History

Voodoo Doughnut opened in 2003 in a Portland storefront between two Old Town nightclubs. Co-founders Kenneth Pogson and Tres Shannon experimented with absurdity from the start, and the bacon maple bar (yeast bar, maple glaze, two crisp bacon strips) became the photograph that travelled. It crossed national TV in 2006 on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, and it has been the bestselling Voodoo doughnut every year since. Portland claims it the way Chicago claims the slice. The pairing is older than the doughnut, with maple-and-bacon a southern brunch staple, but Voodoo gave it a wax-paper handle and a $5 price.

Common allergens: Gluten, Pork

Make it at home

Yield Makes 12 maple barsHands-on 45 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour
  • 75g sugar
  • 10g instant yeast
  • 5g fine salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 250ml whole milk, lukewarm
  • 75g unsalted butter, softened
  • Neutral oil for frying, 1.5L
  • 200g icing sugar (for glaze)
  • 60ml pure maple syrup (Grade A dark)
  • 30ml hot water
  • 12 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp

Method

  1. Whisk flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Add eggs and warm milk and knead with the dough hook on low for 4 minutes.
  2. Add the softened butter in three additions, kneading 8 minutes total until the dough is smooth and pulls cleanly from the bowl.
  3. Cover and rest 90 minutes at warm room temperature until doubled.
  4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Roll to 1.5cm thick. Cut 12 rectangles 4cm by 10cm. Place on parchment, cover, prove 45 minutes.
  5. Heat oil to 175C. Fry doughnuts 90 seconds per side until deep gold. Drain on a rack.
  6. Whisk icing sugar, maple syrup and hot water to a thick, pourable glaze. Dip the top of each bar while still warm.
  7. Lay two bacon strips on each bar before the glaze sets. Cool 5 minutes and serve the same day.

Tip from the editors. Fry the doughnuts at 175C exactly; below 170C they absorb oil, above 185C the outside browns before the centre cooks.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat bacon maple bar

Bacon Maple Bar in Portland

Voodoo Doughnut Old Town ★ 4.0

downtownUntil Thu-Sun until 03:00; Mon-Wed until 24:00

Voodoo's Old Town counter in downtown Portland is the city's most reliable 3am doughnut, with the bacon maple bar and a fast line that turns over every five minutes.

Try: Bacon maple bar and coffee

Tip: Thursday to Sunday open until 03:00. Cash and card. Coffee is filter only.

22 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204

Pip's Original Doughnuts & Chai ★ 4.7

alberta-artsDaily 07:00-21:00Walk-in onlyMini cake doughnuts and chai flights

Nate and Jamie Snell's mini-doughnut counter on NE Fremont in Portland, with house-made chai flights paired to small batches of cake doughnuts since 2012.

Tip: The chai flight (cardamom, dirty, vanilla, lavender) is the order. Doughnuts come hot, six to a basket.

Worth the queue: Raw honey and sea salt doughnut

4759 NE Fremont St, Ste C, Portland, OR 97213

More cities are in research. Want bacon maple bar covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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