A ‘house of sourdough’ opens in a hallowed bakery site in Melbourne’s north

The siblings behind Via Porta already run an all-day deli, bakehouse and Italian diner, but they’re just getting started. After opening Lucci cafe in Ivanhoe last year, the Cosentinos are taking on Northcote with a bakery that’s all about bread.

While Via Porta’s Hawthorn bakery focuses on pastries, this addition will be what chef Simon Cosentino describes as a “house of sourdough production”. Slated to open on June 16 in what was once a Christian Science church, which, until last year, housed All Are Welcome bakery, Via Porta’s arrival northside will be welcomed by locals missing their daily bread. (Nearby Calle is better known for its pastries.)

Simon and brother Ryan are the chefs of the sibling quartet, while Sarah designs their venues and Jonathan keeps front-of-house humming.

Making bread was always, quite literally, on the table for their business. “Growing up in an Italian family, it didn’t matter what else was on the table. There was always a lot of bread,” Simon says.

Housemade loaves have already popped up in brunch favourites at Lucci and Via Porta’s Mont Albert cafe, but eight varieties take centre stage at the new bakery.

Simon describes his ideal sourdough as earthy and lightly chewy, with lots of umami. Via Porta’s country loaf delivers all three, thanks to a blend of biodynamic rye, organic wholemeal and white flours, plus a 48-hour rise.

Kids are looked after with rectangular loaves of fruit, country and wholesome multigrain that’s made with seven seeds including dehydrated kibbled rye.

For grown-up tastes, round olive boules are studded with Toolunka Creek green olives marinated in garlic, chilli and citrus-infused olive oil. And a rustic fruit loaf holds seven dried fruits (apricots, dates, figs and more) macerated in orange puree and red wine, and warmed with ginger, cinnamon and clove.

As part of the dedication to sourdough, the kitchen also prepares Mediterranean-leaning pizza slices and a raft of sandwiches. Old-school ciabatta pulls double duty. It forms the base for pizzas, either pesto-topped with roasty eggplant, zucchini and capsicum or a tomato-based number of tuna and olives, and it also shows up in sangas. Pick between creamy chicken salad or spiced honey-glazed pumpkin.

Similarly, crusty baguettes serve as vessels for a pair of antipasti-led items: continental rolls and lunch plates piled high with cold cuts, pickles, marinated vegetables and ricotta. These join a compact menu of larger plates and Code Black coffee.

“Evolving into a more complete bakery is exciting. It’s a new chapter,” Simon says.

Bread sits pretty on a timber display behind a counter covered in hand-glazed tiles that Sarah imported from Italy. A separate glass cabinet houses the full range of pastries, which will be shuttled in from Hawthorn.

New creations include mushroom and parmesan twists glazed in spicy house-made XO sauce; crunchy morning buns stuffed with coconut biscuits and mango and passionfruit curd; and honey-glazed babkas braided with cinnamon and candied walnuts.

Via Porta is loved for its hospitality, and Simon hopes the new space will feel like “a second home”. It actually is for Sarah, who now lives within walking distance of the bakery and loves the neighbourhood.

“[Northcote’s] a pretty vibrant suburb,” says Simon. “It’s got a charisma about it that’s a bit different to the eastern suburbs but one we’re excited to connect with.”

190 High Street, Northcote, viaportabakehouse.com.au