In mid-2023, Layers made its debut in St Leonards, becoming a part of Sydney’s ever-expanding pastry landscape. Their pastries are crafted using a meticulous three to four-day pre-ferment bake process, ensuring a delectable, buttery flavour while maintaining a crisp and flaky texture.
Pastries are available from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM (or until sold out). The delightful and savoury fragrance of freshly baked pastries enveloped our senses the moment we entered the laneway where Layers is situated. We arrived just before noon and were greeted by a substantial queue that extended beyond the bakery’s entrance. Thankfully, to our pleasure, all but three of the pastries were still available.
Wildflower Honey & Seasalt ($8.00) – premium French butter with a drizzle of wildflower honey and a touch of sea salt.
This uncomplicated yet delightful pairing featured the floral hints of the honey harmonizing with the butter’s velvety richness, adding an earthy sweetness. The sea salt, on the other hand, accentuated the buttery essence. The result was a delightful interplay of flavours and textures—golden and crispy on the outside, yielding light and moist tenderness within.
Korean Bulgogi ($13.00) – beef marinated in sweet soy sauce, paired with mushrooms, onions, garlic, cheese, green onions, and sesame seeds.
This dish didn’t quite capture the traditional Bulgogi flavour. Instead, it prominently featured earthy mushrooms and the sweetness of onions. While the beef was present, its taste seemed rather understated, lacking the expected meatiness. The pastry, however, was expertly laminated with a satisfying crispness throughout.
Spicy Korean Pork ($13.00) – pan-fried pork marinated in gochujang, with garlic, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds.
This pastry offered a pleasantly robust level of spiciness thanks to the gochujang, delivering a distinct Korean flavour profile. It stood out with a more pronounced Korean essence compared to the bulgogi. The pastry was notably crisp, featuring well-defined layers, including the base, which retained its crisp texture.
Applewood Smoked Ham & Gruyere ($14.00) – slices of applewood smoked leg ham, gruyere cheese, and a housemade garlic bechamel sauce.
The pastry’s exterior provided a delightful, potato-chip-like crunch that was immensely satisfying. This golden, crispy exterior with the light and moist interior combined with the generous portions of ham and flavourful bechamel sauce, contributed to a delectable umami-rich experience. This was our favourite of the pastries.
We are delighted to witness the growth of Sydney’s pastry scene, and Layers’ commitment to detail is on par with the precision found in other establishments with Korean bakers that started with Buttercrumbs Croissant and was surpassed and perfected in Lode Pies and Pastries and Tenacious Croissant.
Layers is located at 96-97/545 Pacific Highway (entry via Clarke Lane off Oxley St), St Leonards NSW 2065.