Overview
We visited the kitchens of Little Dough Co, everyone's favourite guilty pleasure to check out the process and inspirations behind the coolest doughs of the moment.
Stocked at Customs Brew Bar on Ghuznee Street, Vic Books at Kelburn and Pipitea, and Five Boroughs on Marjoribanks; the doughnuts are available exclusively from Thursday through Sunday — making them hot property for the doughnut fiends of the city. They're often snapped up early by those in the know. If you're fiending for some but leaving the office is just too much, Little Dough Co. can whip you up an office order box of assorted flavours. They've even done a 21st doughnut tower.
Harry Gyde is who you have to thank for your fix. Formerly head baker at Prefab, he's now fixated on the art of the dough. A stint in Madrid working for an old-school baker while on his O.E. instilled in him a love for sourdough, "everything handmade, lots of natural fermentation, lots of soaking and sprouting and stuff," which he brought back to New Zealand with him to eventuate into Little Dough Co. Spending some time at Prefab, during which he became head baker, he left to pursue something new. After a chat with Tim at Customs, he whipped up a few trial doughnuts. Tim was all for having them in, and before he knew it, Harry was putting together a business plan — and suddenly, doughnuts were his business.
The range of interesting flavours are also his work; a result of extensive research on the days he isn't prepping and frying, icing and filling away in the early hours of the morning. He keeps followers updated on upcoming flavours via Instagram — smoked salt caramel rings, cheesecake yoghurt berry ripple, apple streusels and honey-tahini glazes are only some of the flavours he's thought up. With multitudes of sugaring, filling, creams and icings, Harry really knows how to get them working together.
Scroll on for a little early morning kitchen visit with Harry — thanks for having us. Digital and film photography (and accompanying video on Facebook here) by Dexter Murray.
Warning though: may induce salivation. Thank goodness Harry's doughnuts are in circulation today, through 'til Sunday.
