Baking is a labor of love, and Jules Kupsky is a baker who knows and embodies this sentiment well in her baked goods and in the bakery itself.
Two years ago on March 2., Kupsky officially opened the first Sweet Jules Bakes at 9 Church Ave. in Oshkosh, serving baked goods for those with and without allergies.
This is one of the first bakeries in Winnebago County where absolutely everything is gluten-free-friendly and where anyone with one of the ‘Big 9’ food allergies can have something to enjoy.
“I would like everyone to be able to enjoy fresh, delicious baked goods no matter their allergies,” Kupsky said.
Sweet Jules also does custom orders in which they will try to cater to customer’s allergens as much as possible, as well as offering goods for those without any allergies or dietary restrictions.
“The girls who work at the shop say their favorite thing is when celiac customers’ eyes light up when they find out they can have anything in the store,” Kupsky said.
Kupsky said she originally started baking gluten-free goods for her sister, and that’s where she got the inspiration for an allergen-dedicated bakery.
“I use the same recipes, just a different flour. Same with our vegan and other allergen sensitive items — same recipes just with substitutes. And no one could tell the difference.”
Sweet Jules sells everything from cheesecake flights to cookie sandwiches to chocolate chia brownies, and she’s constantly changing and adding to the menu. She also sells bakery classics like custom cakes and cupcakes, adding a twist on some with flavors like chai, black velvet and lavender lemon with raspberry.
The bakery also has a variety of savory treats such as soups, savory scones, hot duck egg breakfast sandwiches and soon, waffles.
A true labor of love, everything she bakes is her own recipe and made completely from scratch down to the caramel and toffee she uses on her signature Chocolate Decadence cake.
As Kupsky puts it, “There is not one box mix or bucket of frosting in the building.”
On top of that, almost every ingredient is locally sourced, including the eggs, butter and fresh whipped cream. Even the carrots for the carrot cake are fresh from Olden Organics in Ripon, and the cranberry orange scones have “fresh, hand-squeezed orange juice” in them.
Another way Kupsky really sets herself apart is by baking her goods in small batches, “a dozen scones at a time,” as she says.
“The amount of time, love, and attention to detail we put into everything…I don’t think can be matched,” Kupsky said. “We truly love what we do and I think you can taste the difference.”
Kupsky also adds her personal touch throughout her store. As she puts it, “The entire bakery was a do-it-yourself.”
“From the flooring to the paint, I did it all,” she said. “My sister, Audifax, is an artist and helped me with overall vision, color choices, and even the wall stencil I used.”
Some of her favorite DIY’s are the hand-painted blue and gold walls, the tables made out of cutting boards and the shelves made out of old door jambs from her garage.
Perhaps the most meaningful, however, is a framed newspaper clipping depicting Kupsky’s mother holding her as 3-year-old next to a counter-full of her mother’s fresh baked bread.
The clipping was recovered and retouched by her sister from her parent’s house fire and now sits in the center of the shop, exactly where her sister promised it would go before concepts of the bakery even existed.
With the amount of passion she has for baking and her bakery, some would guess that this has been a lifelong dream for her. However, that wasn’t exactly the case for Kupsky.
Kupsky has always loved baking, but hasn’t always been a baker. She actually started as a cook, graduating from culinary school and trying almost every position in the culinary industry.
She eventually got burnt out and tried her hand at a ‘normal’ job, but that got derailed by a foot fracture. During recovery, she started baking to pass the time and found her love for it.
“When I went back to my day job, [I realized] it wasn’t everything. I was reborn,” she said. “I went back to work but kept baking.”
With her new passion alight, Kupsky would work her day job and then cook all night at a shared kitchen in Appleton, the first location of Sweet Jules.
“[I would] literally just have enough time to change my shirt between and give myself a “you can do this” in the mirror sometimes,” she said.
Eventually, it got to the point where she didn’t even have time to sleep in her schedule. It was then that she made the jump, and chose the thing that she loved.
“I don’t think there is any risk in following your dreams,” Kupsky said. “I have never heard of anyone being on their deathbed saying, ‘man, I am so glad I did not follow my passion. I am so glad I did not try something I loved’.”
Kupsky’s passion and hard work allowed her to get to where she is today, and it continues to shine through her bakery and her decadent baked goods.
