A field guide to the pastry counter
Different bakeries specialise in different pastry families, so it helps to know where to look:
- French bakeries – croissants, pains au chocolat, pains aux raisins, chaussons aux pommes
- Patisseries – éclairs, fruit tarts, millefeuille, Paris-Brest
- Scandinavian bakeries – Danish pastries, cinnamon and cardamom buns
- Portuguese bakeries – pastéis de nata and other custard pastries
- Italian bakeries – sfogliatelle, cannoli, cornetti
- Turkish and Middle Eastern bakeries – baklava, börek, fatayer
- Traditional British bakers – sausage rolls, Eccles cakes, cream horns, custard slices
Fresh or frozen?
Many coffee shops and some bakeries bake pastries from frozen dough produced in a factory. This is not necessarily bad – some frozen products are excellent – but pastries laminated and shaped by hand in the bakery tend to have more flavour, more irregular layers and a deeper bake. Asking 'Do you make your pastries here?' is perfectly normal, and a proud baker will be happy to answer.