It's officially that time of the semester when all you want is a break from your schedule. Luckily, the ultimate sweet escape in the form of doughnuts is only a few minutes walk away from the famous UW bookstore.
Located on 511 State St., Dough Baby Bakery has been operating for almost 4 months now, officially opening their doors to the public on June 21st.
But Dough Baby Bakery isn’t your typical doughnut shop.Kristine, the owner of the bakery, used to be a pastry chef at L’Etoile for 5 years before she left the pastry scene a few years ago to take care of her newly born son, Miles. When she found out a bakery was for sale, she jumped at the opportunity and transformed it into what is now known as Dough Baby Bakery.
When we asked how she came up with the catchy name, Kristine explained, “I wanted a name that is meaningful to me and would make sense in the future. Not something cool to be cool.” She also revealed that Dough Baby was a nickname for Miles, who used to have a giant head and huge cheeks when he was a baby.
So, what sets Dough Baby Bakery apart from other bakeries?
Well, one thing that stole our attention is the fact that they use local and organic ingredients. From the eggs they use to make their doughnuts to the coffee they brew, everything on their menu is natural.
“It means a lot to support family farms in Madison. Calling their home phones to order butter – it changes how you feel when you make food,” Kristine expressed.
Unlike most bakeries, Dough Baby Bakery uses coconut oil to fry their donuts. Although coconut oil is on the pricier side, it is the healthiest oil for deep frying, so it's worth investing the extra few dollars.
Besides that, their doughnuts are one of a kind. You can choose from a wide variety of flavors, but it's hard to decide. If you're not a doughnut person, Dough Baby Bakery also serves bars and cookies.
FAQ:
1. Do they serve vegan/gluten-free/gelatin-free donuts?
Unfortunately, Dough Baby Bakery does not serve vegan donuts because their recipes all include butter, eggs, and milk. However, they are looking into gluten-free options. The only issue they have with gluten-free donuts is that they will have to bake the doughnuts as opposed to frying, due to celiac concerns. Other than that, their donuts are gelatin-free.
2. What is the price range of their donuts?
Their donuts cost around $2 - $4 each. You can also buy a dozen for only $28!
3. Which donut flavor is most recommended?
Kristine had a tough time answering this one (probably because everything on the menu is worth the try). She finally decided on the Plain Glazed doughnut and recommended the Apple Cider doughnut, one of Dough Baby Bakery's fall flavors.
4. Do they have any specialty or seasonal donut flavors?
Dough Baby Bakery is playing with classic fall flavors, like apple and pumpkin. They're also planning on making Drunkin' Donuts, a special flavor for Halloween, which will be available during Freak Fest.
Spoon Wisco will be teaming up with Dough Baby Bakery on October 19th to bring you a great deal. All you have to do is:
1. Buy a donut from Dough Baby Bakery
2. Instagram a photo of the donut inside the bakery OR with State St in the background AND tag @spoon_wisco or @doughbabybakery
3. Get another donut for FREE!
You can also redeem a free coffee with your next purchased donut when you show a screenshot of someone's Instagram photo. This deal will only be valid from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., so you don't want to miss it!
All in all, if you ever find yourself strolling on State St., make sure you stop by Dough Baby Bakery and get yourself a doughnut from the casual bakery we’d like to call Heaven.