Whether you’re riding the DART shuttle to the Iowa State Fair, chatting with food vendors on the fairgrounds, or overhearing conversations, it seems like there’s one dish that all fairgoers recommend: Peachey’s Donuts.
Don’t let the name fool you. Aside from the name, there’s no peach to be seen here. Peachey’s Baking Co. serves up these giant glazed doughnuts, those yeast doughnuts that are bigger than the palm of your hand, deep-fried right on the spot, dipped in glaze, and hung on hooks to allow the icing to drip off and cool while waiting for the next customer’s order.
Peachey’s founders, brothers Nate and Sam Peachey, named the Sarasota, Florida-based business Amish Baking Co. because they grew up in the Amish community. The recipe they’ve used since opening in 1985 is also an Amish recipe. The Peachey brothers serve their sweets at state fairs across the country — Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida, New York and Iowa. From November through April, the food truck serves doughnuts and pretzels in Sarasota and hopes to open a brick-and-mortar store there in the fall.
One donut costs $5, three costs $12, and half a dozen costs $24.
A heavy, sweet scent wafts from the box when you open it. Half a donut feels like a reasonable portion, if there is such a thing for donuts this size.
You will find it on Rock Island Avenue south of the Triangle.
Susan Stapleton is entertainment editor and restaurant reporter for the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Xor Instagram, or message her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: Peachey’s Bakery Co. serves giant Amish doughnuts at Iowa State Fair
