The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Going global: the best bread from across multicultural Melbourne

Take a world tour with these multicultural breads.

Nola James and Sofia Levin

Advertisement

Breadtop started with a single Victorian outlet back in 2002, expanding to more than 60 stores across Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra. This innovative chain is putting the fun back in buns. Devotees seek out unusual flavours such as a fluffy white roll topped with tinned tuna, mayonnaise and a boiled egg, and its sweet brioche buns are one popular burger chain's secret weapon.

Breadtop, check website for locations, breadtop.com.au

Challah

Head to Footscray for some injera, an African flatbread.
Head to Footscray for some injera, an African flatbread.Marco Del Grande

Come Friday morning, the Jewish community hollers for challah, plaited egg bread so sweet it might well be cake. Choose from a variety of different loaves at Glick's, including plain, sweet, raisin and rye. Small loaves are available, but you'd be meshugener not to buy the larger size (between $4.25 and $4.75).

Advertisement

Glick's, stores across Melbourne and in Bondi Beach, check website for locations, glicks.com.au

Crumpets

Smorrebrod from Denmark House.
Smorrebrod from Denmark House.Jessica Dale

Crumpets date back to the Victorian era, when extra baking powder added to dough caused their signature porous surface. Self-proclaimed ''Dr'' Marty Beck of Dr Marty's Crumpets (formerly a chef with Grossi restaurants and at MoVida) sells his small-batch, vegan crumpets at farmers' markets (six for $8.50). You can also taste them at top Melbourne cafes such as the European, Barry and Little Tommy Tucker. Try his new wholemeal variety.

Dr Marty's Crumpets, check website for locations, drmartyscrumpets.com.au

Advertisement

Injera

Dr. Marty's crumpets.
Dr. Marty's crumpets.Simon Schluter

This spongy, sourdough-risen African flatbread is used as a plate for stews - tear off a piece (with your right hand) and use it as a scoop. In Ethiopia it's made with a flour called ''teff'' that's not available in Australia; in Footscray, the Alemu family have been making sorghum flour injera at their grocery for eight years; large round slices are only $1.

Lemat Injera Bakery and Grocery, 157 Nicholson Street, Footscray, 9396 1444.

Lebanese flatbread

Advertisement
A member of the Jewish community buying Challah from Glick's.
A member of the Jewish community buying Challah from Glick's.Simon O'Dwyer

A small army of bakers turns flour, water and yeast into round discs that puff up like pillows then flatten to create soft, pliable discs of flatbread at charming and chaotic A1 Bakery. Pick up a pack of five flatbreads (baked daily) for the bargain-basement price of $1. It is particularly useful for scooping dips such as hummus.

A1 Bakery, 643-645 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 9386 8585, and 201-203 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 9794 9500.

Mantou

Mantou, which originated in China's wheat-filled northern provinces, is a fluffy, soft steamed bun or roll eaten plain or filled. Magic Cuisine makes its on site, flattening the dough with a tiny rolling pin before stuffing with bok choy, tofu and mushroom, or a dumpling-like pork and chive mix - watch out for the surprise sticky soup layer.

Advertisement

Magic Cuisine, Box Hill Centro food court, 1 Main Street, Box Hill, 9880 8696.

Paratha

Like naan and roti, paratha is an Indian flatbread. Paratha is characterised by layers of dough, which often have ghee and oil added to create a soft, flaky texture. You can order the different Indian flatbreads to go at Aangan Indian Restaurant in Footscray. Its paratha comes in a spiral ($5), topped with chilli ($5), or the mashed potato-stuffed aloo paratha seasoned with cumin, onion and chilli ($5.50).

Aangan Indian Restaurant, 559 Barkly Street, West Footscray, 9689 4175.

Smorrebrod

Advertisement

Rugbrod Smorrebrod fans rejoice - Denmark House bakes rugbrod loaves to order ($7.50). The ingredients in this traditional dark rye are organic (except for the beer), and it comes chock-full of seeds and oats. You have to pre-order a minimum of two days in advance, otherwise try the original bread recipe come lunchtime, topped with herring ($16), egg and prawn ($17), or roast beef with remoulade, fried onions and cucumber salad ($15).

Denmark House, Level 3, 428 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, 9600 4477.

Pick up some tricks at these baking classes.

When Brasserie Bread in Sydney and Melbourne began offering free, one-hour baking classes for kids, it couldn't get the adults to leave the room. Today the kids' classes book out lightning fast, while adults can participate in intimate three-hour workshops, ranging from sourdough and artisan home baking through to brioche, grains and more ($160 a person).

Brasserie Bread Melbourne, 150 Thistlethwaite Street, South Melbourne, 1300 966 845, brasseriebread.com.au

Advertisement

The Convent Bakery at the Abbotsford Convent offers a range of classes, from bread for beginners to artisan breadmaking, including ciabatta and Turkish breads ($190 a person). The price includes an apron, a kilogram of organic flour, and morning tea and lunch, which you bake yourself.

Convent Bakery, Abbotsford Convent, 1 Saint Heliers Street, Abbotsford, 1300 447 697, conventbakery.com

Just because you can't eat gluten doesn't mean you have to miss out. This six-hour gluten-free breadmaking course ($180 a person) at the William Angliss Institute, incorporates alternative flours to bake a basic bread recipe, along with some sweet treats for good measure.

William Angliss Institute, 555 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, 9606 2111, shortcourses.angliss.edu.au/courses/gluten-free-baking

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up
Sofia LevinSofia Levin is a food writer and presenter.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement