A high altitude tested recipe for Italian Bombolini! These fluffy, pillowy, lemon scented yeast doughnuts are fried until golden, coated in sugar, and filled with creamy lemon custard.
You might also love these Bavarian cream doughnuts with apricot preserves, homemade beignets, and chocolate cream filled doughnuts with espresso sugar.
What are Bombolini?
Italian bombolini are big, puffy, light and fluffy doughnuts that are typically coated in sugar and filled with pastry cream or custard. Lemon is a common flavor used with bombolini, and I used fresh lemon zest to flavor both the dough for the doughnuts, as well as the custard filling.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Perfect for the Weekend. Making homemade doughnuts is fun, but can be a bit of a process, so plan on a cozy day at home with a pot of coffee and a lineup of your favorite movies while you make these. If you start the dough after breakfast, you and your family can enjoy these doughnuts with lemon cream filling by early afternoon.
Step by Step Photos. If you’re intimidated by the process of making homemade doughnuts, today’s post is packed with step by step photos to guide you through the process.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude. Today’s recipe will work at any altitude, though, with the main difference being on how long it takes the dough to rise. The higher the elevation, the faster the dough will rise.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Lemons. You’ll need fresh lemon zest for using in the dough and the pastry cream. Save the lemon juice for another project, or thinly slice the lemons to make dried lemon slices for cake decorating.
- Whole Milk and Cream. For the pastry cream or custard, you need the high fat content of whole milk and heavy whipping cream. This is not the time to use skim milk and light cream.
- Flour. You can use either all purpose flour or bread flour for today’s bombolini doughnut recipe.
- Yeast. For best results, I recommend using Red Star Platinum Premium Instant Yeast. I use this yeast for all my yeast doughs, and it works wonderfully.
Tools and Equipment
- Small Saucepan. For warming the butter and milk.
- Large Heavy Bottomed Saucepan. For frying the doughnuts.
- Instant Read Digital Thermometer. For monitoring the temperature of the frying oil. It’s essential to keep a steady temperature when frying doughnuts. Too hot, and the doughnuts will burn before they’re cooked inside. Too cold, and the doughnuts will soak up too much oil and end up greasy.
- Large Baking Sheets + Parchment Paper. For proofing the cut doughnuts.
- Cooling Racks. For draining the doughnuts after they’ve been fried.
- Rolling Pin and Biscuit Cutter. A 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter is just the right size for today’s bavarian cream doughnut recipe.
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook. Helpful for kneading the dough, but you can definitely knead the dough by hand, too.
- Skimmer. For removing the doughnuts from the hot oil.
- Mixing Bowls, Measuring Cups, Measuring Spoons.
Instructions
Make the Lemon Custard
- In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn starch, lemon zest and salt.
- Add the egg yolks, milk and cream, whisking until combined.
- Cook the custard over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard begins to thicken and bubble – this should take about 8-10 minutes. Once it begins to bubble, continue to cook for 1 full minute while whisking.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Strain the custard to remove the lemon zest, as well as any bits of cooked egg. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and press the custard through the strainer.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap resting right against the surface of the custard and refrigerate for several hours until completely chilled. You can also make this one day in advance, keeping it refrigerated until needed.
Make the Dough
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the milk, and heat just until the mixture reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat, stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the remainder of the sugar with the salt, nutmeg/cinnamon, lemon zest, and all but 1/2 cup of the flour. Add the egg and the warm milk mixture.
- With the dough hook, stir the mixture for several minutes until it comes together, then knead for 5 minutes, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, only if needed. Do not add the flour if the dough is already forming a dough ball around the hook. The dough should form a “torpedo” or ball around the dough hook and mostly pull away from the sides of the bowl, although it may stick a little at the bottom of the bowl.
Let the Dough Rise
- Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – this may take anywhere from 30-90 minutes, depending on the freshness of the yeast, your altitude, and the warmth of the environment. Be sure to check frequently, so that you don’t over-proof the dough.
Roll out the Dough and Cut the Doughnuts
- Prep one large or two medium baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. If you like, you can cut the paper into individual 4×4 inch squares, which can be helpful for dropping the doughnuts into the oil.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 3/4 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut 12 doughnuts.
- Place the cut doughnuts on the parchment lined baking sheets.
Let the Cut Doughnuts Rise
- Set the baking sheets inside your oven – again, use the “bread proof” setting, or gently warm the oven before setting the doughnuts inside.
- Fill a small saucepan with several inches of boiling water and place it inside the oven. The steam will keep the doughnuts moist, and prevent them from forming a “skin” on their surface, which will ruin the doughnuts and prevent them from frying correctly.
- Let the doughnuts proof until they are very light and puffy, about 30-40 minutes. If they don’t proof for long enough, their texture won’t be as light, and they won’t have the signature white “ring” around the sides after frying.
Fry the Doughnuts
- While the doughnuts are proofing, you can start heating the oil over medium heat. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. I used a saucepan that’s about 12 inches wide and 5 inches deep. You need to use enough oil, both so that the doughnuts “float” on the oil while frying, as well as to help maintain a steady temperature, which you can’t do with too little oil. Heat the oil to between 350-365 degrees Fahrenheit, checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer.
- Place a cooling rack over a large baking sheet for draining the doughnuts.
- When you’re ready to start frying, fry the doughnuts in batches, about 3-4 doughnuts at a time. Carefully lower them into the oil, fry for about 45 seconds – 1 minute until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and fry on the other side until brown (I like to use wooden chopsticks to flip the doughnuts). They should be a light golden brown, and if they were proofed correctly, they’ll have a white “proof line” running around the middle.
- Use your skimmer to transfer the doughnuts to the cooling rack to drain, and continue frying the remainder of the doughnuts.
Fill the Doughnuts
- While the doughnuts are a little warm, coat them in the sugar.
- Cool completely before filling with the lemon custard.
- Use the pointed end of a chopstick to poke a hole in the sides of the doughnuts. Fit a piping bag with a pastry tip, and fill with the chilled custard.
- Insert the piping tip into the holes, filling the doughnuts with the custard.
- Doughnuts are best enjoyed the day they’re made, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do bombolini stay fresh?
Doughnuts are best enjoyed the day they’re made, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
How can I knead the dough without a stand mixer?
Knead the dough with a stand mixer for 5 minutes, or by hand for 10 minutes.
You Might Also Like
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Italian Bombolini (Lemon Custard Filled Doughnuts)
Fluffy, pillowy yeast doughnuts fried until golden, coated in sugar, and filled with creamy lemon custard.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Large Heavy Bottomed Saucepan
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Large Baking Sheet + Parchment Paper
- Cooling Racks
- Rolling Pin and 2 1/2-inch Biscuit Cutter
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook + Paddle Attachment
- Skimmer
- Mixing Bowls, Measuring Cups, Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
Lemon Custard (Pastry Cream)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- zest of 1 large lemon
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Doughnuts
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup whole milk or buttermilk
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast or instant/rapid rise yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg or cinnamon optional
- zest of 1 large lemon
- 3 – 3 ½ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 qts vegetable oil, for frying
Sugar Coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Lemon Custard
- In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn starch, lemon zest and salt.
- Add the egg yolks, milk and cream, whisking until combined.
- Cook the custard over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard begins to thicken and bubble – this should take about 8-10 minutes. Once it begins to bubble, continue to cook for 1 full minute while whisking.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Strain the custard to remove the lemon zest, as well as any bits of cooked egg. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and press the custard through the strainer.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap resting right against the surface of the custard and refrigerate for several hours until completely chilled. You can also make this one day in advance, keeping it refrigerated until needed.
Doughnuts
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the milk, and heat just until the mixture reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat, stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the remainder of the sugar with the salt, nutmeg/cinnamon, lemon zest, and all but 1/2 cup of the flour. Add the egg and the warm milk mixture.
- With the dough hook, stir the mixture for several minutes until it comes together, then knead for 5 minutes, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, only if needed. Do not add the flour if the dough is already forming a dough ball around the hook. The dough should form a "torpedo" or ball around the dough hook and mostly pull away from the sides of the bowl, although it may stick a little at the bottom of the bowl.If you don't have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes.
- Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – this may take anywhere from 30-90 minutes, depending on the freshness of the yeast, your altitude, and the warmth of the environment. Be sure to check frequently, so that you don't over-proof the dough.If you have a "bread proof" setting in your oven, you can use that. Otherwise, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, turn it off, then place your dough inside to rise. Mine took 1 hour in my oven on the bread proof setting.
- Prep one large or two medium baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. If you like, you can cut the paper into individual 4×4 inch squares, which can be helpful for dropping the doughnuts into the oil.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 3/4 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut 12 doughnuts.If you like, you can gather up and roll out the dough scraps to cut more doughnuts, but these will be a little more dense and will never look as nice as the ones you cut the first time around, so try to cut them as close together the first time to reduce dough waste.
- Place the cut doughnuts on the parchment lined baking sheets. Set the baking sheets inside your oven – again, use the "bread proof" setting, or gently warm the oven before setting the doughnuts inside.
- Fill a small saucepan with several inches of boiling water and place it inside the oven. The steam will keep the doughnuts moist, and prevent them from forming a "skin" on their surface, which will ruin the doughnuts and prevent them from frying correctly.
- Let the doughnuts proof until they are very light and puffy, about 30-40 minutes. If they don't proof for long enough, their texture won't be as light, and they won't have the signature white "ring" around the sides after frying.
- While the doughnuts are proofing, you can start heating the oil over medium heat. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. I used a saucepan that's about 12 inches wide and 5 inches deep. You need to use enough oil, both so that the doughnuts "float" on the oil while frying, as well as to help maintain a steady temperature, which you can't do with too little oil. Heat the oil to between 350-365 degrees Fahrenheit, checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer.If your oil is too cold, the doughnuts will absorb oil and end up tasting greasy. If it's too hot, they'll brown too quickly. It's better to heat the oil fairly slowly to maintain a steady temperature, and to check it frequently throughout the frying process, so you can adjust the temperature as needed. Note that when you first drop the doughnuts in, the temperature of the oil will also drop, so just keep checking to try to maintain a steady temperature.
- Place a cooling rack over a large baking sheet for draining the doughnuts.
- When you're ready to start frying, fry the doughnuts in batches, about 3-4 doughnuts at a time. Carefully lower them into the oil, fry for about 45 seconds – 1 minute until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and fry on the other side until brown (I like to use wooden chopsticks to flip the doughnuts). They should be a light golden brown, and if they were proofed correctly, they'll have a white "proof line" running around the middle.
- Use your skimmer to transfer the doughnuts to the cooling rack to drain, and continue frying the remainder of the doughnuts.
Sugar Coating and Filling
- While the doughnuts are a little warm, coat them in the sugar.
- Cool completely before filling with the lemon custard.
- Use the pointed end of a chopstick to poke a hole in the sides of the doughnuts. Fit a piping bag with a pastry tip, and fill with the chilled custard.
- Insert the piping tip into the holes, filling the doughnuts with the custard.
- Doughnuts are best enjoyed the day they're made, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
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