Layers of loveliness at Threefold Pastry in Parramatta

I first hear about Threefold Pastry when a friend rates its croissants as among the city's best. It's a big call: Sydney's standard for buttery, flaky crescents is quite high if you know where to look – think Turramurra's Flour Shop or Newtown's A.P Town, while Surry Hills' Lode Pies and online-based Home Croissanterie are worth ordering, too.

I consult a food writer friend who's a real croissant fiend: he once staged a tasting session with 20 different samples, just for fun. He ranks Goose Bakery in Forest Lodge and Iggy's in Bronte as highlights, but considers Threefold Pastry a "mid-tier" contender. 

After heading to Parramatta Square to load up on Threefold Pastry's menu, my opinion lands in between those two chart positions – the croissants are very good, probably not number one with a bullet, but still worth checking out and recommending. 

The apple crumble flavour is a winner, with its warm pocket of cinnamon-spiced fruit. I consume the croissant in record time: it's like eating a deluxe apple pie with a crumble crust on top. Sadly, I'm too early to get the baklava special – I notice bakers still busily assembling it in the kitchen – but scoring the limited-edition croissants is about timing and luck.

Past specials, such as the pina colada, matcha raspberry, Ferrero Rocher or white chocolate, lychee and rose flavours, are off limits now, but don't give up hope entirely – the Toblerone croissant has recently been brought back to the pastry counter.

Permanent residents on Threefold Pastry's croissant menu include the almond, apple crumble and charcoal pain au chocolat creations, as well as savoury parcels where ingredients are baked into the flaky layers. It's a genius improvement on ham and cheese croissants, where deli cuts are tucked between pastry halves. Here, smoked leg ham and sharp cheddar are rolled inside the pastry, so they ooze into the laminated lacing as they bake in the oven. Ditto the Vegemite and cheese croissant – it's a decadent upgrade on the buttered toast version. 

Much care goes into the ultra-light croissants. Owner John Vissaritis, who runs Harvey's Hot Sandwiches and Ruse Bar & Brasserie nearby, says he spent months on the recipe with Jay Lao, his Ruse executive chef, who also worked at Momofuku Seiobo and Bert's. Then Threefold's head pastry chef Aliasghar Balapurwala perfected it – after much overall troubleshooting. "We went through, maybe, 1000 croissants," says Vissaritis.

Their landlord, staff and neighbours received many boxes of early attempts. The extensive testing paid off, and Balapurwala says the demand for pastries means they clear 200 kilograms of imported European butter each week.  

Don't overlook non-croissant items, such as the excellent carrot cake, topped with architectural cream cheese swirls. You can detect the gingery and spiced notes in every slice. The cinnamon scroll and pies (such as the chicken peperonata flavour, which tastes like an Italian summer, thanks to its herbed tomato-capsicum filling) are worth savouring, too. 

Vissaritis explains the bakery's name comes from "the three major folds" the workers put into the laminated dough before pastries are rolled, but perhaps it represents the immense amount of effort that goes into each baked item, too. Good things clearly do come in threes.

The low-down

Vibe An inventive bakery that transcends its status as a grab-and-go sandwich shop for nearby offices. The sleek brick-and-timber setting is home to ace apple crumble and savoury croissants, as well as Instagram-friendly specials such as Milo, kalamansi-mango, baklava and white chocolate, strawberry and dill flavours.

Insta-worthy dish The carrot cake with its turrets of cream cheese frosting.