This café is famed for its scrumptious sourdough breads, which are handmade using natural leaven and flour-liquid roux. The breads, which are put to great use in the café menu’s toasts and sandwiches, are mildly sweet with a hint of sourness at the end, and are also offered for individual sale (hurrah!). For a healthy crunch, the multiseed wholegrain is filled with all sorts of goodness: Think toothsome sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds. But if push comes to shove, we would gun for the incredibly soft Hokkaido milk bread, which is a subtly flavoured bread which goes down like a dream when smothered with dollops of sweet jam.
1 Fusionopolis Place, #01-23/24 Galaxis, tel: 9773 5318
This bakery also specialises in sourdough breads. Its offerings change daily, so call to check what’s on the menu. Popular options include Country, which is made with 50 percent stoneground wheat flour; and Walnut, which is packed with toasted walnuts and coated with sliced almonds. They also proffer sweets such as naturally leavened doughnuts, which produces a chewy, dense texture; as well as jars of homemade nut butters, which we recommend slathering generously onto their breads.
10 Jalan Serene, #01-05 Serene Centre, tel: 9816 6251
One of the very first bakeries in Singapore that introduced French style pastries to the local foodie scene, this iconic bakery in Tiong Bahru has recently opened a new outlet at Raffles City, this time revolving around a sit-down café concept and serving up a new menu of hot foods. We are still all about its breads and pastries however, particularly the fluffy and oh-so-buttery croissants. Also make a beeline for the brioche loaves and other unique bakes like the Squid Ink Baguette, which has a pronounced savoury flavour that’s very moreish indeed.
Several outlets, including 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-70, tel: 6220 3430
The comforting smell of freshly made bread hangs heavy in the air of this Keong Siak outlet. The breads – the range includes ciabattas, baguettes, fougasses, pain de campagne, cinnamon buns, and pain au nox – are freshly baked in small daily batches, so there are limited quantities available each day (which means fastest fingers first!). These “limited edition” loot is displayed clearly and proudly behind a glass panel which stretches the length of the café, engaging just about all of your senses in the most delightful way possible. Have it to go or toasted on the spot to pair with your cuppa.
Several outlets, including 18 Keong Saik Road, tel: 6534 7800
First off, Eric Kayser has been pegged as one of France’s best bakers, with his Maison Kayser outlets being ubiquitous around the world. In Singapore, there are four and like the others dotted across the globe, these serve a wide range of artisanal breads made from natural leaven. The options include traditional French breads, like Rye, Country and Monge, as well as breads inspired from other cultures like the Japanese Pain de Mie (a sweet bread with a very thin crust) or the Italian Ciabatta (their version is made from natural liquid leaven shot through with a generous amount of olive oil).
Several outlets, including 6 Scotts Road, #B1-25 Scotts Square, tel: 6636 3672
There are plenty of Japanese bakeries in Singapore, but the breads at Green Pumpkin stand out for their innovative flavours and soft, chewy – almost mochi-like – texture, which is said to be achieved through an arduous fermentation process. Made fresh daily, the breads promise to be free of any preservatives or additives. Go for the signature Green Pumpkin Bun, which is stuffed with a sweet pumpkin puree filling; or the Anpan that comes in an array of flavours such as red bean, matcha, yuzu and black sesame.
Several outlets, including 1 Jurong West Central 2, #B1-79/82 Jurong Point, tel: 6795 6714
Squirreled away in a corner shop inside Icon Village, this bakery serves up European-style breads culled from head chef Nick Chua’s bread-making experiences all over Europe: Think offerings spanning Italian focaccia to French brioche. His signatures include Granny Stick, a crispy stick bread rolled in fresh herbs, mixed grains and seeds that was named after a regular elderly customer who was often seen with her walking stick. If you’re up for something more adventurous, have a go at the Mixed Herb Bread, an amazingly aromatic bake that comprises an assortment of herbs like parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme.
12 Gopeng Street, #01-54/55 Icon Village, tel: 6224 7848
Joining the fray is yet another Japanese bakery, this one doubling as a café for leisurely sit-down brunches. If you’re dining in, go for the Cube Loaf, box-shaped desserts with oozing middles and tried-and-tested flavours like green tea chocolate, blueberry cheese and chocolate. Otherwise, take away the Royal Milk Tea Earl Grey Loaf that features a mild tea fragrance and a pillowy soft texture. Or go for the signature Fruit Rye, which comprises a stunning combination of orange peel, rum raisins, walnuts and almonds.
Several outlets, including 15 Queen Street, #01-03, tel: 6703 8703