FEATURE: BREAD

Rising up

Bread has evolved from its pre-meal status.

WORDS Amy Northcott

PHOTOGRAPHY Jiwon Kim for Itō

MOST MENUS LIST a form of bread to get things started. It’s a staple carb in a number of cuisines and a fuss-free way for guests to begin a meal. But bread has evolved far beyond a handful of torn-up pieces in a metal basket. Chefs are highly attuned to the role the unofficial starter plays in a guest’s dining experience — it’s the first bite of what’s to come, a vessel for mopping up sauces later on, and a means for chefs to flex their baking skills.

To find out more about the evolution of bread on the menu, Hospitality speaks with Eric Shane Ortolani from Sydney’s Itō, Shane Wilson from Adelaide’s Anchovy Bandit, and Charley Snadden-Wilson from Melbourne’s Clover Wine.

Japanese–Italian eatery Itō has become known for its shio kombu bread masterminded by Head Chef Erik Shane Ortolani. The chef notes bread’s natural role as a starter on the menu, but also believes it is an introduction to the culinary direction of the overall venue. “Itō serves delicious and unassuming dishes with a fusion twist and our bread reflects that: a subtle European kick to Asian techniques,” he says.

Ortolani first experimented with Japanese-style milk bread when developing the menu, but it didn’t pan out. “I then decided to blend a rich brioche bun recipe with Chinese tangzhong [water roux] that would lock the moisture in and give a consistent and fluffy result,” says the chef. “I was really impressed with this version, especially because it’s straightforward and was better than other complicated recipes by miles.”

The process for the shio kombu bread starts a day prior when the team makes the dough. “We make a roux with milk and shio kombu to maximise the flavour,” says Ortolani. Yeast is then dissolved into warm milk before all the ingredients are combined in a stand mixer. The mixture is then proofed, knocked back, and shaped into 65g balls that rest until the following day. “We proof them in a warm corner of the kitchen and bake first thing every morning. We bake them until golden for around 25 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius.” The fluffy, brioche-style bread is served with CopperTree Farm’s cultured butter, which was selected for its complementary milky profile.

There’s a distorted idea of how easy bread is to make … [but] it is time-consuming. When you do make it, you really need to celebrate it.

– Charley Snadden-Wilson

Anchovy Bandit offers guests two bread options on its Italianinspired menu: sourdough focaccia served with cultured butter and wood-fired flatbread (a garlic iteration is also an option). An extended program of bread is also served at sister venue Bottega Bandito. “Over both sites we make focaccia, loaves, ciabatta, and a fruit loaf,” says Executive Chef Shane Wilson. “[It’s] all made from the same sourdough base recipe and starter. We also serve woodfired bread made [from] pizza dough (not sourdough), which is cooked to order in the pizza oven.”

Sourdough is made in large quantities and distributed across Anchovy Bandit and Bottega Bandito. “It starts in a large dough machine, which gets the gluten development started,” says Wilson. “The dough is then bulk fermented in large tubs and we give it a series of folds every half hour over about four hours. It is then shaped, and we let it proof slowly in the fridge overnight so it develops more of a sour flavour.” The following day, the bread is baked in the wood-fired oven using the leftover heat from dinner service the night before.

Wilson believes bread plays a vital function in providing familiarity on a menu. “I think bread gives people a sense of comfort and most guests look for it on a menu,” he says. The role of bread goes beyond a pre-dinner snack and can be dialled up with accompaniments or used as an addition to other dishes on the menu. “I love a bread offering that is interactive such as serving it with condiments or taking it to the table at a point in the dining experience where it really complements the other dishes.”

The chef suggests the bread be enjoyed with burrata, cured meats, and pastas — mopping up the sauce is very much encouraged at Anchovy Bandit. “For me, some snacks and maybe a crudo is where I would start,” he says. “Then you would move into pasta and pizza which is the main bread offering.” There’s also no denying the appeal of simplicity. Chefs produce cultured butter in-house, which takes three days to make. “We make [the butter] from fermenting cream with yoghurt and salt and leave it for about three days. Then we whip it, which gives us butter and buttermilk.”

Over in Melbourne, Clover Wine’s honey bread has collected a strong following since its debut on the wine bar’s bistro-style menu. The dish has evolved to its current form of sourdough seasoned with honey and herbes de Provence. Chef and Owner Charley Snadden-Wilson believes bread is a must on the table. “Practicality was probably my biggest starting point and a love of having bread on the table — it goes with everything,” he says. “Bread carries its way through a whole meal and will always be essential in my mind.”

Clover Wine’s early bread course was more akin to a French baguette but has now morphed into a lighter, fluffier option. The bread is baked in the venue’s custom-designed oven using residual heat from the previous night’s service.

“We do eight to 10 loads at a time in tins and it’s anywhere from a 14–24-hour ferment and a 30–40 minute bake,” says Snadden-Wilson. “We load them in with a big pan of water to create a bit of steam. By the time the bread cooks, we still have enough temperature to start a fire and be ready for lunch service.”

Bread is often a guest’s first impression of a venue and is something chefs should pay careful attention to. “You can judge so much from [a venue] if someone makes their bread,” says Snadden-Wilson. “It’s also about how they serve it, whether it’s hot, how it’s cut, and how they season the butter.” Bread is ultimately an indication of the overall ethos and approach a kitchen has. “I think it is a wonderful pretence for how much people care as well. There’s a distorted idea of how easy bread is to make … [but] it is time-consuming. When you do make it, you really need to celebrate it.”

Bread’s role has evolved from an expected starter on a menu to an indicator of a venue’s approach to cooking, making it a powerful medium on the menu.

• Itō’s bread derives from brioche with tangzhong

• Clover Wine’s honey bread has a strong following

• Anchovy Bandit sells takeaway bread

• is a familiar option and a way to introduce guests to a cuisine