I made a pilgrimage across the Bay Bridge to Oakland (one of my favorite cites in North America) to sample the hand crafted, freshly filled golden orbs known as Doughnut Dolly. Doughnut Dolly is the love child of Hannah Hoffman.
Hannah grew up a amidst the bins of flour and creative juices in the pastry kitchen at Chez Panisse, where her late mother worked for a number of years. Hannah says, it took a number of years in university before coming back to her proud roots in pastry.
In 2012, Hannah opened her jewel box shop in Oakland’s (Gourmet Ghetto) historic Temescal District down a quaint alley around the corner from Bakesale Betty’s and Dona Tomas.
Look out Krispy Kreme! Doughnut Dolly is on the scene, and once you get a taste of these piped to order golden fluffy clouds of yeasted dough you won’t be venturing back. Hannah and her doughnut elves hand roll these yeasty beauties one by one as opposed to cutting them out. They are fried and rolled in sugar and tucked into a sexy paper sleeve. Order your doughnuts and Hannah will pipe your delectable doughnut with one of her homemade fillings. On my recent visit, Hannah was piping Naughty Cream, Chocolate Hazelnut, Pink Lady Apple Butter and Wild Plum Jam. The Naughty Creme is a staple at Doughnut Dolly, a vanilla crème fraiche custard fit for the gods. The Chocolate Hazelnut was dreamy with light milk chocolate with a hint of hazelnut and perhaps a bit of whiskey. The Wild Plum Jam was divine, a beautiful tart contrast to the yeast in the dough and the glistening sugar exterior.
Doughnut Dolly’s are very fairly priced at three dollars a piece, right in line with other premium quality handmade Bay Area doughnuts. I’d recommend that you get up early and start your day with a Dough Dolly before they sell out and close for the day.
482b 49th Street
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 338-6738
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