Real Bread Week: Here's our pick of local bakers who bake artisanal breads in Mumbai

From February 18 to 26, Real Bread Week celebrates additive-free bread. On cue, we spotlight local bakers spreading the love for artisanal slices

Western Suburbs

The dough-getters

From their lemon glazed donuts to sourdough focaccia with black olives and cherry tomato, Suchali’s Artisan Bakehouse shows up on this bread-lover’s order history quite frequently. Led by Suchali Jain (in pic, right) and Mitali Singh (left), the venture delivers across various parts of the city. Apart from cafés in Delhi and Kolkata, they now also have one in Bandra.

“I’ve always loved bread, and back in 2014-15, artisanal bread was only available in five-star hotels. Travelling across Europe made me realise that the sheer variety of breads there should be made available in India,” shares Jain, while Singh adds, “We wish to make authentic, naturally leavened sourdough easily available.” They offer a host of options — bagels, blueberry cheesecake croissants, sourdough baguette, sourdough brioche and more.  
At: Shop 7, New Kantwadi Road, Bandra
Log on to: suchalisartisanbakehouse.com
Average cost: Rs 180 to Rs 270 (website)

Rise and shine

Music composer Aditya Trivedi’s love for sourdough shines in the impassioned lowdown he gives us on the artisanal, hand-mixed, long-drawn process. The baker-composer, who shuttles between Goa and Mumbai (Juhu), fell for pain au levain while helping his foreigner friends set up shop. The art and science of baking at Flour Power Bakeria is rooted in the traditional French process that employs wild sourdough culture. From activated charcoal sourdough, turmeric-spiced loaves and a pretty blue matcha variant, to walnut and raisins country sourdough, and spirulina sourdough, there’s much to choose from. “We bake only three-four days in a week as it takes almost 48 hours to bake one loaf. I only use heritage grains, coming from close to Kashmir,” he adds.
Log on to: @flourpowerbakeria
Average cost: Rs 200 to Rs 650

Slice of health

Slices by Duggall

Like many, entrepreneur Pallavee Rajniesh Duggall’s tryst with sourdough started in the lockdown. “Whenever I would travel out of India, I would try sourdough. The lockdown gave me the time to make it for my family. The science behind it, and that it’s a gut-healthy bread, enamoured me,” shares Duggall.

At Andheri-based Weirdough The Artisan Baker, she offers plain, seeded, jalapeño and cheddar, quinoa sourdoughs, among a vast range of options. Sourdough cinnamon knots, tomato and cheese galettes, sourdough cakes and cookies are also available on the menu. “COVID-19 taught us to become conscious eaters. We use the most organic ingredients. We also plan to add more sprouted millets and make the range healthier,” she adds.
Log on to: @hello_weirdough
Average cost: Rs 400 to Rs 700

Eastern Suburbs

Raising the bar

Before culinary arts graduate Rachi Gupta started The Bread Bar, a small deli and dine-in space in Chembur, there weren’t many bakeries making fresh bread in the suburb. “I wanted to open a space that gave Mumbaikars the small bakery experience that you’d get outside India.” She whips up four types of sourdough, bagels, gluten-free millet bread, baguettes, ciabatta, brioche and more, that can be enjoyed over a hot cuppa.
At: Unit 2, Shah Industrial Estate, Chembur
Log on to: @thebreadbar_
Average cost: Rs 200 to Rs 300

Millets on her mind

Sourdough baking suits Smita Shankar’s personality, who likes to work by herself. “It’s such a meditative process. It lets you be,” shares the Powai-based founder of The HappyGut Microbakery who has worked at Mag St. Bread Co. “I love to bake with millets and whole grains,” notes the baker who offers whole wheat, millet burst, super seeded breads, alongside sandwich loaves and focaccias. 
Log on to: @the.happygut.microbakery on Instagram
Average cost: Rs 350 to Rs525

Beyond Mumbai

Croissant connection

Sisters Jessica and Kadambari Lobo are baking up a storm in Vasai with The Bread Next Door, where their croissants sell like hot cakes. The founders of The Cake Next Door added bread to their menu roughly two years ago.

Jessica has trained at Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts in Bengaluru and also worked at the now-shuttered Qualia in Lower Parel. “Croissants are our big draw. We also take orders for sourdough, baguettes, ciabatta, stuffed buns, and pies,” she says.
Log on to: @thebreadnextdoor2021
Average cost: Rs 130 to 200 (for croissants)

South Mumbai

Bun time

The aroma of Ayesha Mehta’s wildly popular Korean cream cheese buns (in pic, right) travels well beyond Chowpatty, where she’s based. A passion for food since childhood led her to Le Cordon Bleu in London, and later, prompted her to set up Flour Power.

“People today want organic, freshly-baked bread. We operate on a pre-order system only which allows us to do that,” shares Mehta, whose repertoire includes bagels, jalapeño cheese braids, pesto cheese babkas, donuts, and more.
Log on to: @flourpowerbyam
Average cost: Rs 100 to Rs 800

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