Ettalong bakery wins prizes in national competition

An Ettalong bakery has won two prizes in the recent 2020 National Artisan Baking Competition held on August 26.

The competition was held in Sydney at the Randwick Racecourse and organised by the Baking Association of Australia with a total of 26 bakeries taking part.

Sasa Bakery was awarded second place in the Traditional White Sourdough Class and third place in the Open Sourdough Class for their olive bread.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, contestants had to pre-bake their bread and bring the finished product to the competition, where it was tasted and judged by a panel of experts.

Co-owner Mr Daniele Del Castillo said the bakery specialised in artisan sourdough, European pastries and handmade Sicilian cannoli, and focused on traditional baking practices.

"Sasa Bakery is inspired by the bakeries that are in Italy, the way I think bakeries should be," Mr Del Castillo said.

"The majority of things are done in house, by hand, and avoiding pre-prepared bags and ingredients."

Mr Del Castillo and his wife Orly Primov opened the bakery two years ago after their cannoli and sourdough became quite popular at weekend markets.

Originally from Sicily, Mr Del Castillo has tried to recreate the Sicilian flavours that he remembers from his childhood with the local ingredients on the Central Coast.

SOURCE:

Media release, 31 Aug 2020

Interview (Hayley McMahon), 2 Sep 2020

Daniele Del Castillo, Sasa Bakery