Shadow Baking, Gelato Messina’s bakery counterpart, hosted a pop-up at Circa Espresso’s Back Stage on 29 September 2024, starting at 8 am. By shortly after 10 am, they had sold out. Naturally, we arrived bright and early to secure our treats.

Tarte Flambee Scroll ($10.00) –  scroll with smoked speck, sautéed onions, crème fraîche, and Comté cheese.

This pastry emitted a tempting umami aroma. On tasting, the outer pastry was crisp, though slightly overbaked, while the centre was somewhat under-risen, creating a dense, gluggy texture when combined with the crème fraîche. Despite this, the smoked speck, sautéed onions, and Comté delivered a rich, savoury flavour, though the pastry’s execution could have been improved.

Tomato & Mozzarella Danish ($10.00) – danish filled with baked ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, confit cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.

The pastry was again slightly darker than we’d prefer, but the classic combination of tomato, cheese, and basil shone through. The sun-dried and confit tomatoes added layers of sweetness and intensity, while the fresh basil provided a lively peppery note. The baked ricotta and mozzarella offered a creamy, savoury balance, making this pastry more successful than the previous pastry.

Mandarin and Macadamia Twice Baked Croissant ($10.00) – croissant filled with mandarin jam, macadamia frangipane and topped with vanilla cream and roasted macadamia.

The macadamia frangipane and mandarin jam worked well together, offering a bright mandarin flavour without the bitterness of marmalade. The vanilla cream added a pleasant contrast, and the roasted macadamias on top provided a satisfying crunch. However, the croissant itself, while crisp on the outside, lacked the rich, buttery flavour and tender interior that defines an exceptional croissant.

Pandan and Coconut Brioche ($9.00) – brioche bun filled with pandan custard, coconut chew, and topped with palm sugar crumble.

The pandan custard delivered a smooth, rich flavour with just the right amount of sweetness, complemented by the moist coconut chew. The palm sugar crumble added a nice crunch. However, the brioche was underwhelming, more cakey than soft and tender. Replacing the brioche with laminated pastry, as done in the version from Pantry Story, would have significantly elevated this pastry.

Custard Tart Danish ($9.00) – a croissant dough Danish filled with Heilala vanilla custard.

The pastry was crisp with a satisfying chew, holding the custard well without becoming soggy, which was impressive. The custard itself was thick and smooth, with a rich, authentic vanilla flavour, not overly eggy or jiggly—very enjoyable. That said, we preferred the bruléed miso version from Tenacious Bakery, which offered added depth from the miso and the bruléed top.

Milo and Caramel Tart ($10.00) – salted malt caramel and a baked Milo custard in a croissant tart shell.

The pastry was thin and crisp all around, including the base. The edges of the Milo custard had an enjoyable chewiness, while the rest melted into a rich, creamy malted chocolate flavour. Just as the sweetness started to feel overwhelming, the salted malt caramel provided a welcome balance, with its smooth and slightly runnier consistency.

Overall, while the flavours were complementary, we found the execution of the pastry lacking compared to other Sydney bakeries. Fabbrica Bread Shop, Home Croissanterie, Lode Pies and Pastries, Moon Phase, and Tenacious Bakehouse immediately come to mind, in no particular order, as examples of superior craftsmanship. It’s hard not to feel that much of the hype surrounding this bakery stems from the now (over)hyped reputation of Gelato Messina.

The Shadow Baking x Circa Espresso pop up took place on 29 September 2024, and was located at Back Stage, 21 Wentworth St, Parramatta NSW 2150.