Our Daily Bread in Zagreb

Zagreb's abundance of bakeries filled with all sorts of baked goodies probably strikes every traveller's eye. Bakeries have recently become Croatian fast food number one. When you need a snack, a quick bite, breakfast or lunch or late night comfort to go, a bakery is there to save you.

“The richness of bakeries in Zagreb.” Image credit: Pekara Dubravica FB

When I was a kid, it wasn't quite like that. There were a few big socialist bakeries, more like factories, and lots of little privately owned neighbourhood bakeries. The number of available products was much smaller and everything was simpler, more modest. There were several kinds of bread, several kinds of rolls, a few pastries, like buhtla (sweet bun filled with jam) or krafna (doughnut). Strudels, piroshki or sausage rolls were a rare sight. Over the years, bakeries have slowly been extending their selection, becoming more creative and ambitious, adding more and more items to their menus. The boom that we are witnessing today started maybe a decade ago. And the economic crisis in late 2000s really helped the baking business flourish.

“Sourdough bread from Korica bakery.” Image credit: Korica FB

The largest segment of the market is now taken by a few big bakery chains, whose logos and shops will follow you wherever you go, either in downtown Zagreb or in distant suburbs. Small neighbourhood bakeries still exist, but the ones that did not go extinct, had to adapt and evolve. Although the selection and diversity of bakery products is bigger than ever today, sometimes it seems that consumerism has killed the old-school art of baking. You can find dozens of kinds of an ordinary loaf of bread, with walnuts, chia seeds, olives, dried tomatoes, whatnot. Yet, this huge selection is making you nostalgic for the good old bread from your childhood. Most of the things are mass-produced, uniformed. Are there any exceptions to the rule? Yes, but you have to scratch the surface.

“At Trajković bakery they know what they are doing since 1925.” Image credit: Pekara Trajković FB

So, let’s take a look at two very different types of the baking establishments in Zagreb, both very unique and interesting, although on totally opposite sides of the spectrum. What they have in common is dedication to real, artisan baking, using only the basic natural ingredients. One comes from the past, cherishing tradition and stubbornly refusing to conform to trends; the other is very new, but follows up on that same tradition, adjusted to modern audiences.

“Pretzels from Trajković bakery, a trip down the memory lane.” Image credit: Taste of Croatia

Trajković bakery in Nova ves Street is just a simple neighbourhood bakery, but many people from far away visit it regularly. When you set foot in it, it’s like time stopped long ago. No wonder, opened in 1925, this is the oldest still-running bakery in the city. It’s only the only one still using a steam-powered oven. In the old days, this area had several watermills on Medveščak stream and was known for bakers. Like in the bakeries of my childhood, its list of products is small and simple, but fresh and delicious. Trajković pretzels, rolls and slanci (salt-topped buns) work like a time machine.

“Artisan croissants from Korica bakery.” Image credit: Korica FB

Korica artisan bakery in Preradovićeva Street opened only a couple of months ago. The movement of craft bakeries is on the rise in the whole world, so the timing is perfect. It may look like just another hipster nest, but the people behind Korica really respect the craft of baking and want to do the best possible products using only natural ingredients, doing everything by hand and taking it slowly. Apart from bread, they are making a number of fine pastries, like brioches, croissants, pies, which you can also enjoy sitting in the bakery.

“Sweet and yummy brioche from Korica bakery.” Image credit: Korica FB

It’s hard to imagine bread as we know it today used to be a luxury in the past. There’s an old Croatian saying htjeti kruha preko pogače. Literally it means to prefer leavened bread over flat bread, which refers to not being satisfied with what you got, but wanting something extra. Kruh, bread made with a leavening agent like yeast, was precious, for special occasions only. I guess my message here is - don’t ever take bread for granted.

Header image credit: Taste of Croatia

Author: Taste of Croatia