Bola de Berlim

Bola de Berlim (Portuguese Cream-Filled Doughnuts)

Bola de Berlim are the iconic Portuguese beach- and bakery-shop doughnuts: soft enriched yeast dough, fried until golden, then split and filled with a rich pastry cream (doce de ovos). They are at their best eaten the same day, still faintly warm.

Prep

60 min

Cook

25 min

Total

85 min

Serves

10

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) bread flour, high-protein flour for a soft, chewy crumb
• •10 g (2 tsp) instant yeast, or 20 g / 0.7 oz fresh yeast
• •60 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• •8 g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk, lukewarm, around 38 °C / 100 °F
• •3 whole (3 large) eggs, room temperature, plus 1 yolk for the wash
• •1 whole (1 large) egg yolk, for the egg wash
• •80 g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• •1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
• •1 l (4 cups) neutral frying oil, peanut or sunflower; traditional, not a home-substitution
• •80 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar, for rolling the finished doughnuts
• •300 ml (1¼ cups) whole milk, for the pastry cream
• •1 strip lemon peel, for the pastry cream
• •1 stick (1 small) cinnamon stick, optional, for the pastry cream
• •4 large egg yolks, for the pastry cream
• •70 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar, for the pastry cream
• •30 g (¼ cup) cornstarch, for the pastry cream
• •1 tsp vanilla extract, for the pastry cream

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: In a large bowl (or stand mixer), whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the lukewarm milk, the 3 whole eggs and the lemon zest and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
2. 2 Knead in the softened butter a little at a time, then knead for 8–10 minutes by machine (12–15 by hand) until the dough is smooth, very soft and pulls away from the bowl. It should pass the windowpane test.
3. 3 Shape into a ball, place in a lightly buttered bowl, cover and let rise at room temperature for about 1½–2 hours, until roughly doubled.
4. 4 Meanwhile, make the pastry cream (doce de ovos): Warm the 300 ml milk with the lemon peel and cinnamon stick in a saucepan just to a simmer, then cover and steep off the heat for 10 minutes.
5. 5 In a bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks with the 70 g sugar and cornstarch until pale. Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon from the milk, bring it back to a gentle simmer, then slowly stream the hot milk into the yolks while whisking constantly.
6. 6 Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a piping consistency (about 80 °C / 175 °F, it should boil for 30 seconds to fully cook the starch and yolks).
7. 7 Off the heat, stir in the vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill until completely cold, at least 2 hours. Egg-based cream must be kept refrigerated and used within 2 days.
8. 8 Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface, deflate gently and divide into 10 equal pieces (about 80 g each). Shape each into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath.
9. 9 Place the balls seam-down on parchment-lined trays, cover lightly and proof for 45–60 minutes, until visibly puffy and a finger leaves a slow-rebound indentation.
10. 10 Brush gently with the beaten egg yolk mixed with a teaspoon of water.
11. 11 Heat the frying oil to 170 °C / 340 °F in a deep, heavy pot (oil at least 5 cm / 2 in deep). Fry 2–3 doughnuts at a time, top side down first, 2 minutes per side, until deep golden. Maintain 165–170 °C / 330–340 °F; too hot and they brown before the center cooks.
12. 12 Lift out onto a rack (not paper towels) to drain. While still warm, roll each ball in caster sugar to coat all over.
13. 13 Fit a piping bag with a long, thin round nozzle and fill with the cold pastry cream.
14. 14 Using a skewer or thin knife, poke a hole into the side of each doughnut and wiggle to make a pocket. Pipe the cream in generously until the doughnut feels heavy and just slightly taut.
15. 15 Serve the same day, ideally within a few hours of frying. Portuguese bakeries traditionally dust them lightly with extra sugar and eat them at room temperature, often at the beach.