Toutons Made by Frying Bread Dough

This Traditional Newfoundland Treat Is Still Enjoyed Today

Jan 14, 2009
Stella Walsh

Toutons are Made by Frying Bread Dough - Stella Walsh

Even though traditional toutons will not be found on any list of healthy foods, most people who taste them agree they are a delicious, traditional Newfoundland treat.

In the old days, in Newfoundland, there weren’t any fast-food take-outs. Toutons filled the roll of a tasty, fried treat. With a topping of sweet molasses or syrup, they were the answer to many cravings.

Traditional Toutons

The traditional method for making toutons was fairly easy and not considered time-consuming:

In Newfoundland, in the old days, many women put their bread to rise overnight, getting up early to bake the day’s supply. After the pans were filled with the loaves of dough to be baked, the remainder of the dough was used to make toutons.
Salt pork was cut up into small pieces and fried out in a pan until crisp, producing the fat for frying the toutons. Some people cooked their toutons in butter instead of the pork fat.
Egg-sized pieces of dough were cut off and flattened between the palms to about 1/2 inch thick. These were fried in the fat in the pan on both sides until brown.
The toutons were served warm, usually topped with butter and molasses. Some homes were fortunate enough to have jam or syrup to use as a topping.
Toutons were generally eaten with a fork and knife, but fingers also did nicely.

Damper Dogs

In some parts of the province, toutons were cooked right on the top of the stove. The damper (or lid) was cleaned with a cloth or piece of paper and the dough was place on the damper to cook. They were turned to brown both sides. Hence the name "damper dogs."

Making Toutons Healthier

If an individual makes her own dough for toutons, there are several ways to make them healthier than the traditional method:

Wholewheat flour or flaxseed meal can be added to the dough.
Vegetable oil can be used in the dough and for frying the toutons.
Low-fat margarine can be used as a topping.
Organic jams, molasses, syrup or honey can be used as a topping.

Making Toutons Easier

If an individual doesn’t want to go to the trouble of making her own bread dough, there are a couple of solutions:

Ready-made dough can be purchased in many grocery stores. It is usually ready to be made into any dish such as toutons.
A bread maker can be used to make enough dough for toutons. The ingredients are added according to the booklet, the dough setting is selected and in a couple of hours there is dough to use.
Many restaurants in Newfoundland serve toutons, especially during the summer tourist season. They are often served at events like church suppers and community festival days.

Besides being a tasty treat, toutons can be served with beans, sausages, ham or bologna - a warm and satisfying meal on a cold day.

For more articles on Newfoundland and Labrador see The Thomas Howe Demonstration Forest , Moor-Crafts and Gifts Offers Homemade Fudge, and Traditional Newfoundland Jiggs Dinner.

Sources:

Ultramar collection of recipe books: Traditional Recipes of Atlantic Canada - Newfoundland, Target Marketing Inc., St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Jesperson, Ivan F., Fat-back and Molasses: A Collection of Favorite Old Recipes from Newfoundland and Labrador. St. John’s, Newfoundland: Jesperson Press, 1974.