Doozie Doez turned heads during the inaugural Owensboro Times Pizza Week with a sweet spin on a classic, and the community responded in droves. The local bakery won the “Outside the Pizza Box” award — the community vote for favorite non-traditional pizza offering — for their Pineapple Paradise creation.
The “Outside the Pizza Box” award is sponsored by Vass Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.
Owner Hanna Bailey sold her dessert pizza, the Pineapple Paradise, at Crazy Me Gifts & Apparel. Bailey said the idea grew from her love of pineapple upside-down cake. She wanted to give it a playful twist — something that looked like a pizza but delivered as a dessert. After experimenting with several variations, she settled on the version she says struck the perfect balance of flavor and presentation.
The Pineapple Paradise featured a brown sugar cookie crust topped with cherry and pineapple jam, cheesecake base, roasted brown sugar cinnamon pineapples, maraschino cherries, and a brown sugar glaze swirl. Each serving came with cinnamon-sugar cookie “breadsticks” and a cherry coulis “marinara.”
Bailey said she was overwhelmed by the support.
“If it wasn’t for community support, I wouldn’t be here,” she said. “I appreciate everyone who supports me and continues to shop with me and support my local small business.”
She admitted she wasn’t sure how customers would react but was thrilled when the treat sold out day after day.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” she said. “Most days, it didn’t take too long to sell out. I didn’t take any home.”
For Bailey, Pizza Week was more than just a contest; it was about being part of a community-wide celebration.
“I love pizza, so I’m all for Pizza Week,” she said. “It brings together all the local businesses, and you get to try something new from our town.”
Bailey’s journey started on her family’s blueberry farm in Utica, which they operated from 2001 to 2020. Before Kentucky offered home baker licenses, Bailey sold cobblers at the local farmers’ market under a produce license.
Bailey now operates weekly out of Bittel Hall’s kitchen, plus operates a bakery trailer for outdoor events. Doozie Doez can be found on Instagram and Facebook.
