Lumos, a new bakery in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, is baking the latest contribution to the city’s kooky croissant trend – a shell-like pastry enveloping a fudgy brownie.

Carina La Delfa, creator of what we’re calling the crownie, says it’s one way she hopes to make her mark on the city’s accomplished viennoiserie scene.

“It’s fantastic that bakeries have opened all over Melbourne – the standard has skyrocketed. I think as well, people expect more and more.”

She’s delivering in spades, particularly with two savoury pastries. One is a chilli and cheese twist using her own fermented chilli paste, and the other is a ham and cheese croissant amped up with confit garlic.

After spending two-plus years as head baker at the Hamptons Bakery and, before that, as a pastry chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Press Club and Gazi, the young baker decided she was ready to fill a gap for artisan bread in her own neighbourhood, opening Lumos.

La Delfa has made responsible sourcing a priority, buying all her flour from Provenance, a NSW operation that sources flour from single farms, drawing a clear line from producers to bakers.

Blown away by Provenance’s rye flour, she decided to make rye baguettes, instead of traditional white bread sticks. Later, she’ll add sandwiches, served on the bakery’s white and wholemeal sourdough.

The shop, at the base of new apartments, is marked by its teal and pink palette, with details such as reeded timber counters. A large communal table seats 10 and coffee is by Blackburn roastery Symmetry.

Open Wed-Sun 7am-3pm.

Shop 3 & 4, 240-250 McKinnon Road, McKinnon, lumosbakery.com.au

#1000 Bread

Square croissants have also been spotted at CBD shop #1000 Bread – and all over TikTok, too.

Users film themselves tearing the pastry cubes apart to reveal custard fillings such as matcha, strawberry or Biscoff. That particular flavour even comes topped with a whole biscuit.

The rest of the shelves showcase caneles, cinnamon scrolls, Portuguese-style custard tarts, earl grey and cream cheese buns, pretzels and pumpkin bread. There is a mix of self-serve cabinets and glass-fronted displays from which staff pluck the unusual treats.

Open Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

315 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Mork

Hot chocolate maestros Mork are making more room in the spotlight for their sister business Sot and its baked goods at their new Queen Victoria Market shop.

Cinnamon buns are baked on-site at the corner store, situated inside the market’s photogenic Dairy Hall, perhaps the area of the market that gets the most footfall. It’s just a stone’s throw from North Melbourne, where Kiril Shaginov and Josefin Zernell founded Mork 11 years ago.

The aroma of their famed hot chocolate drinks will greet shoppers, including a spiced chocolate made with macadamia milk and the marshmallow-topped Campfire Hot Chocolate.

Baked treats on offer include caramelised hazelnut cake, yuzu and pistachio bundt cake, twice-baked chocolate cake, and Sweden’s golden syrup biscuits, kolasnittar.

Open Tue, Thu & Fri 6.30am-3pm, Sat 6.30am-4pm, Sun 8.30am-4pm.

Shop 51-54, Dairy Hall, Queen Victoria Market, Therry Street, Melbourne, morkchocolate.com.au