Flour Power: Dandelion Bakery

Pastry is always on Marissa Donata Touch’s mind. Cannoli, biscotti, cake, you name it. It was always this way for her, even before she went to the Culinary Institute of America in 2011 to get her degree in baking and pastry.

Now, as the owner of the social-media-based, pop-up bakery Dandelion Bakery (@dandelionbakes on Insta-gram), she thinks more about Italian pastry than ever.

It makes sense, given her heritage. Growing up in Northeastern Pennsylvania near Scranton, Touch was born into a large Italian family. In fact, most of her neighbors were her relatives.

When her nono, or great-grandfather, Dominick Spataro, emigrated from Italy, and settled in the Scranton area, he built his own home. Slowly, more family members built homes alongside one another. During holidays, the whole family would gather at her grandparents’ house, where they would enjoy homemade cavatelli pasta, among other savory Italian dishes.

Her parents had her when they were still very young, so she was raised by the joint effort of her great-aunts, cousins, and grandparents. Her Nona, or grandmother, had a nickname: Dandelion. “She was my favorite person in the world,” says Touch.

AN ESCAPE TO DISCOVER HER ROOTS

In 2015, Touch left the life she knew in Scranton for the big city—Philadelphia. While trying to find her way in life, she worked as a barista at coffee shops. For a while, she felt lost on the career path she chose. She struggled to find the right job for her in the culinary world.

When the pandemic hit, she was at a crossroads. One day, while browsing job postings online, Touch came across an intriguing opportunity: the Anna Tasca Lanza Cook the Farm program, a culinary educational program that would involve spending two months abroad, living in rural Sicily, and learning to make the food of the region.

“That night, I sent in the application,” Touch says, “and I got accepted to the program.”

She decided to take a giant leap and escape to the rustic landscapes of her family’s home island of Sicily, where she cooked on a farm and rediscovered the soul of her Italian ancestry. For her, the experience was life-changing.

The Anna Tasca Lanza Cook the Farm program began with a pasta class, where Touch learned the art behind handmade pasta. Gnocchi, cavatelli, linguini—pretty soon, the traditional pasta shapes of Sicily started to flow in her hands.

Then came the pastries: cannoli, biscotti regina, cassata siciliana—a traditional Sicilian recipe composed of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit—and more. This part of the program is what really captured her heart and imagination.

She loved soaking up Italian culture every bit as much as learning how to make the food. Each day Touch and her classmates would take a break together, and spend time enjoying pastries and coffee and their company with one another.

“I started to feel so much more connected to my heritage,” she says. She also felt appreciated by her fellow classmates and new friends. “I felt like everyone there really loved me, and I was completely myself—I never really experienced that. I always felt like an outsider,” she says.

DANDELION BAKERY, A LOVE LETTER TO HER ROOTS

When she arrived back home, with her newfound confidence and appreciation for pastry, Touch took charge of her career.

Owning a bakery is all she ever wanted. Her parents owned their own business, and watching them—and even working for them at one point—gave Touch both courage and hope.

So she started Dandelion Bakery, named for her Nona. It’s a manifestation of love and classic Italian flavors that echo through generations. Dandelion is more than just a bakery. “It’s a love letter to my roots,” she says.

Her specialties include Italian classics interwoven with vintage American-style layer cakes, adorned with intricate and enchanting piping. Inspired by other cake decorators on social media including @newjunebakery, @partygirlbakeclub, @aprilsbakerlondon, and more, Touch brings her own spin to the cakes she creates.

Most of her handiwork is inspired by Italian flavors. “There are so many wonderful people out here doing kind of the same thing. Sometimes I’ll see something in a cookbook and I’ll be inspired, and I’ll try to use Italian-American influence somehow. I’ll see a flavor, and wonder, ‘How can I build on this?’”

Flavors such as Campari, anise, negroni, olive oil, and mascarpone, among many others, enrich the cream, cakes, and fillings used in Touch’s pastries. Her style is whimsical, and much of her inspiration for cake decorating and piping is influenced by architecture. “It’s funky and out there,” Donata says.

Recently, she’s ventured into the popup scene, essentially a modern-day bake sale. At these pop-ups, bakers set up shop in a location or existing business and sell their treats for a few hours or until they are sold out.

“I ’m so thankful to other bakers who have helped me build the clientele that I have. It’s women supporting women. I ’m very shy, so it’s been nice to have other people who can give me confidence,” she says.

DANDELION POPS UP ALL OVER PHILLY

Touch has hosted pop-ups at local shops including Cielo, a home goods and accessory shop in Mt. Airy; Ours in Northern Liberties, and more.

In addition to her pop-ups, Touch has branched out into custom wedding cakes. She also makes pastries for holidays and other special occasions. She accepts custom orders for sheet cakes, Italian pastries, and more via her Insta-gram account.

The support from other local bakers motivates her. “I’m so thankful that they’ve helped me build the clientele that I have. It’s women supporting women. I’m very shy, so it’s been nice to have other people who can give me confidence,” she says.

To find out more about Dandelion Bakery, how to order a cake, or find out when her next pop-up is, follow @dandelionbakes on Instagram.

Not Your Grandma's Red Sauce

Philadelphia’s got traditional Italian American restaurants in spades. Ralph’s has been slinging spaghetti here for 124 years. But there’s a new guard in town who, like Marissa Donata, are taking traditions and translating them for a new generation. Here are a few other folks creating new-school Italian eats that we love. —Joy Manning

Midnight Pasta

Chef Natalia Lepore Hagan creates unforgettable culinary experiences that celebrate her Italian roots for a younger generation through pop-ups and collabs that surprise and delight. Catch one of her pasta classes if you can. Follow her on Instagram @midnightpastaco.

The Pasta Lab

The freshly made noodles are obviously Italian. It’s the ingredients that set the Pasta Lab apart. Working with freshly milled local grain gives their pasta a true sense of place. Find them at farmers’ markets and online at thepastalab.com.

Paffuto

Chef and partners Daniel Griffiths, Sam Kalkut, and Jake Loeffler have transformed the old Bibou space with bright colors and bold flavors. Their signature dish is the panzerotti—basically a fried calzone. What could be more fun? Learn more at paffutophl.com.