💡 Get Philly smart 💡
with BP’s free daily newsletter
Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes — not that we’re counting.
💌 Love Philly? Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day.
One of the longest-running bakeries in Center City has come up with a new donut. Instead of being deep-fried, it’s steamed. The idea might sound weird, but compared to traditional donuts, they’re more versatile, easier on your waistline, and surprisingly fun to eat.
Tiffany’s Bakery owner Frank Pantazopoulos is calling the new treat a “doyo” — pronounce it “dough-yo” — a name that comes courtesy of his wife Serena Pantazopoulos.
It comes in more than a dozen different flavor and topping combinations. Along with standards like vanilla and chocolate glazed, there’s lemon cake with poppyseed frosting, red velvet with cream cheese icing, and a standout raspberry cake coated in chocolate ganache.
Depending on the variety, Pantazopolous says doyos can have up to 25% fewer calories and 50% less fat than the regular kind.
He first saw steamed donuts at a trade show around five years ago, he said, but didn’t get a chance to fiddle with the idea until the COVID slowdown. After the initial shock wore off, Pantazopoulos took the opportunity to tweak the doyo recipe.
He worked with one of the people who got the patent on the unique cooking method, currently held by multinational food company Puratos, and developed something he was excited about.
“I am the ultimate donut fan, and this is the donut I have been dreaming of my whole life,” Pantazopoulos said.
His parents founded Tiffany’s in 1977, opening in the below-ground storefront across from what was then Market East Station. The shop is still there: it was one of the only original Gallery mall tenants to become part of the Fashion District.
Pantazopolos has been running it since 2011, when he took over after a corporate career. Six years later, he opened a second Tiffany’s in Suburban Station. Both locations offer the signature strawberry shortcake, plus dozens of other cakes, cupcakes, brownies, pastries, pies and cake pops.
Now the doyo is part of the extensive lineup. What does it taste like?
Think Tastykake donut, but fresher and less dry. Since they’re not soaked with oil from frying, the interiors don’t have a weird aftertaste, which lets the fruit flavors really come through. Their texture makes them easy to break in half — not that you’re going to want to share.
The doyo is available in person at Tiffany’s shops, or you can place an order online. They go for $3 each or $30 for a dozen.
