Friends in Knead

The Villanova Baking Club finds joy in creating and connecting in the kitchen

By Albert Stumm

Amid the clang of stainless-steel mixing bowls and a light dusting of flour, strawberry shortcake emerges from the kitchen piled with hand-whipped cream and fresh berries. Other days bring cocoa-topped tiramisu–with a bonus caffeine boost–or the irresistible aroma of apple crumble muffins or poppy seed scones wafting from the oven.

That’s the scene at the Villanova Baking Club, where Wildcats from across the University gather weekly to try a new recipe. Now in its second year, the student-run club serves as a creative outlet and welcome break from the rigors of studying, says club founder and president Joe Hayes ’27 COE.

“It’s a supportive environment that makes students feel good about creating something they might have never tried,” says Hayes, an Electrical Engineering major. “Plus, the goal ultimately is for everyone to make friends and have fun.”

Hayes grew up baking and decided to start the club after he didn’t find many opportunities to continue the hobby as a first-year student who was living in a residence hall with no kitchen. His first challenge was finding a place to hold the club. The Office of Student Involvement connected him with Christopher Wiseley, the University’s award-winning director of Culinary Operations.

Wiseley set aside space in the Dougherty Hall dining room's catering kitchen and added the club’s flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder and other common ingredients to his regular orders. The University also agreed to provide a modest yearly budget for specialty ingredients, such as the mascarpone cheese for tiramisu.

Besides giving students an opportunity to connect and unwind, the club offers a look behind the scenes of Dining Services. “Students see us every day, but it's so busy we don't have a lot of time to engage with them,” Wiseley says. “The club allows us to interact and get to know the students a bit better.”

Interest has soared, with more than 500 students vying for just 15 weekly spots that get snapped up minutes after the sign-up email goes out. A student committee decides on the recipes, with toaster pastries, pizza dough and lemon bars among the favorites. On the healthier side, the club partnered with another student-run organization, Beat for Good, which raises money for heart disease research. They made heart-healthy zucchini bread to sell on campus and divided the proceeds, with part going to Beat for Good and the rest used to buy matching aprons for Baking Club participants.

Students often learn a baking lesson, such as the importance of mixing dry ingredients before adding wet ingredients or why cold butter should sometimes be crumbled into the dough. But it’s mostly a creative stress reliever and a great way to meet friends, says Isabella Mirarchi ’27 CLAS, a Biology major and club vice president. “Meetings aren’t just about following recipes,” she says. “Members feel comfortable experimenting, helping one another and enjoying the process rather than worrying about perfection. Baking becomes a bridge that brings together people from different backgrounds in a fun and natural way.”