The star of many a restaurant menu these days is… bread. Chef Nelly Robinson says that out of all the dishes at Newtown restaurant Café Paci, the potato and molasses bread is his favourite. Chef Josh Niland and other known Sydney chefs rave about the potato bread at Ester. And Tilda, within Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, has a $39 bread and butter service.
“Bread’s always been a big deal at good restaurants — great bread is memorable,” says Tilda Head Chef, Nathanael Merchant. “I think diners are more aware of it now, though. There’s a real appreciation for quality and uniqueness in baking. Plus, there are so many amazing local producers making standout bread.”
Merchant says Tilda’s bread and butter service, which sees a cart rolled tableside so diners can witness the bread and butter preparation, was inspired by a similar service at NYC restaurant Quality Bistro. Exec chef Elliott Pinn loved the concept but wanted to put an Aussie twist on it, using local produce and making it unique to Tilda.
In addition to Ester’s and Café Paci’s bread, Merchant says the laminated brioche at Lumi Dining is also among his favourite bread at Sydney restaurants. Further afield, Raes in Byron Bay also has standout bread — Jason Saxby, its exec chef, says it’s one of the restaurant’s most complimented dishes.
“We serve a classic crusty sourdough as the base for our house-made whipped ricotta, slathered with caramelised wattle seed honey,” Saxby says. “The honey is crafted from raw Byron hinterland honey, which we simmer for hours with dark-roasted wattle seed and a few other ingredients until it deepens to a rich, bittersweet caramel.”
The honey is then drizzled over lightly salted, creamy ricotta. The warm, crusty sourdough can be used to scoop it up. Saxby says it’s part of a trend over the last decade of chefs pushing what it means to serve bread. At many restaurants with tasting menus, bread is in its own course, often brought after snacky dishes at the start to signify things are about to get a bit heavier.
“Bread is a blank canvas that requires both skill and imagination to elevate,” says Saxby. “Chefs love that challenge. A chance to flex a little without showing off by using luxurious ingredients. it’s humble and simple.”
He says of the many bread courses at Lumi he’s eaten over the years, every offering has been exceptional. Another notable bread experience for him was at Orana eight years ago. The Adelaide restaurant uses native and local ingredients and Indigenous gathering and cooking techniques.
“They served a damper-style bread hidden on the table as part of the décor,” Saxby says. “The dough proofed [final rise] while guests enjoyed their snacks. Then it was wrapped around sticks and cooked over hot coals at the table. The entire experience was theatrical and deeply sensory.”
Mike McEarney, chef and owner of Sydney’s Kitchen By Mike, says his most memorable bread experience at a restaurant is when the loaves are baked just before service. The crust is still bright and crisp and the crumb is still a tiny bit warm. He says Ester has always excelled at this, pushing the crust to the limit to get a dark toasted finish.
“Bread is one of those basics in life,” says McEarney. “Unlike white sliced bread in a plastic bag that I call ‘white death’, good bread is made with very few ingredients. Mine has only three and is made with love and nurtured like an infant until it comes out of the oven.”
McEarney learnt to make sourdough at Iggy’s in Bronte, known for having some of the best bread in Sydney. He and his team bake 15 loaves of high-hydration sourdough throughout the morning. It’s cut with what they call a ‘bread saw’ and served with salted and cultured butter from Australian boutique butter company called Pepe Saya.
As for what’s ahead for the humble loaf at Australian restaurants, Merchant thinks it’ll move more into the spotlight and away from being just an accompaniment. Saxby doesn’t think chefs will ever stop experimenting with bread.
“Up until recently, it was all about what you served with the bread,” he says. “Chefs fermented, whipped, pickled, smoked and manipulated anything that was delicious and could be slathered on bread.
“Now, I’m seeing more chefs play around with the bread itself. Wood-fired discs of pillowy deliciousness, crispy croissant-style doughs and brioche-style loaves are popping up everywhere.”
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