{"id":227815,"date":"2026-03-20T01:50:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T01:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/227815\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T01:50:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T01:50:13","slug":"fermenters-unite-sourdough-donuts-find-new-home-at-west-berkeley-winery-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/227815\/","title":{"rendered":"Fermenters unite! Sourdough donuts find new home at West Berkeley winery\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

SoDo Donuts, the Bay Area\u2019s first all-sourdough donut company, gained a cult following over three years of pop-ups at East Bay farmers markets, flower shops and street fairs.<\/p>\n

Owner Elle Cowan has become known for sophisticated flavors like a kaya and coffee (kaya is a Southeast Asian coconut custard flavored with pandan leaves) and caramelized leek and chevre cheese. All with a signature sourdough tang, crusty interior (in a good way, like your favorite sourdough bread) and pillowy insides.<\/p>\n

Now, Cowan is ready to bring her toolkit of sourdough starter, powdered sugar, curds, creams and custards to her first fixed location. On March 21, SoDo Donuts<\/a> and sister company EC Confections<\/a> are launching a food \u201cresidency\u201d at Hammerling Wines<\/a> in Berkeley\u2019s Gilman District\u00a0<\/p>\n

On Yelp, fans call Cowan\u2019s donuts the most \u201cexcellent best-tasting donuts ever,\u201d with \u201cthe perfect combination of sweetness with the right amount of flavors.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although Cowan was born in Santa Cruz, she has deep roots in the Bay Area; she\u2019s an 8th-generation Californian and is a descendant of the Peralta family, which developed the East Bay in the 19th century. (Check out the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park in Oakland\u2019s Fruitvale District if you want to know more about the Peraltas and their legacy.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Elle Cowan launched SoDo in 2022, riffing off a sourdough donut recipe she developed while working in Bangkok. Credit: Bex Wyant\/Courtesy of Hammering Wines and SoDo Donuts<\/p>\n

She attended culinary school and began her career managing pastry and chocolate programs in Los Angeles, New York, and abroad, before moving to the Bay Area in 2020. Two years later, she combined the Bangkok sourdough donut recipe she developed abroad with inspiration and flavors from California\u2019s abundant seasonal produce to launch SoDo Donuts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea for sourdough donuts started at a cafe I worked at in Bangkok,\u201d Cowan says. \u201cWe had a donut on the menu that took too long to prepare each morning. I realized that by switching to sourdough, we could develop the flavor overnight and simply bring the dough to room temperature in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I moved back to California, I noticed no one in the Bay Area was making sourdough donuts and decided to bring them here. It\u2019s technically healthier (not claiming it\u2019s a healthy food!) with sourdough being better for digestion and easier to eat more than one.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has a long history with Josh Hammerling; they\u2019ve collaborated on donut popups at Hammerling on First Fridays at the Gilman Wine Block. Both felt that offering more permanent food and nonalcoholic options would lend to a family-friendly vibe at the winery and allow those who don\u2019t imbibe to join friends for an afternoon of sipping and tasting.<\/p>\n

With the residency, Cowan is \u201cbringing savory into the mix for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nSoDo Donuts rotates flavors based on seasonal ingredients. Credit: Bex Wyant\/Courtesy of Hammering Wines and SoDo Donuts<\/p>\n

Donut flavors will span a wide range from chrysanthemum vanilla to sour cream and onion, and Cowan will also serve sandwiches and focaccia (vegan and vegetarian options available, along with options loaded with cheese, eggs, and prosciutto. For now, Cowan is offering seven donut flavors, though she may be able to offer more options as she staffs up.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy recipes draw heavily from my background as a pastry chef,\u201d says Cowan. \u201cRather than standard pastry creams, I use seasonal custards, curds, and jams. You\u2019ll see a strong influence from both Asian flavors and California farmers\u2019 markets. Our signature donut, the Kaya Jam + Coffee glaze, is actually inspired by Singaporean Kaya Toast.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy inspiration is from what\u2019s growing in my backyard and what farmers are growing seasonally. Right now, I am getting lemons from my backyard and from friends and family, so on the menu right now is Backyard Lemon Curd, which is a lemon curd made with olive oil instead of butter and topped with a vanilla bean cream for a lemon creamsicle moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to have rotating specials,\u201d Cowan says about her new Hammerling residency. \u201cJosh and I are trying to build something together that complement each other. We want to make sure we\u2019re making something fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The SoDo offerings at Hammering include savory items, such as focaccia and sandwiches. Credit: Bex Wyant\/Courtesy of Hammering Wines and SoDo Donuts<\/p>\n

Cowan\u2019s booth will also include nonalcoholic drinks like homemade blood orange and thyme soda and Thai tea, along with cold and hot coffee drinks \u2014\u00a0she\u2019s crossing her fingers that her new espresso machine will be up and running by launch day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll try to incorporate international drinks and change seasonally,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Cowan relocated her operation from Berkeley Kitchens not long ago and is still settling into a new facility in Emeryville, where, for the first time, she\u2019ll have her own proofer and fryer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To start, the SoDo\/Hammerling residency will operate every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will also be open during the Gilman Block Party every first Friday of the month from 3-8 p.m. As Cowan trains new staff and gets familiar with her new kitchen, she hopes to extend opening hours on weekends and eventually open on Fridays as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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