Chatting about baking hobbyists with Sweet Thing Supper Club

Welcome to the Dolcetta Creator Series, where we delve into the extraordinary talents of creative minds in the food and entertaining world. From visionary bakers to innovative illustrators, this series is a celebration of artistry, passion, and the joy of creating cherished experiences with loved ones.

In the heart of our Creator Series lies the essence of creativity – a blend of art and flavor that dazzles the senses and ignites the imagination. I had the pleasure to talk with Madeline, the baking hobbyist behind @sweetthingsupperclub, an account I've been obsessed with ever since following it on Instagram. I’m constantly inspired by her beautiful bakes – with their enchanting flavor combinations and stunning designs. I was so excited to chat with Madeline about the baking community, how she got started in the kitchen, and what inspires her.

You’re always churning out the most delicious treats. What sparked your passion for baking?

I started baking, as many do, through learning to cook first. I grew up in a family where basically no one cooks, and absolutely no one bakes. Video formats like TikTok and YouTube were a huge part of making food accessible to me, and Claire Saffitz specifically was my saving grace. 

I didn’t start baking until the pandemic! And even then, I mostly baked infrequently. It really wasn’t until 2023 that I started taking baking seriously when I started my Instagram account. As corny as it sounds, my favorite part of baking is sharing it with others. I can’t always share my bakes with everyone in person, and sharing them digitally is the next best thing. Instagram has an incredible community of bakers that are deeply supportive of each other. Baking has been my addiction ever since. 

Yes! My favorite part of baking is sharing the final product with friends, family, and followers. I started Dolcetta because I realized the virtual baking community was SO supportive – I was astounded. Do you get any inspiration for your baking from Instagram?

My style of baking is hugely inspired by other bakers’ creations, especially the ones I follow on Instagram. The bakers featured on Dolcetta are basically a perfect encapsulation of the style I hope to emulate. I’m not professionally trained, so my bakes have a homemade quality to them that I actually like! Visually, I love showing the process of baking in different stages — i.e., taking photos of cookie dough balls before they’re baked, or even snapping a photo of a pie that’s already been sliced. I think this cultivates some visual personality to the photos. 

Social media has made baking content so accessible, and I just love it. Seeing so many beautiful creations from other bakers online has made me never want to leave the kitchen. How often are you baking?

I bake at least once a week every Sunday. I have a massive spreadsheet of bakes I want to create: everything from cakes to cookies to bread and pastries. I choose one each week and basically spend 6 days obsessing over how I want to bring it to life by researching different methods on how to make it and others’ creative interpretations of it. After sharing my bakes with others, my second favorite thing about baking is the research and development stage. 

A typical day for me includes scouring cookbooks, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for baking ideas. I also like to practice different techniques during the week, like piping buttercream or trying out  different jams and preserves. The other day, I spent about two days piping instant mashed potatoes to improve my skills for piping buttercream!

I’m obsessed with the spreadsheet idea; I’ll definitely be doing this myself. Do you have any other baking tips that you swear by?

The absolute number one baking tip that changed the way I baked is using a kitchen scale for virtually all of my ingredients. The typical American method of measuring volumetrically is inconsistent and leads to inaccurate results that are difficult to replicate from a recipe. Buying a scale will change your life! I’ve also learned when to splurge and save on certain ingredients. For instance, investing in good flour (I use King Arthur for everything) and quality vanilla (I go with Nielsen Massey) is worth it to me, while I find ingredients like sugar don’t vary too much across brands. Also — salt everything!

Everything is better topped with flaky sea salt in my opinion… What’s your favorite thing to bake?

My favorite thing to bake in general is sourdough bread (my starter is like my own little pet), but my favorite thing I’ve baked are probably the bagels I made recently. I made four flavors: plain, jalapeño cheddar, cinnamon sugar, and everything. They were a hit and I was so excited to have made great bagels on my first try! 

Okay YUM. I’ve never ventured into bagels but absolutely need to. I’m dying to try all of those. Are you accepting orders / commissions? If so, I’ll have one of each!

I’m not currently accepting orders or commissions, but fingers crossed I will in the future! My dream is a little microbakery.

I’ll be sure to visit when you open :). Thank you so much for a sneak peek into your lovely world of baking. So excited to keep up with your delicious desserts.

I'm so excited to continue to showcase the extraordinary talents of creatives in the food and entertaining world. Together, let's celebrate the beauty of art, the magic of flavor, and the joy of bringing people together through the shared experience of a meal made with love. In the spirit of creativity and artistry, the Creator Series is a tribute to the visionaries, innovators, and dreamers who enrich our lives with their passion, talent, and of course, a little something sweet.

If you'd like to get involved, shoot me an email at dolcettabaking@gmail.com!

Cheers,

Maya