Italian Sugar Doughnuts (Ciambelle fritte)

Italian Sugar Doughnuts or ciambelle fritte are enjoyed for breakfast with a cappuccino in bars and cafés all over Italy. These have the perfect soft and fluffy texture you want in a doughnut! Have you ever tried making homemade doughnuts? Neither have I until recently. These doughnuts were inspired by my Sicilian Brioche recipe.  I recently realized that this yeasted dough would be delicious transformed into doughnuts. And I was right! 

Of course making doughnuts requires frying.  But trust me when I say that shaping my brioche dough into doughnuts and frying them takes this recipe to a whole new level. So please don’t let the idea of frying deter you from trying them out. These doughnuts are not at all greasy. They fry up in less than 2 minutes and are incredibly light and fluffy inside!

So, in case you were wondering, no you can not bake them instead. If you choose to do so, then they are brioche and not doughnuts!These doughnuts, called ciambelle fritte in Italian, are enjoyed for breakfast along with coffee or cappuccino in bars and cafés all over Italy. They are also available in most Italian bakeries in my area.

They are usually simply coated in sugar but you can definitely top them with a chocolate glaze if that’s more your thing. And they can also be made whole without the whole in the middle and filled with pastry cream. But that’s a whole other recipe post!

Is a doughnut cutter required to make these doughnuts?

The answer is no! I did test this recipe with a 3 inch doughnut cutter as well as an apple corer to cut out the center whole. While this method worked well it also required rerolling the scraps of dough to cut out more doughnuts. And in order to ensure the best possible texture, it is best to handle this dough as little as possible.

Therefore I opted to divide the dough into 20 equal pieces rolled into balls. I then used my finger to poke a whole through the center and carefully stretch them out into a spherical shape. And if you’re concerned about having relatively even shaped doughnuts, no worries. They all puff up nicely once they’re fried. So no special equipment required at all!

Can these doughnuts be made without a stand mixer?

Yes they definitely can! Use a whisk to combine the ingredients from steps 1-4. Then switch to a wooden spoon to stir in the flour. Next, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for 10 minutes. The dough will be slightly tacky to the touch, this is normal and what you are looking for. Add just a tiny bit of flour as needed in order to handle the dough.

The following are step by step images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the complete printable recipe card.

How to make Italian Sugar Doughnuts (Ciambelle fritte)

Prepare the dough: Follow my recipe for making Sicilian Brioche dough until step #7, that is up to when the dough rises for the first time for 3 hours.

Shape the doughnuts: Cut out 20 -3 inch squares of parchment paper and place on 2 baking sheets. Dust them lightly with all-purpose flour to prevent sticking.

Divide the dough into 20 roughly -55 gram pieces and roll into a ball. Poke a hole through the center of the ball with your finger and stretch it out into a doughnut shape, as shown. Don’t worry if they are not all perfectly shaped. They will nonetheless puff up nicely when fried.Place each doughnut on a parchment paper square and place in your unlit oven with the light on to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.To fry: Fill a wide heavy bottomed pan with about 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot carefully slide the doughnut off the parchment paper and into the pan. Fry 4-5 at a time, do not overcrowd the pan.

When one side is golden, flip and fry the opposite side. Do not leave the pan unattended, they fry quickly!

Transfer the fried doughnuts onto a paper towel lined tray to cool slightly.

Coat with sugar: Place a few slightly warm doughnuts at a time in a paper bag. Pour in granulated sugar, fold over the top of the bag and give them a shake to coat with the sugar. Enjoy!

Tips and suggestions:

• The dough may be made by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer.
• Although not necessary, you may use a 3-inch doughnut cutter to cut out your doughnuts if you prefer.
• They can be topped with a chocolate glaze or other flavored glaze of your choice, although I have not tested this version myself.
• Add some cinnamon to the sugar for a sugar/cinnamon topping
• Be sure to coat them with sugar while still warm in order for it to stick.

How long do these doughnuts last?

• These doughnuts (all doughnuts as a matter of fact) are best enjoyed the day itself. Although a few family members told me that they were just as good the following day! If you have some leftover, be sure to store them in an airtight container at room temperature to prevent from drying out.

If you try out this recipe, let me know how much you enjoy it by rating it in the recipe card below. Feel free to Pin it for later. Buon appetito!