Dough si Dough Sourdough Bakery

Dough si Dough Sourdough Bakery is the kind of small-town bakery that gives Strathfieldsaye, Victoria a reason to detour. It does a proper range of pies, sausage rolls and sweets, and the word around town is that the pastry is what keeps people coming back.

Pies are the main event. We've heard good things about the pepper steak pie in particular, and one visitor who's spent a long career in the baking trade made a point of saying the sausage rolls are better than anything they can find where they live now. The pastry gets described as light and flaky, and there's a mini pie for smaller appetites. Pasties get a nod too, though one local found the beef pastie a bit like a sausage roll in a different shape, so it's good to order a few things and finding your own favourite.

On the sweeter side, the custard tart gets plenty of love, set well and thick, and the vanilla slice has its fans as well. There's a good spread of cakes, slices and donuts, and one colleague swears by the chocolate donut. Vegetarians do well here, with a veggie quiche, a spinach and ricotta roll and a vegetable pasty on offer. Not every item lands for everyone, and one local wasn't won over by the spinach and ricotta roll, but the general feeling is that there's plenty to choose from.

It's a proper sit-down spot as well as a takeaway one. You can dine in at the tables, and the coffee is a draw, with one local calling it well above average for a bakery. Breakfast is on, and sandwiches, fresh rolls and hot food round out the counter. People often mention that the staff are friendly and the prices are fair, which makes it an easy pick for a work lunch.

Practical bits: there's free parking both on the street and in a car park, a wheelchair-accessible entrance and car park, and cards and tap-to-pay are accepted. It does get busy, particularly on weekend mornings, so you may face a short wait to order. The bakery is closed one day a week, so check the hours before you head out.