Proserpina Bakehouse, Sassafras by Bureaucrat

Up in the mountains, way up high, a new bakery has opened, in leafy Sassafras.  The space that was formerly a nursery has transformed into a series of small shops (local artwork, jewellery and the like) that are housed in shipping containers, and right in the middle of it is the deliciously enticing Proserpina Bakehouse.

Pissaladiere with onions, white anchovies, olives and parsley

While I'm told through local gossip that the established eateries in Sassafras were not too pleased with the arrival of the newcomer (too much competition, they feared), I and the locals are ecstatic about Proserpina Bakehouse.  Think: real yeasty flavoursome bread; pastries; sourdough; vegan bread; gorgeous fresh salads; pies; pizza slices; cakes; hand-squeezed juices... In other words, heaven!  

There's a lot of choices on offer and everything is made fresh. Gorgeous handmade, proper yumminess. And these gorgeous deliciousness do sell out, as I had found out the first time I had come to Proserpina Bakehouse in the late afternoon.

There's plenty of seating both inside and outside.  There's a lovely sheltered outdoor nook with cushions; and inside, it's airy and light, with the sun streaming through the windows. I especially love the cathedral ceiling and the plants and flowers dotted around the place.

 There's also a well-stocked section that's filled with gourmet goodies and cooking paraphernalia.

I needed a light lunch before my massage and so I opted for one of the pizza slices.  There were about four flavours on the day and surprisingly, I went for the vegetarian one (eschewing the salami one... crazy, I know!).  But the lack of salami didn't detract from the veggie pizza.  This was served warm and, my god, I loved the chewy, flavoursome pizza base... there was a nice thin crispness from the olive oil.  Gorgeous!  It was studded with a goodly amount of firm but pleasantly squashy zucchini, potato and semi-dried tomatoes.  Yummy!

I also ordered a chai latte.  This was disappointing on two fronts.  First, I didn't like the blend of chai they had used - it was rather heavy on the tea leaves and light on with the spices, which made the latte rather bitter.

Second, it turns out that Proserpina do not have takeaway cups. According to a comment from a reader, which I'm assuming was left by the owners of Proserpina (see below), they do not provide take away cups because of the impact they have on land fill and the planet.  Customers are able to bring their own cup if they want a take away coffee.

Verdict

We loved it.

Cheap eats.

Overall

Notwithstanding the latte, I do love the food.  Next time (and there will be a next time!), I'll be trying out a few of the sweet treats on offer.  My advice is to go early so you have the pick of all the yumminess before they are sold out.

Find it at

Proserpina Bakehouse
361 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road
Sassafras VIC 3787
Phone: (03) 9755 3332