Bacon Toffee - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 pieces bacon, smoky
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 pinch salt

Preparation

Line a baking tray with a silpat, or oil it very well.
Crisp bacon in a skillet or under a broiler and drain on paper towels. Break or chop them into 1/4\" bits and set aside. Don't go too small, because you want them to have personality in your mouth. Use a smoky bacon, ideally lightly cured.
Place in a heavy saucepan, in this order: 1/4 cup water, 1 stick butter, a large pinch of salt, and 1 cup sugar.
Over medium-high heat, cook till the mixture reaches 285F, stirring often. In practice, this means that you cook it until it's a good toffee color, about the same color as the old tan m&ms. I'm not kidding about the stirring, though.
Pull it off heat, mix in the bacon bits, and pour onto the baking sheet. Spread quickly to about 1/4\" thick, and let cool for 2 hours.
Using a hammer or the handle of a large knife, break the toffee into shards. This is best accomplished by whacking it through a folded paper towel.