still soft on the inside.
Reproduced with permission from Baked by Dean Brettschneider. Published by Penguin Group NZ. RRP $45.00. Copyright © 2013 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd.
Ingredients
- 500g strong bread flour
- 1½ tsp salt
- 60g sugar
- 10g active dried yeast
- 75g butter
- 2 eggs
- 230ml whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 litres canola or sunflower oil
- 200g granulated sugar (not caster sugar
- 400g Crème Pâtissière or quality raspberry jam
Method
Place all the ingredients for the bomboloni into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, combine to form a dough mass.
Tip dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10–15 minutes, resting it for 30 seconds every 2–3 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. It will be sticky to the touch, but don’t be tempted to add excessive amounts of flour during the kneading process. Place dough into a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to allow it to double in size.
Knock back the dough in the bowl by gently folding it onto itself three to four times. The dough will deflate slightly, but this will help it develop more strength. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes.
Tip dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 20 equal pieces, approximately 50g each, then roll each piece into a small ball. Place approximately 2cm apart onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to prove for 1 hour or until dough balls have doubled in size.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan to 180°C – check temperature using a sugar thermometer. Carefully lift one dough ball at a time and place into the heated oil. Fry five to seven balls at one time to ensure even cooking. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. As the balls fry, they will increase in size. Remove with a large slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain for about 15 seconds.
While bomboloni are still hot, roll them in a bowl filled with granulated sugar until evenly coated. Using a sharp knife, make a small hole on the bottom of each bomboloni. Spoon Creme Patissiere or raspberry jam into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain tip. Place the tip of the piping bag into the hole and squeeze until the bomboloni feels heavy and the filling comes oozing out.
