Zeppole o ciambelle (Italian doughnuts) and bomboloni (Italian filled doughnuts) are cakes that most Italians usually eat as a snack food, breakfast or dessert. The pastry’s name is etymologically related to the word “bomba” (bomb), probably due to the resemblance to a grenade or old-fashioned bomb and possibly, also as a reference to the high calorie density of this recipe. In some regions, like Lazio, these cakes are in fact called bombe (bombs).
Zeppole and bomboloni are very popular in many Italian regions such as Lazio, Marche, Tuscany and Campania. However, they can be found, with some variations, across the entire country.
This is our easy peasy recipe for you.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
50g of natural yeast
30g of sugar
30g of vegetable oil
400g of flour
1 orange
1 glass of milk
For the filling
Nutella or jam or custard
PREPARATION
Melt the natural yeast in a glass of warm milk. Pour the mixture in a large bowl. Add the sugar, vegetable oil and the squeezed juice of the orange. Keep mixing. Start adding the flour by making sure that there are no lumps. Work the dough with your hands until it is no longer sticky.
Start making rings with the dough for the zeppole and disks of dough for the bomboloni. Place on a warm surface, cover with one or two clothes and let rise for at least 2 hours.
Heat up the frying oil in a large pan. Fry the zeppole and bomboloni – make sure you do not overfill the pan. Lower the heat and turn the doughnuts around a few times so that they do not burn. Drain the doughnuts and place them in absorbent paper before rolling them in caster sugar.
To fill the bomboloni: make a cut on a side then insert either Nutella, jam or custard by using a food bag.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Buon Appetito!
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