Bomboloni (Italian Filled Doughnuts)

Whisk the egg yolks, 80 g caster sugar, and cornflour together in a bowl until pale and smooth.

Heat 400 ml whole milk with the split vanilla pod and scraped seeds in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then return everything to the pan.

Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously with a spatula, until it thickens and large bubbles burst on the surface, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the vanilla pod, and stir in the 20 g butter until fully melted. Press cling film directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold and firm.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, yeast, and 20 g caster sugar. Add the warm milk, beaten eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes.

Add the salt and remaining 20 g caster sugar, then increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the softened butter a few cubes at a time, waiting until each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Once all the butter is incorporated, knead for a further 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl.

Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover tightly with cling film.

Leave the dough to prove at room temperature until doubled in size, approximately 1.5–2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to a 1.5 cm thickness. Cut out rounds using a 7 cm cutter, re-rolling the scraps once, to yield approximately 12 bomboloni. Place on two parchment-lined baking trays with space between each.

Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to prove for a further 45–60 minutes, until visibly puffed and the dough springs back slowly when pressed.

Heat the sunflower oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 175°C on a kitchen thermometer. Mix the 80 g caster sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set aside.

Fry the bomboloni in batches of 3–4, without crowding, for 2 minutes on the first side until deep golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature at 175°C throughout.

Flip each bombolone and fry for a further 2 minutes until evenly golden on the second side. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a wire rack.

While still warm, roll each bombolone in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated on all sides.

Transfer the cold pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a long 1 cm nozzle. Insert the nozzle into the side of each bombolone and pipe generously until you feel light resistance, about 25–30 g of cream per piece. Serve immediately.