6 August 2012
olaf’s artisan bakery
Our sweet tooth was satisfied on a recent foray through Mount Eden, Auckland.
In a recent interview for our latest issue of Denizen magazine, Sean Connolly, head chef at The Grill, mentioned that he sourced all of his bread from Olaf’s Artisan Bakery, so we went in search of this haven of baked goods to learn more. Manned by Olaf, a German trained baker and pastry chef, this bakery-cum-café has quickly developed a reputation for producing sensational European style breads and sweet pastry delights.
Having recently been awarded the title of Best Bread Baker in Auckland by his baking peers, Olaf knows a thing or two about producing great bread the traditional way. Devoid of additives, preservatives, improvers and anything else artificial, each loaf is pure baked perfection. Some of Auckland’s top restaurants seem to think so too. Award winning chef Al Brown of Depot is a huge fan of Olaf’s dark smoked rye bread and of course The Grill’s legendary Wagyu burger wouldn’t be quite the same without the bakery’s brioche buns.
The bread is shelved behind the counter, and the sweet stuff is on prominent display out front, luring us in with its beauty. With a mix of traditional European sweet treats and more familiar creations on offer, we may have gone a little overboard, trying a classic Portuguese pastry, the Barquinho de Coco (a spongy hazelnut concoction that tasted similar to a Ferrero Rocher chocolate), Olaf’s custard and raspberry brioche and several of their delicious tarts for good measure.
To top it all of, we couldn’t resist taking home a loaf of the macadamia & thyme sourdough bread, one of a few that are specially baked on weekends only. Open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, we think it would take a seriously strong will to walk out of Olaf’s empty handed.
