The ultimate bakery hitlist for the year ahead.
Bakeries can fill many gaps in our lives. They’re places for sweets, treats, staples, pit-stops and, of course, bread. For many in the east, plenty of this is covered by the ever-reliable North Street Store, which along with enviable sourdough also stocks biscuits, cinnamon scrolls and runs a daily changing takeaway menu. Acolytes living further south can also get their fix from sibling Big Loaf bakery in O’Connor, which bakes pain au levain, rye, Pugliese style pane di casa and more.
For darker, moister loaves with crunch and chew, hit up Hunter Bread over in Bicton. Baker Hunter Carlberg learnt his trade at Iggy’s in Sydney and brings the know-how here with highlights including country-style rolls and loaves, perhaps flavoured with rye and caraway or olives (just remember to grab a handsome croissant for the road, while you’re at it).
Don’t skip Mary Street Bakery either, who have been giving Western Australians their dough fix for more than a decade with loaves available from multiple locations, plus their doughnuts remain legendary. Speaking of sweets, Chu Bakery, run by self- taught couple Ryan and Seren Chu, still draws queues in Highgate. There’s plenty to love here, but the choux puffs, perhaps piped with matcha or raspberry cream, remain essential ordering.
For cakes, hit tiny-but-mighty Teeter Bakery in East Perth, where Natasha Brownfield runs a small-batch collection of covetable treats, including carrot and coconut cake with pineapple jam or impossibly light, fluffy chiffon, flavoured according to season. Meanwhile, Goods Bakery in West Leederville (from the Modus crew) is the place to be for nostalgic treats. Expect croissants and morning buns daily, but it’s the weekend specials – think Boston buns, crullers and Victorian sponge Lamingtons – that’ll keep you coming back.
Out of the city, a pit-stop is still essential at Mount Barker Country Bakery for pies in every flavour under the sun, Margaret River Bakery is the locals’ choice for breakfast and sweets, while nearby Maison Lassiaille is doing classic French gateaux, including wattleseed Opéra and pistachio macarons. And last but not least, Bred Co in Albany still hits hard, sourcing grains from artisan growers, milling it in house and still throwing specials in (olive focaccia, say) among some of the state’s best sourdough.
