Hi Donut Lovers,
I’ve always loved food, and I’ve been baking bread for the past ten years. I started with sourdough, then got into yeasted breads, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Along the way, I realized I have what I call an anti-sweet tooth. Almost everything I tried, donuts, cakes, muffins, was too sweet. I couldn’t enjoy it.
I missed Cleveland. Back home, Italian and Polish bakeries offered the perfect balance: a cinnamon-sugar twist that was just sweet enough, never too much. When I moved to Columbus, I fell in love with the city’s food scene—it’s vibrant and creative—but I couldn’t find the kind of bakery treats I grew up with. So, I decided to try making them myself.
I started with a brioche donut. Maybe it was all those years of bread-making, but they actually turned out great on the first try. Still, I spent nearly every waking moment after that tweaking the recipe to get it right. I’d never fried anything before and was pretty sure I was going to burn down my house, but with a tiny Dutch oven on my stovetop, I managed one dozen donuts. My family was visiting that day, so I shared them, dusted with cinnamon, sugar, cardamom, and a little orange zest. I also tried a vanilla custard filling, which was a total disaster, but I learned.
At some point, I decided to try selling these at the farmers market, everything made from scratch. I had no idea how I’d fry enough donuts, and I didn’t have the budget or space for a big setup, but I figured it out, as I usually do. And that’s how Flourish was born.
We started selling out at nearly every market. Week by week, the donuts got better, and so did my process. By the second summer, I quit my full-time job to focus on Flourish completely. This past season was our third market run, and now I’m at another crossroads. What’s next? More pop-ups, a brick-and-mortar, something else entirely?
It all started with bread, a small Dutch oven, and the stubborn idea that donuts could be better: balanced, elevated, and unforgettable. Donuts are universal. They show up in almost every culture in some form—fried, baked, filled, glazed, or dusted with sugar. They bring people together, mark celebrations, and turn ordinary moments into something special. That’s what I hope Flourish can be. A little joy everyone can enjoy, no matter who you are or where you’re from.
Love,
Liz
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my donuts be good tomorrow?
Like most fried foods, our donuts are best eaten the day they are purchased. However, because of the nature of the brioche dough, they do not go stale as quickly as regular donuts. We recommend storing in a zip lock bag (or other airtight storage container) in the fridge, and letting the donut come up to room temp before enjoying. Most of our fillings need to be refrigerated because they contain dairy, however a plain unfilled donut can be left out at room temp.
Do you have a brick and mortar location?
Not yet! Please refer to our upcoming events list. Have an event that you think we would be a good fit for? Please contact us!
Do you do catering for my party / office / wedding / other event?
Sometimes! We are mostly a one woman team, so this is very dependent on other events we might have booked that week.
What makes brioche different from a regular donut?
Regular donuts are usually a simple yeasted dough. Brioche is made with milk, eggs, and LOTS of butter, giving it a lighter and fluffier texture than a regular donut. To take things one step further, our dough also undergoes a multi-day cold ferment to improve texture and flavor.
You always sell out. How can I get donuts?!
Plan to arrive early, when we have a full selection of everything! We occasionally do pre-orders, so keep your eyes on our Instagram account. If we open pre-orders we will post there.
Pre-orders
When we open pre-orders, we use Simply Bread. Please watch our Instagram (@flourishbrioche), if we open pre-orders we will post there!