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Italian croissants with vegan custard (cornetti)Vegan brioche bread (pan brioche)Sweet cream buns (maritozzi)Italian donuts (ciambelle)Chocolate chip brioche (treccine)Breakfast brioche with jam (buondì)
Ingredients & Substitutions
Flour: we tested these oven-baked bomboloni with 4 different types of flour. We used all-purpose flour, first-clear flour, wholegrain flour, and even wholegrain spelt flour. All flours work very well with our recipe.Sugar: you can use either regular white sugar, unrefined cane sugar, or any other type of granular sugar. If you use coconut sugar, then you need to add 25% more to achieve the same sweetness.Yeast: we recommend using instant dry yeast for this recipe.Vegetable milk: our favourite dairy milk replacement for this recipe is unsweetened soy milk. But you can use any type of vegetable milk. Fat: our fat of choice for our vegan bomboloni is sunflower seed oil. You can use also any other type of vegetable oil, as long as it has a neutral flavour. Coconut oil and olive oil are not recommended.Filling: bomboloni can be filled with chocolate, vegan nutella, vegan custard, or with your favourite jam. Our favourite filling is sour cherry jam.
Equipment
You’ll need a rolling pin and a round pastry cutter 7.5 cm / 3 inches in diameter. Also a large bowl, a clean kitchen towel, and a clean working surface to knead the dough. Since we bake these in the oven you also need a baking tray with some parchment paper.
Mistakes I made
Too-large pastry cutter: the first time I made bomboloni with a 8.5 cm / 3.34 inches pastry cutter. That is too big because the dough will proof again and will become too large. 7.5 cm / 3 inches is the perfect size.Too much filling: another mistake I made was to put too much jam on the discs. That made it impossible to properly seal the bomboloni and the jam came out while cooking. Not making space for the jam: before adding the jam, make sure you create a little pocket by pressing down the center of the dough with your fingers. Also, give the disc a stretch with your hands to make space for the jam. Flattening the dough too thin: the second time I made these vegan Italian donuts I flattened the dough too thin, and the bomboloni did not turn out plumpy and fluffy as I wished. The dough should be about 1.2 cm thick, not less.
Tips
Let the dough proof. A two step proofing is what makes these oven-baked bomboloni light, airy and delicious. Proof the dough first for 2 hours. Then proof again for another 1 hour after you shaped them.Don’t use a cheap jam. Cheap jams turn into water when heated due to the low fruit content and high sugar content. Opt for a jam that has a high fruit content and fruit pieces in it.Seal the bomboloni very well. This is essential or else the jam will go out of the bomboloni while cooking.Don’t overcook. Only bake between 15 and 18 minutes. This way they’ll stay soft and moist inside. Bomboloni taste better if they are slightly undercook rather than slightly overcooked.
Frequently asked questions
Storage
Bomboloni are best eaten as soon as ready, or at least on the same day. They do not store well and they should not be frozen. If you have left over oven-baked bomboloni, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If they get too dry, you can eat them dipped in a vegan latte or cappuccino.
Variations
Deep-fried bomboloni
To make deep fried bomboloni you should roll the dough a little thicker at about 2 cm / 0.8 inches thick. Then cut it into discs and deep fry it as is, without filling it. Deep fry in vegetable oil at a temperature of 170C / 338F for a couple of minutes till they are nice, puffy and golden. After frying you can fill them with jam, custard or chocolate spread, but you need to use a pastry piping bag to do so. Sprinkle with sugar and enjoy
Wholegrain Bomboloni
We love wholegrain bomboloni. To make them use the exact same recipe as above, but instead of all-purpose flour use either wholewheat flour or wholegrain spelt flour. They are both delicious and the bomboloni will be even healthier. This version is not recommended for frying, only for baking.
Nutella-filled bomboloni
You can fill bomboloni with our vegan nutella spread. The result is a delicious hazelnut and chocolate-filled Italian donut that every one will love.
Custard-filled bomboloni
Pick your favourite vegan custard from our list of easy and delicious vegan pastry cream and use it to fill your oven-baked bomboloni. You can use regular custard, coffee-flavoured custard or pistachio custard.
