Cinnamon Sugar Bomboloni with Salted Caramel and Vanilla Gelato

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Italian filled-style doughnuts, scaled down to a single small-batch dough you can knead by hand and fry in a saucepan. The trick is the proof window: pull the second rise when the rounds are visibly puffed and jiggly but still spring back slowly to a fingertip, then fry at a steady 350°F so they cook through in 90 seconds without soaking up oil. Toss them hot in cinnamon sugar and serve piled in a bowl with warm salted caramel and a scoop of vanilla gelato melting into it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed to 105°F
• 1 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (270 g), plus more for dusting
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (optional)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft
• 6 cups neutral oil for frying, such as canola or peanut

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 pint vanilla gelato or good vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions

1. Whisk the warm milk (105°F), yeast, and 2 tablespoons sugar together in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes until foamy. Whisk in the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest.
2. Add the flour and salt and stir with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms with no dry flour left. Cover and rest 10 minutes — this hydration rest makes the kneading much easier.
3. Smear the soft butter over the dough and knead in the bowl or on a very lightly floured counter for 8 to 10 minutes, using a bench scraper to fold and slap the dough rather than adding flour. It should end up smooth, tacky, and stretchy enough to pull into a thin translucent patch. (In a stand mixer: 3 minutes on low with the dough hook, then 5 to 6 minutes on medium.)
4. Shape into a ball, return to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and bulk proof at warm room temperature (72–76°F) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled and domed. For better flavor you can instead refrigerate the dough 8 to 12 hours, then let it sit out 45 minutes before rolling.
5. Turn the dough onto a floured counter and pat — don't roll hard — to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Cut 2-inch rounds with a cutter or a drinking glass; gently press scraps together, rest 10 minutes, and re-cut to get 12 total. Set each round on a square of parchment on a baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
6. Cover loosely and proof a second time, 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature. Watch the window: they are ready when they've grown by about half, look pillowy and jiggle when you shake the sheet, and a light fingertip press springs back slowly leaving a faint dent. If the dent stays put, they're overproofed and will fry greasy — fry them immediately.
7. While they proof, make the caramel. Combine the 3/4 cup sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, swirling (not stirring) until the syrup turns deep amber, 7 to 9 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the warm cream in a slow stream — it will bubble hard — then the butter, flaky salt, and vanilla. Set aside; rewarm gently before serving.
8. Stir the cinnamon sugar ingredients together in a wide shallow bowl. Line a second tray with paper towels.
9. Pour 2 inches of oil into a deep, heavy pot (at least 4 quarts) and heat to 350°F on a clip-on thermometer. Lower 3 or 4 bomboloni at a time into the oil, parchment side up, peeling the parchment off with tongs once they float.
10. Fry 60 to 90 seconds per side, until deep golden with a pale equator band around the middle — that band is the sign of a well-proofed doughnut. Internal temperature should read 195–200°F. Lift out, drain 15 seconds on paper towels, and adjust the burner to hold the oil at 350°F between batches.
11. While still hot enough to be uncomfortable to hold, roll each bombolone in the cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Repeat with remaining batches; the whole frying job takes about 12 minutes.
12. Serve within 20 minutes of frying: pile 2 bomboloni per person in a shallow bowl, add a scoop of vanilla gelato, and spoon warm salted caramel over the top. Optionally, poke a chopstick into the side of each doughnut and pipe in caramel with a small round tip before saucing.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Frozen Chocolate–Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

Blueberry Peach Buckle with Almond Streusel

Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem