Italian (Tuscan)
Italian Sourdough Bomboloni (Sugar-Dusted Vanilla Custard Doughnuts)
Cloud-light Tuscan sourdough pillow doughnuts with a signature pale golden equatorial ring, tossed hot in vanilla-cardamom caster sugar and piped full of silky lemon-peel and vanilla-bean oat pastry cream (crema pasticcera).
The good part
Fermentation Science & Baker’s Notes
Proofing each cut bombolone on its own 4×4-inch square of parchment paper is the professional bakery secret that prevents finger dents from deflating delicate wild-yeast gas pockets right before frying. For deeper fermentation diagnostics, Desired Dough Temperature math, and starter ratios, consult our How to Bake Enriched Vegan Sourdough and the master Vegan Sourdough & Wild Fermentation Pillar Hub.
Storage, Freezing & Refreshing
Store crusty artisan sourdough loaves cut-side down on a wooden board or inside a linen bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days (avoid sealed plastic bags, which trap moisture and soften the blistered crust). For longer storage, slice the cooled loaf completely, place parchment squares between slices, and freeze in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months; toast straight from frozen or refresh whole loaves in a 375°F oven for 8 minutes.
Nutrition, Digestibility & Swaps
Can also be filled with raspberry chia jam or dark chocolate hazelnut ganache. Want to adapt another family bakery recipe to 100% plant-based sourdough? Open our interactive Vegan Baking Converter.
Gather
Ingredients
- 380g (3 cups + 1 tbsp) unbleached bread or Italian 00 flour
- 100g (scant 1/2 cup) active sweet sourdough levain
- 160g (2/3 cup) lukewarm unsweetened soy or barista oat milk
- 45g (3 tbsp) aquafaba
- 50g (1/4 cup) organic cane sugar + Finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon
- 60g (4 tbsp) softened vegan block butter
- 7g (1 1/4 tsp) fine sea salt
- Neutral high-oleic sunflower or avocado oil, for frying at 345°F (175°C)
- 1 cup caster (superfine) cane sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp ground cardamom or vanilla bean powder, for rolling
- For Vegan Crema Pasticcera: 2 cups barista oat milk + 1/3 cup cane sugar + 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste + strip of lemon peel + 1/8 tsp turmeric + 2 tbsp vegan butter
Make
Method
- 01Make Chilled Pastry Cream First: Whisk cornstarch, sugar, and turmeric in a saucepan; whisk in 2 cups oat milk and a strip of lemon peel. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes until thick and glossy. Off heat, discard lemon peel, whisk in vanilla bean paste and 2 tbsp vegan butter, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and chill.
- 02Mix, Bulk & Cold Retard Dough: Knead flour, warm milk, aquafaba, sugar, lemon zest, salt, and levain for 5 minutes, then work in 60g softened vegan butter until smooth. Bulk ferment at 79°F for 4 hours, then chill overnight at 38°F.
- 03Cut & Proof on Individual Parchment Squares: Roll chilled dough to 1/2-inch thickness and punch out twelve 3-inch rounds. Place each round on its own 4x4-inch square of parchment paper (so you never deflate them with fingers when transferring to hot oil!) and proof covered at 78°F for 2.5 hours until light as air.
- 04Fry at 345°F for the Signature White Ribbon: Heat 2.5 inches of neutral oil in a Dutch oven to 345°F (175°C). Slip 3 doughnuts into the oil along with their parchment squares (peel away paper with tongs after 10 seconds). Because properly proofed sourdough doughnuts float high, they fry 90 seconds per side leaving a pale golden "angel ribbon" around the middle.
- 05Sugar-Roll & Pipe Full of Custard: Drain 30 seconds on wire rack, toss warm in vanilla-cardamom sugar, poke a deep channel in the side with a chopstick, and pipe 2 generous tablespoons of chilled lemon-vanilla pastry cream into each bombolone.
Keep cooking
Swaps, storage, and useful next steps.
Can also be filled with raspberry chia jam or dark chocolate hazelnut ganache.