• The rise and rise of Sydney's new-wave bakeries

Flour Shop

Queues form early at this sleepy north shore bakery from Anu Haran and Laura Gonzalez. They're here for pillowy bread, croissants, Jerusalem bagels and North Indian samosa pies, of course, but the star turn is the cinnamon scroll, baked in batches throughout the morning so they come out warm. Paired with Single O coffee, it's the kind of one-two punch dreams are made of.

16 Princes Street, Turramurra, flourshop.com.au

Lode Pies

So many lockdowns, so many lockdown bakeries, but Federico Zanellato (LuMi, Restaurant Leo) was one of the first to roll his success into a bricks and mortar business. Sure, the lead act is a pithivier – a riff on a LuMi pie dish that's perfectly golden and stuffed with Berkshire pork – but sweets are where the real fun lies. Think brioche au craquelin, ultra-crackly laminated pains au chocolat and turnovers stuffed with peanuts, frangipane and caramelised banana. Swoon.

478 Crown Street, Surry Hills, lodepies.com

All Purpose Bakery

It's a very COVID thing to operate a ghost bakery, but with Mat Lindsay and Russell Beard yet to throw the doors open at AP, their goods are gracing the counters at Paramount Coffee Project and Reuben Hills instead. Baker Dougal Muffet is combining the sort of slow-grain, slow-ferment attitude you'd expect of a Lindsay venture, with a smart follow-through extending to buttermilk croissants, pistachio and rhubarb danishes and dark-crusted bread with a difference.

32 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, apbakery.com.au

Humble Bakery

The new ace in the hole for the Porteño crew, smack bang in the middle of a precinct they've made their own. Humble does proper bread, turns it into sandwiches with the sort of fillings only they could dream up (Cape Grim short-rib! Chimmichurri! Russian dressing!) then backs it up with a treacle tart and a pink, buttery finger bun to go double on.

50 Holt Street, Surry Hills, humblesydney.com

Home Croissanterie

Home Croissanterie is one of a few outstanding digital-only bakeries to spring out of the pandemic, but with a website replacing an Instagram-only system, it feels like a matter of time before Ben Lai goes analogue. The former software engineer does a few flavours, plus a few extras outside of croissants (eyes on the osmanthus kouign-amman), all with proper crackle and crunch. We're not saying this is Sydney's own shot at a home-grown Lûne, but if one engineer can do, maybe we can dare to dream.

homecroissanterie.com

Marta Bakery

Marta's lockdown project was a big deal. So much so that they're keeping their Roman bakery rolling now things have opened up. Walk up to the window to load up on maritozzi (those sweet brioche buns split down the middle and filled with whipped cream), Lariano-style sourdough, and crisp sfogliatelle filled with citrus custard or Nutella.

30 McLachlan Avenue, Rushcutters Bay, marta.com.au

Pioik

A high-achieving Pyrmont local where Shady Wasef has built a following that sees his loaves and pastries grace tables at Alberto's Lounge, Aria and Firedoor (fermented by Wasef, finished with fire by Lennox Hastie). That's all well and good, but what's even better is grabbing twists, rolls, simits and scrolls straight from the counter, and throwing in a killer egg sandwich to boot.

176-178 Harris Street, Pyrmont, pioikbakery.com.au

Tokyo Lamington

A specialty bakery that was never meant to be in Australia, COVID brought Min Chai (ex-N2 Gelato) and Eddie Stewart (ex-Black Star) back to Sydney where they launched Tokyo Lamington in Newtown. The result? Flavour upon flavour of the signature, ranging from honey macadamia and white chocolate to butter popcorn with sprinkles. But wait, is that a Japanese curry pie? Miso eggplant focaccia? Onigiri? The range here is wide, deep and delicious.

277 Australia Street, Newtown, tokyolamington.com

Cherry Moon General Store

With a hand-built wood oven named Apollonia, Cherry Moon starts with a personal touch most bakeries can't even dream of. It's the relationship between owner-baker Kimmy Gastmeier and her hearth that means the signature fig-leaf sourdough has as much character as the gnarly ficelles and bubbly focaccia. Dedication you can't taste.

77 Nelson Street, Annandale, cherrymoongeneralstore.com.au

Lorraine's Patisserie

With so many new bakers on the scene there's something to be said for a classic, and it doesn't come more classic – or committed – than Lorraine's. Stroll past early one evening, and odds are you'll see her working solo, prepping or packing down, day after day. The results – lemon tarts in crusty puff, feather-light NY cheesecake, truly classic croissants – speak for themselves.

Shop 5, Palings Lane, 320 George Street, merivale.com/venues/lorrainespatisserie