Air Fryer Bomboloni Recipe: Soft, Fluffy Italian Donuts
Air fryer bomboloni should be soft, puffy, and filled with something creamy—not dry little dinner rolls covered in sugar.
The challenge is that bomboloni are traditionally fried, while an air fryer surrounds the dough with fast-moving dry heat. If the dough is under-proofed or stays in the basket too long, it can quickly become dense and bread-like.
This air fryer bomboloni recipe uses a rich yeast dough made with warm milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla. You’ll proof the dough twice, air fry the rounds until lightly golden, coat them with butter and sugar while warm, then fill them with pastry cream, chocolate-hazelnut spread, pistachio cream, or jam.
If you’re curious how bomboloni differ from other pastries, our guide to beignets vs donuts vs zeppole vs bomboloni explains the differences in shape, dough, fillings, and texture.
Air Fryer Bomboloni at a Glance
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Rise time: 2 to 2½ hours
- Cook time: 6 to 8 minutes per batch
- Air fryer temperature: 350°F
- Yield: About 10–12 medium bomboloni
- Best fillings: Pastry cream, chocolate-hazelnut spread, pistachio cream, or jam
Your exact cooking time may vary because air fryers differ in wattage, basket design, and how aggressively they circulate heat. The important thing is not to wait for the bomboloni to become dark brown. You want them lightly golden and cooked through while the centers are still soft.
Air Fryer Bomboloni
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine the warm milk, active dry yeast, and a small pinch of the measured sugar. Stir gently and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy and bubbly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add the activated yeast mixture, eggs, and vanilla, and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Add the softened butter gradually, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, soft, and slightly tacky.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1½ to 2 hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
- Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it to about ½ inch thick. Cut rounds with a 3-inch cutter or glass.
- Cover the shaped rounds loosely and let them rise again for 30 to 45 minutes, until visibly puffy and soft.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Lightly brush the tops of the proofed rounds with melted butter.
- Place 3 to 4 bomboloni in the air fryer basket with about 1 inch of space between them. Air fry at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes per batch, flipping halfway if needed for your air fryer. Remove when light golden and cooked through.
- Immediately brush the hot bomboloni with melted butter and roll them in granulated sugar.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes. Make a small filling pocket in the side or top with a chopstick, small knife, or piping tip, then pipe in pastry cream, chocolate-hazelnut spread, pistachio cream, or jam.
Notes
Why Air Fryer Bomboloni Can Turn Dry or Bread-Like
Air fryer bomboloni usually become dense or dry for one of three reasons: the dough did not proof enough, too much flour was added, or they were cooked too long.
Bomboloni dough is enriched with eggs, milk, butter, and sugar. That gives the finished pastry its soft texture, but enriched dough also needs enough time to rise.
- Adding extra flour until the dough feels completely dry
- Rushing the first rise
- Skipping or shortening the second proof
- Rolling the dough too thin
- Waiting for a dark fried-dough color
- Cooking several minutes longer than necessary
- Letting the finished bomboloni sit before coating them with butter and sugar
The second rise is especially important. The cut dough rounds should look noticeably puffy before they go into the air fryer. If they still look compact and flat, they will probably cook more like small bread rolls than doughnuts.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Bomboloni
For the Dough
- 2½ cups (300g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons (7g / 1 packet) active dry yeast
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, warmed to about 105°F
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
For Coating and Filling
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup pastry cream, chocolate-hazelnut spread, pistachio cream, or jam
Which Flour Should You Use?
Bread flour gives the dough a little more structure and chew, while all-purpose flour can produce a slightly softer result. Either can work.
The bigger mistake is adding too much extra flour during kneading. Bomboloni dough can feel slightly tacky because it contains milk, eggs, and butter. Slightly tacky is fine. A stiff, heavily floured dough is more likely to produce dense bomboloni.
Why the Butter Matters
Butter does two jobs in this recipe. Softened butter enriches the dough and helps create a softer crumb. Melted butter also replaces some of the surface richness you lose by not deep frying and gives the granulated sugar something to stick to.
How to Make Bomboloni in the Air Fryer
1. Activate the Yeast
Pour the warm milk into a small bowl. Add the active dry yeast and a small pinch of the measured sugar.
Stir gently, then let the mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes. The surface should become foamy and bubbly.
If nothing happens, your yeast may not be active enough to give the dough the lift it needs. Also avoid milk that feels very hot. You want it comfortably warm, around 105°F, rather than steaming.
2. Mix the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Pour in the activated yeast mixture, then add the eggs and vanilla extract.
Mix on low speed with a dough hook, or stir by hand, until a shaggy dough begins to form.
3. Add the Butter and Knead
Add the softened butter gradually, about one tablespoon at a time. Allow each piece to work into the dough before adding the next.
Continue kneading for 8 to 10 minutes. The finished dough should look smooth, elastic, soft, slightly tacky, and stretchy rather than crumbly.
Avoid adding large amounts of flour just because the dough sticks slightly to your fingers. That softness helps prevent the bomboloni from tasting like bread after air frying.
Let the Dough Rise Until Doubled
Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean damp kitchen towel.
Leave it in a warm, draft-free place for approximately 1½ to 2 hours, or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
Use the dough itself as your guide rather than watching only the clock. A cool kitchen may require more time. The risen dough should look soft, expanded, and airy. If it has barely grown, give it more time before moving on.
Shape the Bomboloni
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently press out excess gas, then roll the dough to approximately ½ inch thick.
Use a round cutter or glass approximately 3 inches wide to cut the bomboloni. Place the rounds on a tray with enough space between them to expand.
Gather the scraps, gently roll them again, and cut the remaining dough. Try not to repeatedly work the scraps because excessive handling can make those later bomboloni tougher.
Let the Bomboloni Rise Again
Cover the shaped rounds loosely with a clean towel and let them rise for another 30 to 45 minutes.
This second proof is one of the most important parts of the recipe. The rounds should look noticeably puffy, soft, expanded, and lighter than when first cut.
If you air fry them while they still look flat and firm, the inside can become dense. Give the dough time to create those air pockets before cooking.
Air Fry the Bomboloni at 350°F
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. If you are unsure whether your particular machine needs preheating, see our guide on how to preheat an air fryer.
Lightly brush the tops of the proofed bomboloni with melted butter. Carefully transfer 3 to 4 bomboloni into the basket, depending on the size of your air fryer.
Leave roughly an inch of space between them. They need room to expand and enough open space for hot air to circulate.
A Note About Parchment Paper
The raw recipe uses individual parchment squares to make delicate proofed dough easier to transfer. If you use that method, first check the instructions for your specific air fryer.
Do not preheat an air fryer with loose parchment inside, and do not allow paper to sit unsecured where moving air could lift it. If your appliance does not recommend parchment, transfer the proofed bomboloni gently with a thin spatula instead.
Cooking Time
Air fry at 350°F for approximately 6 to 8 minutes per batch, flipping halfway through if needed for your air fryer.
Start watching them closely before the full cooking window is over, especially if your air fryer tends to brown food quickly. Remove the bomboloni when they are light golden, not dark brown.
Air fryers can dry enriched dough quickly, so an extra couple of minutes can make a noticeable difference.
How to Tell When Air Fryer Bomboloni Are Done
Do not judge bomboloni only by color. Look for several signs together:
- The rounds have puffed during cooking
- The exterior is lightly golden
- The surface looks set
- The dough feels soft rather than hard
- The center is cooked instead of wet or gummy
Your first batch helps you learn how quickly your particular air fryer cooks this dough. If the first batch becomes dark too quickly, shorten the next batch or slightly reduce the temperature.
If you regularly struggle with uneven browning, these tips for crispy air fryer results explain how airflow, spacing, and cooking temperature affect the exterior of air-fried foods.
Brush and Coat Them While They’re Hot
As soon as the bomboloni come out of the air fryer, brush them with melted butter. Do this while they are still hot.
Immediately roll each one in granulated sugar. Traditional deep-fried doughnuts already have oil on the surface, which helps sugar stick. Air-fried dough is much drier, so the melted butter creates the surface the sugar needs to cling properly.
If you wait until the bomboloni cool, the coating will not stick nearly as well.
How to Fill Air Fryer Bomboloni
Let the sugar-coated bomboloni cool for about 10 minutes.
Use a chopstick, small knife, or narrow piping tip to make a hole in the side or top. Gently move the tool inside the pastry to create a small cavity.
This is especially useful with air-fried bomboloni because they may not naturally develop the large hollow pocket you sometimes get with fried dough.
Fill a piping bag with your chosen filling. Insert the piping tip into the cavity and squeeze slowly until you feel the bombolone becoming full. Stop before the pastry begins to split.
Best Bomboloni Fillings
Pastry Cream
Vanilla pastry cream gives bomboloni their classic bakery-style feel. Its smooth texture works especially well with the sugar-coated exterior.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread
This is one of the easiest choices because there is no additional filling preparation. If it is very thick, let it soften slightly before piping.
Pistachio Cream
Pistachio cream gives the bomboloni a richer Italian-inspired flavor. The nutty filling works especially well with the buttery dough and sugar coating.
Jam
Strawberry, raspberry, apricot, or another smooth jam can create a lighter fruit-filled version. Use a jam without very large fruit pieces so it passes easily through your piping bag.
Troubleshooting Air Fryer Bomboloni
Why Won’t the Sugar Stick?
The surface is probably too dry or the bomboloni cooled before coating. Brush them with melted butter immediately after removing them from the air fryer, then roll them in granulated sugar while they are still warm.
Think of it as a double-butter method: light butter before air frying, then melted butter immediately after air frying.
Why Are My Bomboloni Dense and Heavy?
Under-proofing is one of the biggest causes. If the dough does not rise properly during the first or second proof, it does not contain enough air before cooking.
Also check whether you added too much flour. The dough should be smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky. Finally, avoid overcooking. Air fryers remove moisture quickly, so bomboloni can go from soft to dry surprisingly fast.
Why Did My Bomboloni Deflate When I Moved Them?
Fully proofed yeast dough is delicate. If you squeeze the rounds with your fingers while transferring them, you can push out the air created during the second rise. Handle them as little as possible and use a thin spatula if needed.
Why Is the Outside Brown but the Middle Raw?
The air fryer may be running hotter than expected, or the dough rounds may be too thick. Hot moving air can brown the exterior before heat reaches the center.
- Keep the dough around ½ inch thick before the second rise
- Leave space around every bombolone
- Avoid overcrowding
- Consider reducing the temperature slightly if your air fryer runs hot
- Cook until the center is done rather than trying to create a dark exterior
Why Is There No Room for the Filling?
Air-fried bomboloni do not always create a large hollow cavity naturally. Insert a chopstick or narrow knife into the side and gently move it around inside the pastry to create a small pocket, then pipe in the filling.
Air Fryer Bomboloni vs Regular Air Fryer Donuts
Bomboloni are a type of Italian filled doughnut, but they are different from many common American air fryer donuts.
- Enriched yeast dough
- A round shape without a center hole
- A sugar coating
- A creamy or fruity filling
- A very soft interior
American-style doughnuts may be ring-shaped, glazed, frosted, cake-based, biscuit-based, or filled.
If you want a much faster option without making enriched yeast dough, our air fryer donuts with biscuit dough use a different method entirely.
Bomboloni take longer because the dough needs two rises, but that proofing time is what helps create their soft texture.
Tips for Soft Air Fryer Bomboloni
- Use warm, not hot, milk for the yeast.
- Let the dough genuinely double during the first rise.
- Keep the dough slightly tacky rather than adding excessive flour.
- Do not skip the second proof.
- Wait until the cut rounds look visibly puffy.
- Leave room between bomboloni in the basket.
- Cook until light golden instead of dark brown.
- Brush with melted butter immediately after cooking.
- Add sugar while the surface is still warm.
- Create a filling cavity before piping.
The two biggest mistakes are rushing the proofing and overcooking. Fix those first if your bomboloni are coming out dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make bomboloni in an air fryer instead of deep frying?
Yes. You can cook bomboloni in an air fryer using enriched yeast dough. The exterior will be more baked than traditional deep-fried bomboloni, but proper proofing and careful cooking can keep the centers soft.
What temperature should I air fry bomboloni?
This recipe uses 350°F. Air fryer models vary, so watch the first batch closely and remove the bomboloni once they are lightly golden and cooked through.
Why do my air fryer bomboloni taste like bread?
The most common causes are under-proofing, adding too much flour, or overcooking. Let both rises finish fully and keep the dough soft and slightly tacky.
Should bomboloni be filled before or after air frying?
Fill them after air frying. Let them cool for about 10 minutes, create a small pocket inside, then pipe in pastry cream, chocolate-hazelnut spread, pistachio cream, or jam.
Can I put parchment paper under bomboloni in the air fryer?
Only if your air fryer manufacturer permits it. Never leave loose parchment inside an empty preheating air fryer, and make sure any approved liner remains secured by food and does not interfere with required airflow.
What filling is best for bomboloni?
Pastry cream is the classic choice, but chocolate-hazelnut spread, pistachio cream, and smooth fruit jams also work well.
Can I make bomboloni without a stand mixer?
Yes. You can knead the dough by hand. Expect to knead for around 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
Final Tips
The air fryer makes bomboloni possible without a pot of frying oil, but the dough still needs the same attention you would give any soft yeast pastry.
Let it rise fully, handle the proofed rounds gently, and do not wait for an extra-dark crust before removing them from the basket. Then brush them with melted butter while hot, roll them in sugar, and add your favorite filling.
If your first batch is slightly too dry, shorten the next batch rather than changing the whole recipe. Once you learn how quickly your air fryer cooks enriched dough, getting soft, filled bomboloni becomes much easier.
