Recipe: Fried Doughboys with Honey Butter (pan-fried, Italian)

FRIED DOUGHBOYS WITH HONEY BUTTER

These doughboys are pan-fried rather than deep-fried and are much like pancakes. In many Rhode Island homes of Italian heritage, they are served for holiday breakfasts.

FOR THE HONEY BUTTER:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

FOR THE DOUGHBOYS:
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon honey
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
Vegetable oil, as needed

TO MAKE THE HONEY BUTTER:
In a bowl, blend the 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup honey (and cinnamon, if desired) together until fluffy. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE DOUGHBOYS:
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1 cup warm water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of honey and let the mixture stand 5 to 10 minutes until it bubbles up.

In a large bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, white flour, and white pepper, stirring to blend together. Pour in the yeast mixture and the 2 teaspoons melted butter Mix until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, Knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is firm, elastic, and no longer sticky. Add 2 or 3 more tablespoons of flour, if needed.

Place 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large bowl, coating it well. Add the dough, turning to coat the dough and bowl with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm area until doubled in bulk, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form it into a log 2-inches in diameter. Cut off pieces 1-inch thick. Press each slice with your palm to flatten. Let the slices rest 10 minutes.

Roll the slices out with a rolling pin until they are ovals about 6x3-inches in size. Lay the ovals on waxed paper and let them rise about 30 minutes until doubled in size.

Cover the bottom of a frying pan with a thin coat of vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the doughboys gently until golden brown on both sides. Add more oil to the pan as needed.

Serve the doughboys warm with the Honey Butter.

Makes 18 doughboys
Source: The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook by Linda Beaulieu