Laura Jayson, also known as the Dough Girl of Rowayton, has grown a now-fabled baking business, sans storefront, through beautifully crafted treats and personal appearances on her distinctive bike with pastries in tow.
“I was born and raised in Rowayton,” said Jayson. “I grew up here and went to college in Colorado. I studied international relations and came out of school trying to decide what I wanted to do. I was always interested in international affairs, but I also had this artistic side and passion for art.”
After living in New York City for some time, Jayson decided to go to cooking school.
“It was always something that I loved to do,” said Jayson. “I thought why not make a go of it for work.”
Jayson attended the Culinary Institute of America, though rather than attending the Hudson Valley campus, she opted for the Napa Valley location.
“I knew that I needed a focus,” said Jayson. “I chose baking and pastry arts because it was very creative.”
Jayson moved back to Rowayton and decided that she could start teaching baking classes to children.
“I started helping kids,” said Jayson. “They also had a kitchen in the back so I was baking some stuff, as well. I got the idea that I wanted to make these packaged cookie sets.”
Jayson took her packaged cookies to Rowayton”™s fresh and local food center, the Rowayton Market.
“I spoke to Barbara, the owner of the store,” said Jayson. “She said they really needed cakes. So I began doing cakes.”
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Jayson was also allowed to bring in some of her cookies, with the condition they weren”™t types that were being sold in the store already.
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“I had a basket with different types of cookies, but I really thought I had a great chocolate chip recipe,” said Jayson. “So I began to sneak the chocolate chips into the back.”
Jayson began to garner an underground following for her smuggled chocolate chip cookies.
“They”™d always be asking the cashier and finally she let me bring them in,” said Jayson.
Jayson now bakes out of a commercial kitchen space in Norwalk and her baked goods can be found in delis, cafes and specialty markets throughout Fairfield County.
Jayson can also be found at area farmers markets with her custom made icebox-bike from which she sells her handmade ice-cream sandwiches.
“I come up with these ideas; they”™re great ideas, but they”™re so impractical,” said Jayson. “I began investigating and I found this company that makes these bikes in the Bronx. They actually make most of the peda-cabs that you see New York City.”
Jayson”™s flare for character in her baking has earned her an amount of local fame, but she said it”™s the Rowayton community and its many closet cookie monsters that have really contributed to her success.
“It”™s homegrown,” said Jayson. “This is a great community and people are really supportive here. I have a lot of addicts here.”
Jayson said she uses fresh and local ingredients whenever possible. Though she does not have a storefront, Jayson also delivers orders placed through her web site: doughgirlbaking.com.
