This Panmure microbakery makes soft pretzels to cross town for

bakery

11 Jul

Written By Antony

POP INTO PANMURE - SYLVIA’S

Where to find the the best soft pretzels in Auckland is a question that has cropped up frequently in the Lazy Susan community – it seems the Susans have a bit of a penchant for the German twisted bread wearing a deep golden shiny coat, with the just-so chew that greets the teeth upon biting in.

As an answer to said question, ‘Sylvia’s Bakery in Panmure’ is an answer that appears over and over – the bakery’s eponymous owner bakes a version worth crossing town for. It pays to do a little planning before you go, because Sylvia’s is a petite operation with limited opening times from Thursday to Sunday – and items can sell out quickly. Sylvia Ruhl herself is also still busy baking to fill the shelves and cabinet throughout the morning, so according to her, arriving between 9am and 10am will give you the best chance of eyeing up her full collection. If you’re wanting a specific or large order, Sylvia says phone ahead.

Sylvia grew up in Brandenburg on the outskirts of Berlin, and moved to Ireland in her early twenties, which is where she trained as a baker. Following her daughter, she emigrated to New Zealand ten years ago and initially opened her bakery in Remuera before shifting to Panmure in 2018. The bakery is a one-woman operation, with Sylvia arriving in the wee hours to get underway, and continuing to bake in between serving early bird customers.

SIGNATURE DISH – Plenty of customers come especially for the pretzels, which dangle temptingly on a board at the left end of the counter. The plain version is what the purists are after, but it’s also very hard not to add a cheese pretzel or two to the order – the golden, crisp-baked cheese extends out from the knot of bread like an umami doily. Soft pretzels are characterised by a dark golden exterior with a distinct sheen – an alkaline bath before they go in the oven is the secret.

Sylvia’s loaves range from sturdy rye sourdough to the cake-ish hefezopf, a plaited bread enriched with egg, butter, milk and sugar.

On any given day the sweet treats might include delights such as apple streusel crumble cake, blueberry frangipane tart, almond slices, and if you’re lucky to arrive at the right time, plump Berliner doughnuts filled with plum jam or custard. In German culture, says Sylvia, cake is not reserved for a special treat or treated as a dessert. “It’s more something to fill you up and tide you over between meals, whether in the morning or in the afternoon”, says Sylvia. That sounds like a tradition I could easily adopt.