A Hidden Treasure

Tucked away in the industrial part of Rotorua is the best and worst kept secret for lunch: Ciabbata Bakery. Owners Sue and Alex Burge are famous for their amazing Ciabatta and Foccacia loaves, which take some 40 hours to create. One you have selected the bread that takes your fancy, you can choose any number of fillings (the sous vide lamb was outrageously good!), with salads and dressings.

Originally from Switzerland, master baker Alex has created a fantastic business in support of the slow food revolution. Bread has developed something of a reputation in recent years as the enemy of dieters and the health conscious, but Alex disagrees. “Most bread is made so fast, that it doesn’t have time to undergo the important chemical processes,” he says. “Our bread takes time to chew, it is not gone in a few mouthfuls. If bread can be eaten so fast, it can cause problems with digestion.” 

He is passionate about his product and speaks with the knowledge of a food chemist! “It is not about following a recipe,” he says. “It is about knowing the quantities and ratios of ingredients, and using the very best flour.” The amount of love and dedication that goes into making each loaf (40 hours per batch of dough, compared to just one hour for some commercial-prepared loaves available in supermarkets) is reflected in the quality. “I’d like to see artisan bread treated similarly to champagne,” he says. “You can only call it champagne if it comes from a certain region and is produced a certain way. I see so many breads called artisan and they are not!”

Alex and Sue run artisan bread making classes in a specially designed kitchen next to the bakery. “After a class, you should be able to create your own loaf, without a recipe. Each ciabatta should have its own personality and markings, not be covered in flour!"

Oddly for a bakery, there are a number of paleo-friendly items on the menu (including coffee). There used to be a Crossfit Gym next door and the regular patrons put in special requests for treats and meals that suited their diet. The Paleo brownie, florentine and coffee flourished (I tried the paleo-ccino, made with coconut milk and cacao powder – it was delicious and actually served as a kind of dessert; very rich and creamy. Through the winter months, the paleo goulash is flying out the door, not only with gym-goers.

On the subject of coffee, if you feel like a dessert and coffee combined, the Banoffee Coffee is outstanding – it felt a bit like a creation from Willy Wonka – full of flavours that changed as the cup emptied – banana, cream, coffee and caramel.

For the more traditional bakery fare, I was delighted to see cronuts and streudel (it was so cold outside – there’s nothing like a delicious pastry to warm you up!) From his culinary training days in Switzerland, Alex also makes swiss dressing for sale, at the request of his regular customers.

The locals in Rotorua all nodded knowingly when I said I’d been to a great bakery – ‘oh Ciabatta, yeah, it’s the best.’ Trip Advisor ranks it as number one in Rotorua!

The location is out of the way, but the welcome at Ciabatta Bakery is warm and sincere. They weren’t expecting us, but made us feel so incredibly welcome, that we decide to go back the next day as well. 

It’s worth the detour off the main street, even if you are only passing through Rotorua. Click here for more information.

GrownUps was the grateful guest of Ciabatta Bakery for lunch