Bakeries & Delis

Your 2021 Guide To Melbourne’s Best Sourdough Bread

By Claryss Kuan
24th Jun 2021

A shot of a loaf of sourdough in a paper bag.

Sourdough has always been a big component of the daily diet but recently it's had a moment during the baking craze of lockdown, and it’s easy to see why. The crackle of a good crunchy loaf with the softness of the spongy bread inside just hits different, especially dipped into a homemade soup or whipped up as a sanga.

If you’ve given up on your homemade sourdough starter and are keen to find the best sourdough Melbourne has to offer—and let's be honest, it'll almost definitely be whatever you've made during 2020—look no further. 

Falco Bakery

COLLINGWOOD

This is one of the best sourdough Melbourne has—Falco’s Country Loaf. Baked to golden brown crispiness, this crumbly bread is best served in any of Falco’s signature sandwiches, either as it is or toasted to perfection. Head baker and co-owner Christine Tran, who honed her craft at the likes of Loafer and Tivoli Road Bakery. Christine has brought this bakery to new heights with her bread-making skills, transforming this airy cafe into a Melbourne staple. 

Ned's Bake 

SOUTH YARRA

Brought about by Ned Radojcic, a former aircraft engineer with a passion for bread, Ned’s Bake reflects that passion by showcasing their homemade artisan loaves. Definitely a disgrace to not sample their beautifully scored and flour-dusted heritage sourdough ‘Chef’s Loaves’, along with their array of light rye bread and olive grissini sticks. The oven-baked beauties are proudly displayed in the cafe’s windows so you can catch a glimpse of one of the best sourdough Melbourne has on offer whenever you’re strolling past. 

Baker Bleu

CAULFIELD NORTH

A delicious assortment of some of the best sourdough in Melbourne are on the shelves at Baker Bleu. Alongside stocking some of Melbourne’s top restaurants, their range includes a light caraway seeded rye sourdough, a diversity loaf filled with ancient and heritage grains, and a raisin and pecan white sourdough batard. You’ll be able to easily satisfy those sourdough cravings with this range. Also try their feta croissant leavened with sourdough starter and full of parmesan, feta and ricotta cheese. 

Loafer Bread

FITZROY NORTH

This warm North Fitzroy bakery/takeaway cafe is a definite mention for the list of best sourdough in Melbourne. Take your pick from Loafer’s popular grainy loaves, the original overnight sourdough bread or try something different with their rye and smoked salt chocolate. Grab a loaf to go or have a seat under the iconic blue banner in the sunshine. 

Tivoli Road Bakery

SOUTH YARRA

Tivoli Road Bakery’s signature stone-ground sourdough is an essential loaf in Melbourne's bread scene, be on the lookout for their Baker’s Special sourdough loaves throughout the week as well. Dark-baked to ensure a caramelised crust and chewy interior, these sell out fast, so get one alongside their iconic lemon curd doughnuts and top-notch coffee at this contemporary cafe-slash-bake house.

Woodfrog Bakery

ST KILDA

Choose between a darker blend of sourdough mixed with wholemeal wheat, rye and barley flour or a sourdough pumpkin loaf with linseed and soaked soybeans with Woodfrog Bakery’s wide selection of sourdough bread. They’ve also got a densely packed fruit sourdough loaf for a sweeter touch, a golden crust Kalamata and green olive-filled bread, as well as aged sourdough bagels topped with two varieties of seeds. 

Dench Bakers

FITZROY NORTH

One of the only Melbourne bakeries offering a fully organic sourdough range, Dench Bakers mix up their rye and wheat flours to create six stunning sourdough loaves with distinct flavours. With choices between their signature grain loaf, wholemeal rye sourdough, and stone-ground wheat flour sourdough bread with Australian green and black Manzanilla olives folded in.

Baker D. Chirico

SOUTH YARRA

Dedicated to baking some of the best bread and sourdough in Melbourne, Baker D. Chirico has sourdough loaves that can be smelt from miles away. Accompanying their white sourdough, the famed Casalinga Bianco, are signature Chirico cannolis, Bombolinis and nougat. This is Daniel Chirico’s third store following the Carlton and St Kilda bakeries, so swing by and pick up a freshly baked loaf anytime. 

Rustica Sourdough Bakery And Cafe

SOUTH YARRA

Rustica’s South Yarra store combines its wholesale bakery with a large seated cafe space that provides the perfect spot to sample the goods. With a unique three to four-day fermentation process, there’s choices from organic white sourdough, olive with fresh basil to a delicate soy, pumpkin and sesame seed loaf. Plenty of options to keep you mix things up from slice to slice.

Wild Life Bakery

BRUNSWICK EAST

San Francisco's famous Tartine Bakery was the inspiration for this spacious warehouse bakery, which now serves up some of the best sourdough in Melbourne. Wild Life Bakery has fresh off-white and multi-seed sourdough loaves, along with a Tartine-influenced oat porridge sourdough complete with a zesty tang. Don’t forget one of their signature vegetarian toasties as well.

Ovens Street Bakery

BRUNSWICK

This micro-bakery delivers some of the best sourdough that Melbourne wakes up early for,
Pain Au Levain fermented overnight and made white, or with polenta, linseed, rye flour or a combination of different types of flour.
Ovens Street Bakery also has Pączkis, a Polish sour plum jam-filled doughnut deep-fried and rolled in sugar, a sweet treat to grab alongside your loaf. 

Sourdough Kitchen

SEDDON

If you’re looking for something different, Sourdough Kitchen has sourdough based croissants to add to their ever-growing list of organic baked goods. From pumpkin, rye and olive loaves to the flaky sourdough chocolate croissant, their next level brunch items and affordable prices are enough to see why this is a favourite local hang. 

After more bakery goods? Check out Melbourne's best sausage rolls

Image credit: supplied 

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