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Best Cottage loaf in Sydney

“Two round loaves stacked, smaller on top: a shape possibly born from saving space in old bread ovens.”

Cottage loaf

What the real thing tastes like

A cottage loaf is a traditional type of bread originating in England. The loaf is characterised by its shape, which is essentially that of two round loaves, one on top of the other, with the upper one being smaller: the shape is similar to that of the French brioche à tête and the pain chapeau of Finistère. The origins of the name and shape are unknown but possibly extend back hundreds of years. Elizabeth David, who described the cottage loaf in her English Bread and Yeast Cookery, surmised that the shape may have arisen as a way of saving 'floor space' in old-fashioned bread ovens. The name, however, did not first appear in writing until the mid-nineteenth century. It was formerly possible to find an oblong version, known as a "cottage brick", and common in the London area. Cottage loaves, while formerly common, are now rarely found in bakeries, as they are relatively time-consuming and difficult to make, and in common with other round loaves are less convenient for slicing into con

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A cottage loaf is a distinctly English bread with a stacked silhouette—one round loaf sitting atop a slightly larger one, like a baker's tower. The shape possibly emerged as a clever spatial solution in old brick ovens, though nobody knows for certain. What was once common in British bakeries has grown rare, edged out by more practical forms, since these loaves demand time, skill, and awkward slicing.

Order it here when it has

  • characterful, unusual shape
  • historically rooted in practical baking
  • formerly widespread across England

Walk away when you see

  • rarely found in modern bakeries
  • difficult and time-consuming to produce
  • inconvenient for slicing to uniform sizes

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