Toutons

Toutons
(recipe)

On baking days, many a Newfoundlander awakened to the sweet aroma of simmering molasses and batches of toutons sizzling on a hot pan. Even late sleepers would usually forgo the comfort of their feather beds for these tasty morsels of fried bread dough, easily and quickly prepared by cutting pieces from the dough which had risen overnight. The only drawback to these early morning appetites was the possibility that there may not be enough dough left for Mom’s delicious homemade bread!

RECIPE
(makes 2 loaves of bread & toutons)

2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups milk, scalded
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter or shortening
9-12 cups all-purpose flour

toutons
1/2 pound salt pork, diced
molasses, heated

1. Add yeast to 1 cup of lukewarm water in which 2 teaspoons sugar have been dissolved. Let stand in warm place for 10-15 minutes or until frothy.

2. Scald milk; add butter and stir until melted, then add water, salt and sugar; cool to lukewarm. Stir dissolved yeast and add to lukewarm milk mixture, then quickly add half of flour and beat with wooden spoon until smooth.

3. Gradually add remaining flour until too stiff to knead in a bowl. Turn out onto a floured board and knead. Add flour until a moist dough, which no longer sticks to the board, is obtained.

4. Knead dough a further 10 minutes until surface is smooth and elastic. Place in oiled bowl and oil surface of dough; cover with a clean damp cuptowel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours).

5. Punch down dough and shape into bread loaves or toutons. To make bread: shape dough into three loaves; place in greased loaf pans and let rise until doubled (1-2 hours). Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

(toutons)

1. Fry salt pork until brown and crisp. Remove pork scraps.

2. Break off small pieces of dough the size of an egg; flatten dough (either in a circular or triangular shape) in palms of hands until 1/2 inch thick. Fry bread dough in pork fat until browned on both sides.

3. Serve with warm molasses, butter, applesauce, golden syrup, or marmalade.

1.	Add yeast to 1 cup of lukewarm water in which 2 teaspoons sugar have been dissolved. Let stand in warm place for 10-15 minutes or until frothy.
2.	Scald milk; add butter and stir until melted, then add water, salt and sugar; cool to lukewarm. Stir dissolved yeast and add to lukewarm milk mixture, then quickly add half of flour and beat with wooden spoon until smooth.
3.	Gradually add remaining flour until too stiff to knead in a bowl. Turn out onto a floured board and knead. Add flour until a moist dough, which no longer sticks to the board, is obtained.
4.	Knead dough a further 10 minutes until surface is smooth and elastic. Place in oiled bowl and oil surface of dough; cover with a clean damp cuptowel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours).
5.	Punch down dough and shape into bread loaves or toutons. To make bread: shape dough into three loaves; place in greased loaf pans and let rise until doubled (1-2 hours). Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

1.	Fry salt pork until brown and crisp. Remove pork scraps.
2.	Break off small pieces of dough the size of an egg; flatten dough (either in a circular or triangular shape) in palms of hands until 1/2 inch thick. Fry bread dough in pork fat until browned on both sides.
3.	Serve with warm molasses, butter, applesauce, golden syrup, or marmalade.