Ingredients
Dough
- 500 grisen white bread dough, left over from a bake
- or 500 g plain bread dough, proved
To fry
- 150 gsalt pork fat, rendered
- or bacon fat, or butter
To serve
- molasses
- butter
- corn syrup or golden syrup
- a strong cup of tea
Optional
- the scrunchions, crisp pork scraps, from rendering the fat
Directions
- Use dough that has already risen once, from a batch of bread. If making dough specially, mix a plain white bread dough and let it prove fully.
- Lift the scrunchions out and keep them. A dry pan gives tough, leathery toutons, and they are meant to fry rather than griddle. Pull off pieces of dough about the size of a small fist. Flatten each into a round about 1.5 cm thick.
- Keep them fairly thick, since a touton should be soft and bready in the middle with a crisp fried outside. Do not roll them thin, which gives something closer to a fried flatbread.
- Let them sit for 10 minutes if the dough has been chilled. Lay them in the hot fat and cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. Keep the heat moderate. This is the whole difficulty: too hot and the outside browns in two minutes while the centre stays raw dough.
- Turn them once when the underside is deep golden brown. Fry the second side another 4 or 5 minutes. Press one gently: it should feel springy and firm rather than doughy.
- Tear one open to check the first batch, since raw dough in the centre is not obvious from outside. They should be deep brown and crisp outside and light and bready within. Drain them briefly and serve them hot. Pour molasses generously over the hot toutons, or dip them in it.
- Butter them first if you like, and many people do both. Golden syrup or corn syrup are the alternatives, and some people prefer jam. Scatter the scrunchions over for the savoury version. Serve them immediately with strong tea.
Technique
- Scrunchions are the crisp rendered pork scraps and appear in several Newfoundland dishes.
- Damper dogs is the alternative name, from cooking them on a wood stove damper.
- Molasses is the traditional topping and is deeply rooted in Newfoundland cooking.
Substitutions
- Shop-bought bread dough, proved.
- Butter or bacon fat in place of salt pork fat.
Variations
- Served savoury with scrunchions.
- With partridgeberry or bakeapple jam.
- Made small, as a side with a cooked breakfast.
History
A Newfoundland way of using leftover risen dough, cooked in the fat from the morning’s salt pork.
Frequently asked questions
What is Toutons?
Toutons is a breakfast from Canada: rounds of bread dough fried in pork fat and doused with molasses. A Newfoundland way of using leftover risen dough, cooked in the fat from the morning’s salt pork.
How long does Toutons take to make?
Toutons takes 15 min plus risen dough of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 toutons. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Toutons?
Yes, within limits. Shop-bought bread dough, proved. Butter or bacon fat in place of salt pork fat.
What is the most important thing to get right in Toutons?
Lift the scrunchions out and keep them. A dry pan gives tough, leathery toutons, and they are meant to fry rather than griddle. Pull off pieces of dough about the size of a small fist. Flatten each into a round about 1.5 cm thick.
