Rolling in Dough

It’s not easy to make eight hundred pies in one day, but Nancy Brewer can do it. The owner of the Kitchen Shop bakery in the small St. Landry Parish town of Grand Coteau, Brewer knows a thing or two about pie baking. And she knows more about sweet dough pie baking than pretty much anyone on earth. The regional Cajun treat is folded like a hand pie but has a thicker, softer, and sweeter crust than ordinary pies; popular fillings include custard, fig, lemon, blackberry, and Louisiana sweet potatoes. Grand Coteau calls itself the Sweet Dough Pie Capital of the World, and every fall, the town fittingly throws a Sweet Dough Pie Festival; this year (October 29), just like last year, Brewer will serve the special treats from her bakery. “People from across the state don’t even know about sweet-dough pies,” Brewer says. “But the festival sure is super popular.” cajuntravel.com

This item was published as part of What’s Happening in the South.