What should we know about Brown Bag Bakery?
Set in the Roselawn Shopping Centre in Dublin 15 (with the world's most under-rated signage), Brown Bag Bakery has been a very welcome addition to the humble suburb of Blanchardstown. They bake everything fresh in house, specialising in sourdough breads and pastries, and the coffee is from Groundwork, roasted in Celbridge.
Their minimal interior shouts substance over style, with an exposed kitchen at the back allowing punters to see (in the words of MTV's Cribs) where the magic happens.
What did you have?
As with any bakery worth their yeast, one must get there early because, you know, FOMO. We nipped over around lunch time and were still able to sample quite a few of their pastries, but missed a trick with the bread, with only ciabatta and soda left. More on that later.
Everyone knows cardamom buns are da bomb dot com and Brown Bag Bakery's version was well balanced with plenty of spice, not too dense and oh so buttery.
It's very hard to say no to a cinnamon roll, but the shiny pecans glistening atop the sticky pecan bun was enough for us to divert our usual course of action. The bun was stuffed with flavour, so fluffy, and the caramelised nuts on top gave it all the crunchy texture contrast. Another winner.
A bread and butter pudding wouldn't be most people's first choice, even on a dessert menu, but it came highly recommended from the friendly staff. Ours had chunks of apple and cinnamon throughout, with the caramelised sugar on top giving a sweet finish with crunch. This one is slightly more on the dense side, but that didn't slow the demolishing.
Of course we had to try the humble scone. No complaints on the buttery, crumbly quality, but the lack of jam and butter provided missed a trick, so one to take home and dress yourself.
For bread we were between the soda or the ciabatta, and went with the latter which is a truly beautiful specimen - airy and fluffy, with a chewy crust. We genuinely thought about getting a slab of Kerry Gold in the neighbouring Tesco and finishing the loaf there and then.
Are there seats?
There are four tables outside the shop, but if you're not hanging around they'll box them up for you to bring home. There's a four for €12.50 deal so plan accordingly.
What is there to drink?
They've got Groundwork on grind, and on the warm day we visited, they whipped it into one of the best iced lattes we've had in a while. They also have matcha, chai, and make their vanilla syrup in house.
Why should I go?
Brown Bag Bakery is another stellar bakeshop to join Dublin's rapidly expanding list. Factor it into your next trip to Blanchardstown shopping centre, or heck, it's worth the trek if you're not a lucky local.
Brown Bag Bakery
Roselawn Shopping Centre, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
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