From basic flatbread that's been baked the same way for thousands of years in a rough clay oven, to the $42 colossal cupcake created in a Manhattan boutique bakery last week, people clearly have a love affair with dough and baked goods. For some it's a life-sustaining love of a carbohydrate diet staple; for others it's an indulgently obsessive love of rich, sugary decadence.

In nearly all parts of the world, dough is embraced as a way of substantially increasing how filling a meal can be and providing added nutrition. It's pretty much impossible to have a PB & J without the bread, a taco without the tortilla, a birthday without the cake, or an empanada without the, well, empanada. Simple flour and water is changed into sweet and savory treats by the hands of local bakers. Visiting a few revealed an enjoyable cultural diversity in recipe composition and ingredient use, as well as style of baking.

Mama's Bakery (10518-A S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma) opened in June 2011 and sells jumbo cupcakes and muffins, red velvet whoopee pies, cinnamon swirl bread, plate-size cookies and old-school loaves of bread. Owner and baker Tamy Hamilton is constantly adding to that list. She says she uses little sugar when possible and allows natural flavors to shine. Hamilton's English Muffin bread is stellar, and her chocolate raspberry cupcake with raspberry butter cream topping is outstandingly delicious and shareable. Jumbo cupcakes and muffins are sold at Northern Pacific Coffee Company, Greener Bean, Blackstar, Fox Hollow Coffee and many area Forza Coffees.

Zocalo Mexican Bakery (701 S. 38th St., Tacoma) is a panaderia connected to a Mexican eatery of the same name. After sampling concha (shell shaped cookies), apricot filled sweet empanadas, chocolate-studded muffins, what looked like a bear claw and a cream-topped cinnamon roll, we found the pastries to be drier and less sweetened than their American baked counterparts. However, this didn't deter the steady stream of area residents filling trays with a dozen or more pastries. A pound cake with coconut - a la pineapple upside down cake - was moist and saved the visit. A plus, the bakery sells milk by the gallon.

Corina Bakery (602 S. Fawcett, Tacoma) could easily be considered a boutique bakery. Impressive display cases hold desserts and sweet bistro treats. Single-serve cups of banana pudding layered with vanilla wafers are a personal favorite. A "Bird Seed" cookie made from quinoa, sweet raisins, walnuts, flax and other healthy ingredient has a crunchy and chewy texture similar to a homemade granola bar. Desserts and pastries made by Corina Bakery can be found at Marrow, Maxwell's, 1022 South, Bluebeard and Satellite Coffee.

Friendly Foods European Market & Deli (3612 Center St., Tacoma) sells freshly made extra-large loaves of golden Kiev, Ukrainian, Polish, and Moskovosky bread with crusted tops, and a splendid variety of desserts. Cacao log rolled in peanuts, cream and jelly layered cakes, poppy seed, lemon, chocolate, cinnamon, plum, mini pies, custard crèmes, mousse-filled, nut-topped- I gained five pounds just looking at the dessert case.

Marlene's Market and Deli (2951 South 38th Street, Tacoma) offers gluten-free and vegan options. Vegan pumpkin bread made with spelt flour, rice milk, turbinado and ginger is moist, spongy and slightly sweet. Gluten-free bread baked at Marlene's holds together just as well as regular bread and is a perfect example of taste and texture preference. My bakery sampling cohort for the day thought it was less than flavorful and too moist. Not a fan of crostini or bread that scrapes the roof of my mouth, I found it ideal and the subtle, slightly nutty flavor wonderful. A gluten-free brownie easily satisfied my chocolate craving.

Olive Bakery (8602 S. Tacoma Way, Lakewood), located in Lakewood's Asian District, draws mostly on natural sweeteners; the dough's natural flavors aren't overpowered by sugary nonsense. Instead, pleasantly earthy flavors of sweet green and red bean, walnut, sesame, mochi, corn bread and mocha butter are featured. I enjoyed custard-filled buns, cooked sweet potato coated in a light cinnamon and flour breading, and what looked like a jelly-filled donut - which actually filled with meat, onion and potato. A double-decker, cream-filled, foot-long peanut butter "crunch cookie" will be the next thing I take to a potluck for wow factor.