Back Alley Bakes rose out of Melbourne’s lockdowns, when husband-wife duo (and baking enthusiasts) Gabriel Alonso and Alana Trevisan kneaded dough more than ever. It’s since grown from a small two-person show in the couple’s Preston garage to a diminutive Coburg North bakery with regular lines out the door.

Behind a pink roller door in an industrial backstreet, the space invites you in with its cabinet of gleaming pastries. Just beyond the counter, a window gives you a glimpse into the baker’s area and temperature-controlled pastry room. It’s there that Alonso, a former chef, makes outstanding baked goods.

Beyond the fan-favourite sourdough that cemented its reputation, Back Alley Bakes offers a Basque cheesecake that’s scorched on the outside and fluffy on the inside. A viennoiserie line-up includes pains au chocolat, cruffin-like “morning buns” coated in sugar, and rotating danishes. But the winner is Back Alley Bakes’ own creation: the “crois-sauso”, a pork-and-fennel sausage roll wrapped in flaky croissant pastry. The rest of the menu includes a host of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Plus, there’s coffee by Axil Coffee Roasters.