For 2025 we want to focus more on the people who make our neighborhood the incredible place it is. Some of these people have been long-time residents and some are relatively recent. Jill Nguyen moved from Columbia Heights to the Hill about five years ago and, through her incredible and creative baking, has managed to become a beloved and, dare we say, bipartisanly-beloved staple of the neighborhood. I asked her five questions, which became seven questions. Jill’s responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
How did Capitol Jill come about? I know you’ve mentioned something about autocorrect, but would love to hear that story again.
In the fall of 2020, as we closed on this home, I texted a few friends about the news. My phone, being my phone, kept autocorrecting “Capitol Hill” to “Capitol Jill.” I had already thought about selling some loaves of sourdough bread to neighbors, and I thought “Capitol Jill Baking” was cute, unique and ––most importantly–– available on Google Domains.
How did Scarlett Doughanssen come about? Do you have prior cooking or baking experience, or is this truly a pandemic product?
Scarlett Doughhanssen is my 2nd sourdough starter, after I killed the first one with a dirty spatula. Baking as a whole was totally new for me then, and despite growing up cooking and even working a catering job in college, I had never really baked before. Early in the pandemic, my spouse would give me cooking challenges to pass the time, and I think I made a Baked Alaska, a Beef Wellington, and a chicken pot pie from scratch all in the first week. When he suggested I try my hand at baking bread, the rest was history.
As I strive for the perfect loaf of sourdough bread every day (thin crackly crust, oven spring, light to hold, caramelized brown crust with blisters), I also love sharing my sourdough starter with friends, neighbors, and anyone who asks. It’s better that more people want to make something some foundational like bread from scratch, and I hope it brings people as much joy and peace as it has brought me.
What kind of bread is your favorite to bake? Why?
I love porridge bread. High hydration (lots of water) dough is such a joy to work with, but the line between just enough water and too much water is very thin. One of my signature loaves is Toasted Oats Porridge Sourdough: I start with cooking up an oat porridge with wholegrain old-fashioned oats, some oil, and oat milk. Once cooled overnight, the oat porridge is mixed into the dough, resulting in a custardy and slightly nutty loaf. I recently developed a Black Pepper Grits Sourdough, inspired by my favorite bowl of grits in college. It has plenty of stone-milled yellow cornmeal, plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, a bit of butter, a bit of cream, and just a touch of brown sugar. Each new recipe takes a few test rounds before I want to sell a small batch, and it might take up to a few months for me to finalize a recipe.
Most people who’ve tried your bread can’t get enough of it. Have you had some negative feedback? How do you deal with dissatisfied customers?
I’m my harshest critic and sourdough baking is very finicky. I’m the first to know when I have an A+ bake day, or a B- one and it weighs on me. And of course I have heard some negative feedback and it hurts. I just remind myself that people care enough to tell me, and I try my best to make it up to them, whether by a refund, or a credit to incentivize them to come back. At the end of the day, a new batch of dough is a fresh start. And I regularly remind myself that it’s just bread, even if I have the worst of bake day. There are way more high stakes jobs out there.
How easy was it to apply and obtain a cottage license? Do you have any advice for people who may want to follow in your footsteps?
It’s a lengthy process with lots of paperwork. My only advice is to read through all the steps, and follow up more often than you think you need. It worked well for me but I understand that it might not work for all bakers.
When you’re not baking, thinking about baking, or learning about baking, what are some of your favorite spots around the Hill to eat, enjoy and unwind?
I’m always juggling between self-care, spending time with my pets and spouse, and work, so when I have free time, I love pet-friendly spots around the Hill to take [my dog] Suzy to. We love walking around Congressional Cemetary on a nice day, and if I’m on my own, I’m usually listening to a podcast or an audiobook. We also love going on sniffing walks to Lincoln Park (and a stop at Wine and Butter is a must), popping by Hill’s Kitchen to say hi to Leah and browse her new seasonal offerings, and going downstairs to the cookbook section at East City Bookshop.
After a long day, I often want Caruso’s Grocery’s fried calamari and shrimp scampi, or 2 orders of chicken nuggets from Hill East Burger (with whom I frequently collaborate). When I need some extra comfort, I love getting some specialty rolls at Torai, or a bowl of ramen from Kaiju, or the crispy chicken spring rolls and Orange-ish chicken from ChiKo. When I’m feeling fancy, I go to Duck and Peach and order 2x of the dinner rolls and whatever dessert Rochelle (their pastry chef) has on the menu. I still dream about the Corn and Basil ice cream bar from last summer.
What are you looking forward to the most in 2025?
I’m currently dreaming up a plan for a neighborhood bakery in Capitol Hill: there is nowhere else I’d rather be with my bread. In the meantime, I’m planning more events and collaborations with nearby restaurants and businesses. I’m doing a special Afternoon Tea service at ChiKo in Barracks Row on Saturday and Sunday February 1st and 2nd to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It was such a success last year so we are adding more seatings this year, and I’m super excited to share my menu of Asian-inspired pastries and childhood treats, along with ChiKo’s savory bites with neighbors and friends to ring in the Year of the Wood Snake. There are 3 seatings available: 1pm on Saturday, February 1 and 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 2, and reservations are now open.
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Thank you so much for your candor and for sharing your story, Jill! Make sure you follow her on Instagram @capitoljillbaking. Do you want to know more about someone in the neighborhood? Let me know at info@thehillishome.com!