It feels like years since I’ve had the fried bread that I’m most familiar with: pizza fritte. This Italian-style bread is deep-fried into golden brown oblong shapes and dusted with confectioners’ sugar or eaten plain (at least that’s how I remember). Fast-forward to today, and my revelation is that Utah scones are rather similar; they just might be fried dough cousins. Most fried doughs or breads share similar ingredients, like all-purpose flour or bread flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, salt, eggs, and sometimes milk. It’s all in the way the ratios are combined to create a perfect fluff and subtly sweet fried bread.
What exactly is a Utah scone?
It’s so confusing to see a doughnut-like mass compared to a dense and flakey scone. No one knows why it’s called a scone in Utah, but the fry bread was popular amongst the Mormon community. It’s a dough often made from yeast, baking powder, or a combination of the two, fried in vegetable oil, and served with butter, honey, and powdered sugar. This version is made with baking powder, but if you feel strongly about using yeast, you can replace it with 1 (1/4-oz.) packet and allow it to rise for 30 to 60 minutes.
How to store:
These scones can be made in 1 day ahead and wrapped in foil or placed in resealable bags and stored at room temperature. They should be warmed prior to eating.
Did you try making these? Let us know how it went in the comments!
