Using their loaf: Top Sydney chefs turn to new bakery spin-offs

Have the chefs of Sydney been watching too much Great British Bake Off? It certainly appears that way, with a posse of our hatted pan rattlers opening spin-off venues of the bakery variety.

Lode, a spin-off bakery from Federico Zanellato, chef-owner at the twin-toqued LuMi restaurant, has been slowed by the latest lockdown, but will be ready to fire up its ovens at the end of July.

Located in the heart of Surry Hills, at 487 Crown Street, Lode will border jump from Zanellato's native Italy into France for some of the line-up. He says he has used the forced closure at LuMi as an opportunity to hone his own takes on the pithivier, galette des rois and Parisian flan.

Because Sydneysiders don't live on sweet stuff alone, Lode will also have Zanellato's take on sausage rolls, with the launch menu set to include LuMi's pork and shiitake pie.

"The shiitakes cost more than the meat," the chef laughs.

Over in Darlinghurst, the launch of A.P. Bakery has also been pushed back until after the lockdown eases. But with Mat Lindsay (Ester, Poly) and Russell Beard (Reuben Hills) involved in the project, it was never going to be dull.

Its Instagram page is ripe with bread, brulee bomboloni, buttermilk croissants and buckwheat pain au chocolat.

Also looking to join the party is Daniel Puskas, the chef-owner at Stanmore culinary temple Sixpenny. He and his team have been spotted touring sites for a spin-off of its COVID Sixpenny pivot, a bakery and general store.

Ironically, the latest lockdown has slowed plans, with tours for a bricks-and-mortar spin-off put on pause.

It will be located in the inner west, but though the word is it'll lean heavily towards cakes, that is still undecided, Puskas says.