While South Australian residents (thankfully) haven’t had to endure the lengthy lockdowns of our interstate neighbours, we do share one recent phenomena: a rise in online-only bakeries. Turns out, the lure of baked goods at the click of a button has appeal beyond the confines of a lockdown. Here are four you can order from right now.
Tart Noir
When Christiane Patzwald was forced to close the corporate travel agency she owned with her husband due to the pandemic, she discovered a silver lining: reconnecting with her European roots. Having grown up in Germany, she drew on her childhood memories to found Tart Noir, while simultaneously working at The Smelly Cheese Shop in the Adelaide Central Market. “Both my grandmother and mother were exceptional bakers. There was always cake around on the weekend,” says Patzwald. “My friends and family have always encouraged me to bake professionally, so this year I had the time and found the courage to finally take the plunge.”
Patzwald dreams up new tart flavours every week – recent offerings include pumpkin and miso caramel, salted caramel and chocolate, and blood orange with meringue – but her favourite creation comprises black sesame and rhubarb. “It’s nutty, and its savoury notes complement the rhubarb perfectly,” she says. “I couldn't find a recipe, so it took me a few bakes to get the consistency right … in the end, my daughter Elle had the idea of adding the rhubarb compote as a bottom layer.” The tart is made with black tahini, Fleurieu cream and rhubarb compote, with all ingredients sourced from the Central Market. Soon, Patzwald hopes to incorporate matcha and introduce a savoury tart made with goats curd.
Pick-up is in Grange on Saturday afternoons. DM Tart Noir on Instagram to order.
Basque by Leo
After being inspired by Attica’s Ben Shewry’s take on the Basque cheesecake, young Adelaide chef Leonardo Loureiro spent Adelaide’s seven-day lockdown in July perfecting his own version. He told Broadsheet the whole process meant cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “I learnt how to make Basque by experimenting with my recipe again and again,” Loureiro says when we check in with him again. “I cooked batches with just minutes of difference in the oven, to really get the perfect consistency and burn.”
Basque cheesecake – which has a caramelised, glossy outside encasing a creamy, custard-like texture within – originated in San Sebastian, in Basque Country. It’s not as sweet as New York cheesecake, and has a blistered, cracked crust, the result of being fired at a high temperature. So far, Loureiro has experimented with flavours like dulce de leche, chocolate, marble and Biscoff. And there’s more to come, with Loureiro having just moved his operations into a new baking space shared with Gabi Flohr from Sheoak Baker. “The very first day in the bakery kitchen was the most challenging day since we opened Basque,” he says. “I had 150 cakes to bake, and I moved in and had to re-create my recipe for the bakers oven, which is a completely different oven to ours at home. But I was so happy and proud to have achieved an even better product … an even more burnt top, that makes the whole cake so sexy.”
DM Basque by Leo on Instagram or visit basquebyleo.myshopify.com to order.
Nath Bakes Bread
Like a lot of us, chef Nathan Adam dipped his toes into the world of sourdough during lockdown. Unlike a lot of us, he truly committed to it – and now runs his own micro-bakery. “There was a lot of trial and error, but I guess I fell in love with the process,” says Adam. “I think the recent wave of new Covid-era hobby bakers has made [Instagram bakeries] hugely popular. There are a lot of really skilled bakers on the platform, and it’s really cool to get an insight into their processes.” In his work as a chef, Adam had baked yeasted breads before, but nothing to this extent. Right now, he’s baking about 50 loaves a week, plus crumpets.
Try the country loaf (“it’s versatile, and it’s got a good portion of fresh-milled whole grains,” Adam says) or the fruit bread, which is a lightly spiced tin loaf that is – true to its name – full of fruits. His sourdough crumpets have also proved popular. Adam primarily delivers near McLaren Vale, but can generally accommodate deliveries in other areas – just send him a DM. You can also pick up his breads from Summertown Studio.
DM Nath Bakes Bread on Instagram or visit nathbakesbread.com.au to order.
Gordi Babka
Almost overnight, it seemed like Gordi Babka was everywhere: all over social media, in the press, then at Thiele’s Shop, and House of Health Collective. It’s little wonder. Babka – a traditional Jewish dessert of braided challah or brioche bread often filled with cinnamon or chocolate – is an undeniable crowd pleaser. And it’s surprising that it’s taken this long for an Adelaide baker to dedicate themselves to the loaves. Gordi Babka owner Elliot Mackenzie, who is also a full-time patisserie student at TAFE, is currently turning out three flavours: cinnamon, chocolate and hazelnut, and fruit. “The cinnamon and chocolate hazelnut are the king and queen of babka. They are the two flavours which I can guarantee you will see in every babka bakery in New York,” he says. “The fruit loaf is one of my experiments. I use mixed fruit macerated in rum, which gets cooked off in the oven, and a warm mixture of spices. It has a very homely feel, and is definitely a level up from your plain old fruit loaf.”
Mackenzie says growing his business online has felt like an adventure. “I love the community of Instagram [and] online bakeries in Adelaide. I think there is a demand for bread products made by small-batch local businesses; there is something special about purchasing a hand-crafted artisan product,” he says. “I love it when people send me messages over Instagram or tag Gordi in a post or story ... It's that connection you can get with the community which sets Instagram-driven businesses apart.”
Pick-up is on Saturday afternoons. Order at gordibabka.com.au.
