Cronut or Dough'sant, you can find it on Sanibel!

We all know and agree that things are sweeter on Sanibel.

As September dwindles ,  we have to relish the serenity we found on Island this month.   So few people, so few cars, so few deadlines.

And, those of us who have become addicted to the sweetest treats of all, the Dough'sant at Bailey's were actually able to satiate our sweet teeth these past few weeks without a wait.

Never heard of the Dough'sant?

Then you are in for a particularly lush surprise.

Modeled after the pastry called the Cronut created by Chef Dominique Ansel's New York-based bakery , the Dough'sant has joined the national craze of people clamoring for a sweet.   A fresh batch of Dough'sants from the oven at Bailey's won't last until lunch. Bailey's General Store Bakery Manager Ginny Wagner starts her latest batch the night before. She rolls croissant dough over donut, folded it, rolled it again, let it proof or rise, and deep fried the final product. And for the finishing touches, she glazes the warm pastries and filled half with homemade vanilla pastry cream. What makes the early morning shelf at Bailey's General Store is the island's version of the Cronut. Total preparation time: Three hours.


Now, the Dough'sants are so popular they can't keep them on the shelf. Each day Wagner makes 200 Dough'sants but they sell out by 10 a.m. They retail for $2.99 each, cheaper than the $5 Cronut, and Wagner said the customer is getting their money's worth based on the ingredients and labor to craft the pastry.


While the original Cronut features flavors like rose-and-vanilla, lemon-maple, and blackberry, Bailey's Dough'sants only come with plain and vanilla filled. For now. But if the popularity grows and continues, we are sure the transition to more varieties will begin. Not only has Cronut fever caused long lines and a limit two per customer, but it even spurred a black market where the pastries are going for as much as $40 on the street.

Of course, islanders are in a special position to enjoy the Dough'sant, because they don't have to contend with those types of conditions on a daily basis. They only have to arrive early enough to get one before they sell out.

And, if you are lucky enough to visit Sanibel off season, you may not have to be the early bird to catch the worm!