Knead Doughnuts
Samples – Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, Glazed Chocolate Cake
Glazed Sour Cream Old Fashioned Doughnut
Cookies and Cream Old Fashioned Doughnut
Brown Butter Pecan Doughnut
PB & Jelly Doughnut
Spiced Pear Fritter
Raspberry Fritter
Seemingly a “me too” addition to the Providence Doughnut market after PVDonuts burst onto the scene it was only after locating and paying $1.50 for parking in a busy downtown area that Knead Doughnuts was found inside 32 Custom House, the sizable seating area completely devoid of patrons as two girls behind the counter quickly halted their conversation at the sight of a customer.
Opened just prior to Christmas 2016 and clearly catering to nearby businesses, the website going so far as to offer deliveries on Weekdays-only, Knead purports to offer “good Doughnuts made well,” their collection totaling a dozen and a half with Old Fashioned, Cake and Brioche plus Fritters and a few selections that are filled.
Not quite as innovative as the competition but laid out cleanly with kitchen visible behind glass, a few chopped up samples at the register offering a glimpse of three Cake and Old Fashioned flavors, it was after brief indecision that six selections were made, the decision to take them elsewhere based on both parking and a soundtrack of unenjoyable music playing too loud.
Suggesting an artisan approach and charging as such, $22.68 for the lot, it was perhaps twenty minutes after departing that first bites were taken of two Old Fashioned Doughnuts that unfortunately came across as grainy and oversweetened, the follow-up raised Brown Butter Pecan faring far better with a pillowy crumb plus light yeastiness playing off the crunchy and familiar Ice Cream flavor.
Excited to see two unique Fritter flavors on the menu, though neither really looks like the typically cobblestone Pastry, it was with further disappointment that neither was found to be studded with Fruit but rather lightly ribboned with Jam while the Spiced Pear was wet in the middle, that texture probably better saved for the filled-Doughnuts from which Peanut Butter and Jelly showed well with both all-natural ingredients made on-site daily.
www.kneaddoughnuts.com
