What started with a macaron mess at age nine has grown into a full-blown creative outlet for pastry prodigy Courtney Stuart, who bakes from the heart and occasionally with Edith Piaf on repeat.
In a small café tucked inside Strangeways Office Park in Hillcrest (some of us never knew this spot existed), the air is thick with the smell of butter, sugar and something almost intangible. Joy. Welcome to Dough Girl, a warm, offbeat bakery where nostalgia meets creativity and croissants come with wings. And at the centre of it all is Courtney Stuart, a 25-year-old pastry wizard whose love for baking was born in her mom’s kitchen, licking spatulas and sneaking spoonfuls of batter.
“I can’t even draw a stick figure,” Courtney laughs, “but baking has always been my way of expressing creativity.”
Her story reads like a sugar-dusted dream, but it started with a mess. “I was nine years old, watching MasterChef Australia with my family and the challenge was a macaron tower. I begged my parents to let me skip school to make one. My dad bought me all the ingredients, and I remember my filling was delicious – a mixed berry flavour. Even though I couldn’t build the tower because my macarons didn’t quite hold their shape, the spark was lit. And hey, at least I can say I can make macarons now.”
Courtney credits her mom as the person who truly lit the fire. “She used to bake for local cafés and take private orders. I was always by her side – though mostly just licking the bowl at that age.” Those shared moments in the kitchen, paired with a family obsessed with food, laid the foundation for what would eventually become Dough Girl.
Back in high school, Courtney sold cupcakes and custom treats to fund her way through two World Challenge trips. It wasn’t until she stumbled on the Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine at a career fair, that she realized baking could be more than a hobby – it could be a life.
Fast forward to 2019 … fresh out of culinary school, 19 years old, and faced with the choice between a Cape Town kitchen job or an opportunity. Thanks to her parents and their business partners, she opted for her own bakery. “I had no business experience. I was terrified. But I also knew that my goal was to have a bakery that felt like me and so Dough Girl was born.”
What Courtney created isn’t just a bakery, it’s a living, breathing extension of her personality. “I want every person who walks through our doors to feel like they’ve stepped into their mom’s kitchen. You know that feeling … of comfort … of being cared for. Even if your mom didn’t bake, everyone has a memory of home-cooked love.”
That same love goes into the space itself. The Hillcrest café defies traditional pastel-and-marble bakery expectations. It’s bold: black walls, muted lighting, off-white accents, funky wallpaper with illustrated girls and croissants. “When you think of croissants, you think of Paris. But I’m not that,” she says. “I wanted something that reflected who I am – out of the box, unapologetically so.”
Out-of-the-box is her signature. From strawberry and goat cheese Danishes to basil caramel éclairs, Courtney thrives on flavour combinations that dance across your palate. “I love salty-sweet contrasts. I get inspired walking down the sweet aisle at my local supermarket – or just by what I’m craving. If I’m not excited about what I’m making, why should anyone else be?”
And her customers – fondly dubbed Doughies – are always in for a surprise.
Weekdays bring twists on classics. Weekends? “We go rogue. Think wild combos, secret menu drops and treats that disappear before noon.”
But behind the flaky layers and glossy glazes, there have been hard moments too.
Opening day at Dough Girl was almost a disaster. “I was laminating all our croissant dough by hand. I couldn’t get it right. I was freaking out,” she recalls. “But something kicked in – muscle memory, maybe. I started at 2am and didn’t have time to overthink. We sold out by 11am.”
There’s no sugar-coating how intense this industry can be, and Courtney explains: “There was a time, especially when we expanded into the restaurant side, when baking felt like a chore. I was burnt out. The spark was gone. I had to simplify, refocus and return to what I love most – pastries.”
Courtney is back to baking for the love of it – and even takes joy in making cakes at night while listening to Edith Piaf, her dog Nala curled nearby, and a cold iced coffee in hand. “I know I’m in a good place when I still bake at home.”
Her biggest recent triumph? A chocolate babka scroll, dipped in Callebaut milk chocolate, finished with roasted white chocolate crumble. “I inhaled it,” she says, laughing. “And I took another one home for dessert.”
Despite being known as ‘Dough Girl’, Courtney is more than her bakery. “I want people to remember me for being genuine,” she says. “Yes, I love baking. But I’m also fascinated by people, by animals, by the planet. If I could do it all, I’d be a wildlife vet, a psychologist, a candle-maker, a travel content creator … but for now, this is where I’m meant to be.”
What makes her proudest isn’t just her pastries, but seeing customers light up with joy. “Like the little girl who took a bite of a butter waffle croissant, face covered in flakes and custard, doing a happy dance in her chair, or her dad saying, ‘that cookie was out of this world’.”
Those moments remind Courtney why she bakes: “To bring people together. To create joy. To be true to myself.”
Courtney Stuart isn’t just making pastries – she’s baking soul into every layer. And as long as there’s butter, music, and a little curiosity left in the world, this Dough Girl will keep on rising.
A true craving-fixer
If you want a little taste of Courtney’s magic in your own kitchen, she’s shared her go-to 9pm craving fixer … a Chocolate Lava Mug Cake (via agrandelife.net).
It’s simple, indulgent and ready in under five minutes.
You’ll need: ¼ cup flour; ¼ cup granulated sugar;
2 tbsp cocoa powder; ½ tsp baking powder; a pinch of salt; 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted); 3 tbsp milk;
1 egg; ½ tsp vanilla extract; 20g semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1 tbsp water
What to do: In a large mug, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Place chocolate chips in the centre. Drizzle water on top. Microwave for one to two minutes until the cake rises. Edges should be set, centre slightly gooey. Cool for five minutes – and, if you’re like Courtney, top it with a big spoonful of peanut butter.
Details: You can contact Courtney on e-mail: courtney@doughgirl.co.za, phone: 083 732 4169, via her website: doughgirl.co.za or you can follow her on IG: @doughgirlza, TikTok: @doughgirlsa or Facebook: Dough Girl
