In late 2022, Calle’s croissant wheels took off online. The pastries – inspired by the Supremes at New York’s Lafayette Grand Cafe and Bakery – see croissant dough rolled like a spring onion pancake and filled with different flavours of cream or custard, then crowned with a topping to match.

Buzz is hard to sustain, but since 2022, the Carlton North bakery has faced near constant lines. On Friday July 4, the family-owned Calle expanded, opening a second location in nearby Northcote.

Head baker Huey Phung has more than 25 years of experience, including a decade-long stint at Breadtop. In addition to crescent-shaped croissants – including a cookie-croissant hybrid and a Dubai chocolate-inspired version – he makes two different croissant wheels every month, available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.

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This month, there’s a wheel filled with lemon cream and topped with torched meringue, as well the sticky date – filled with brown sugar and date custard and capped with a piece of sticky date pudding.

But Huey doesn’t dictate the fillings or toppings. “My dad couldn’t care less about what flavours we’re bringing,” says Chloe Phung, Huey’s daughter and Calle’s social media manager. Instead, the bakery’s menu is decided over family dinners at her grandma’s house, where her aunties and cousins chat about the flavours that have been popping up online and around the city.

Almost the entire family is involved in the business. The bakery is co-owned by Huey; his wife Vivian Ly, a former procurement director at snack company Mondelez, who runs Calle’s back-end operations; and his siblings, who handle the finances and repairs. On busy weekends, Chloe says her aunts, uncles and cousins all roll up to help on the floor.

The key difference at the new Northcote location is its exclusive cinnamon scrolls. Made with brioche dough slathered with a light cream cheese frosting before baking, they come out gooey, airy and fluffy. On opening day, the team gave away 100 free scrolls. By the end of the day, they had sold 200 more.

Carlton North favourites have made the move, too, from sweet and savoury French pastries to European-style sandwiches including a baguette stuffed with tomato, burrata and spinach drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. For drinks, there’s a Mont Blanc and regular matcha drinks that match the croissant wheel flavours.

Calle Bakery
229 High Street, Northcote
(03) 9853 4157

Hours:
Tue to Fri 7am–4pm
Sat & Sun 8am–4pm

calle.com.au
@callebakery