Lucy’s favourite bullar from Under Bakery (shortly before they were devoured). Photo: Lucy Ridge.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a food writer in possession of a debit card will always buy an Under Bakery cardamom bullar when presented with the opportunity. Or maybe that’s just me, but I am deeply obsessed with these spiced knots of goodness. In fact, I’m a bit obsessed with all of Under’s baked goods.
As a Northside resident, I rarely make it to Mawson early enough to purchase from Under before the shelves are emptied. Instead, I usually enjoy their goods via the many cafes they supply. So I was delighted when my travels saw me on the right side of town mid-morning on a Friday. The few tables scattered outside were full of folks enjoying their purchases, with several also sipping batch brew coffee out of charmingly retro mugs. The bright sunshine caught the shop display in a very pleasing way, illuminating the offerings. Peering further into the shop I could see bakers busily at work shaping loaves for tomorrow’s bake.
The light rye at Under Bakery has a cult following of its own. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Although I was tempted by an unusual mango, lychee and marshmallow Danish, I just couldn’t resist my first love, so I found myself unexpectedly heartbroken when the last of the cardamom bullar (bun) was sold to the customer ahead of me in line. I should have known better: the shopfront often features a lineup of customers – especially on weekends – as Canberrans happily queue for their favourite treats. So 10.30 am was a bit late in the day to expect my favourite treat would still be available.
But, as any reader of romance fiction will know, love stories must have happy endings, and upon seeing my obvious disappointment, the staff gifted me the cardamom bun, which had been on display (in addition to my other purchases).
Tied in the signature knotted shape, the cardamom bun offers plenty of sticky-sweet surface area and a yieldingly soft interior. Tear it apart strand by strand, or simply sink your teeth in. If you, too, find yourself heartbroken when the cardamom bun sells out, I can also heartily recommend sister-sweet cinnamon bullar.
I should have saved one for an afternoon delight, but finding myself in possession of both on that sunny Friday morning, I must confess: reader, I devoured them.
The zucchini focaccia featured a particularly good salsa verde. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
To supplement my sweet tooth I also purchased two generous slices of focaccia covered with seasonal toppings: zucchini, salsa verde and fior de latte, and kale, potato and bechamel. The pillowy bread is a great vehicle for flavour, and I particularly enjoyed the zingy herbs of the salsa verde.
Under Bakery has also attained a cult-like following for their loaves of light rye. A portion of this bread is made with flour from Rutherglen’s Woodstock Flour, an agroecological farm that grows and freshly stone-mills their wheat while regenerating the landscape by sowing cover crops and running a flock of sheep.
A lot of the flour sold in Australia is little more than a neutral white powder, but Woodstock Flour has flavour: it is an ingredient, not just filler. And you can really taste the difference in the loaves at Under! They also sell bags of Woodstock Flour at the counter if you’d like to use it in your own home baking.
The Under Bakery shopfront catches the sun in the most delightful way. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Julie Andrews sang that “brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favourite things”. Well, the brown paper bags at Under may not come tied up with string, but they are certainly worth singing about.
Under Bakery is located at 1/30 Mawson Pl, Mawson. They are open Thursday to Sunday from 8 am until they sell out. They also have online orders available; see their website for more details or follow them on Instagram.
Loading ...
