A specialty pastry found in Polish cuisine is very popular these days at Hartman’s Bakery in Manitowoc.
Co-owner Austin Rehrauer spoke with Seehafer News recently about Paczkis, a filled donut reserved for once a year in honor of Fat Tuesday, the precursor to the Lenten season. He explained that “Fat Tuesday is really the height of it all as everyone wants a paczki on Fat Tuesday before Lent begins the following day.”
Austin said last year they made over a thousand of them and sold out early in the morning. He said, “It’s really about trying to meet the demand and everyone has their favorite flavor of the fruit-filled donut, so we try to diversify as much as we can.”
Rehrauer explained they only started selling the filled donuts on Friday because it’s a little different process than other donuts.
“We try to make it a special moment so we don’t want to sell it too many days,” he said. “Instead, they are sold the weekend before Fat Tuesday, and then Fat Tuesday is when we end it all to keep it special.”
Austin, who along with his wife bought the bakery in July, 2019, said they bring in extra clerks to limit-the-line waiting for their Paczkis and have everyone in the bakery “moving a million miles an hour” trying to keep up with demand.
The Rehrauer’s also have added store locations in Two Rivers and most recently in Plymouth.
