bourke street bakery

It appears people like pastry. And why? perhaps it's the grainy texture of sugar, coated in butter and flour, or perhaps that first, crisp bite that causes flakes of golden goodness to fly about and settle, ungracefully, on your lap. Or the feeling of butter melting in your mouth. An almost-clammy salty-sweetness that rolls around your tongue and sticks in the back of your throat. For others, it may be the sometimes creamy, almost gelatinous fillings that are encased in the pastry; or the warm fattiness of processed meat that sends its sleep-inducing tendrils through your chest before settling in your stomach.

And evidence of this Sydney-wide pastry love? The lively popping up of Bourke Street Bakeries all about Sydney - and the queues of people that they attract. Apart from the original store in Surry Hills, there is a branch in Chippendale (128 Broadway), a brand spanking new store in Marrickville (2 Mitchell St) and a sister store (Central Baking Depot) on Erskine Street in the city. And the lines, oh(!) the lines! They snake out the door and around the lamp post in a funny dog's leg'd kind of way. And each person peers in the window, their thoughts almost audible "Maybe a sausage roll... and a tart. And some bread? Or a roll..."

lamb & harissa sausage roll $4.00

I have woken up on a sunny Saturday morning to meet a friend on my first foray into the world of Bourke Street Bakery. And I have dreams of brulee tart floating about in my head. But first, a breakfast of hot cross buns and even hotter chocolate (which, by the by, is dark and rich and creamy all at once). And oh! How my heart sinks, just a little, when I am unable to spot a brulee'd tart in any way shape or form. So I console myself with a multitude of baked treats for taking with me.

The lamb and harissa sausage roll (which somehow rubs up against my wallet and leaves it with a lamby scratch-and-sniff effect) is beyond tasty and I'm loving the currants that burst in your mouth with a goo of sweetness.

A praline scroll is added to the mix (and would have been more appreciated had I eaten it on the day, rather than leaving it overnight due to an overconsumption of sugar - don't do this, it makes everything soggy and stale). And then a chocolate tart (which is rich without being too rich, and smoother than expected). And then a plum tart (which is half a plum in an almond frangipane, and which the Bean & I gobble up enthusiastically). A pear pastry looks friendly enough and is later discovered to also be custardy and light and fragrant.

And then (OH! and then!) as I am leaving, I spot it. Hidden on the very bottom shelf. A lemon tart with its curdy filling peaked just so. And, next to it, a strange brown looking thing. I peer at its sign. And then my eyes light up as only those who have seen me around a tasty treat will know. The tart! And it was there the whole time! So a hasty re-order and I'm off to collect the Bean from tennis at Haberfield (yes, this is why I ate so little at Pasticceria Papa... makes sense now, no?)

And oh! (again, I know) crispy and custardy with the fragrance and flavour of vanilla bean and a dollop of lovely red juicy fruit at the bottom. And the other, all citrussy and sour without being overpoweringly so (which is a good and a bad thing, for I love a painfully sour tart). The pastry on all was a touch overdone, an sometimes a bit more than that, leaving a dry, unpleasant flavour on the back of my tongue. Which is a pity, but, quite possibly, not the norm as I have seen and heard otherwise about it from those frequenting the BSB more often than I.

And so, I am tempted to traipse down again. And possibly once more after that. For there were rolls and loaves and other such goodies that I didn't even think to try. Anyone care to join me?

Bourke Street Bakery
633 Bourke Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
ph 02 9699 1011