Fortitude Bakehouse
Bakery · Bloomsbury ·
Sourdough cakes, buns, biscuits, soda breads, and savory options
Sourdough cakes, buns, biscuits, soda breads, and savory options
"There are very few things that aren’t improved by Guinness and Fortitude Bakehouse clearly agrees. The small Bloomsbury bakery adds a dash of the black stuff to their shortcrust pastry, as well as fermented mincemeat inside and a light dusting of icing sugar on top." - sinead cranna
"For: Morning pastries and carrot loaf Walking through Russell Square without popping into this neighbourhood bakery for a flaky sausage roll is unforgivable in our books. A popular spot with locals—and anyone who’s fond of golden pastries and cinnamon buns the size of a mini basketball—it’s open from early morning until 3pm most days. Grab a latte, a spinach and feta-stuffed pastry that you can scoff on one of the benches out front, and a carrot cake loaf for your mid-afternoon snack. Just know that if you arrive after 2pm they might be sold out." - rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager
"A bakehouse producing Bara Brith with an overnight fermentation using honey, fruit and Darjeeling tea; the dense, mottled fruit loaves are best caught hot from the oven, toasted and slathered in butter for an ideal morning treat." - Jonathan Nunn
"Tucked away down a cobbled alley in Bloomsbury, Fortitude Bakehouse offers outstanding sourdough bakes that marry seasonal flavours with founder Dee Rettali’s fiercely proud defence of baking traditions and her Irish heritage. Each day the counter explodes with an eye-widening array of specials that are often sold out by the time they’re posted to Instagram, giving London die-hard bakery fans a year-round experience of competitive trick or treating. Currently there are spiced pumpkin and pecan beignets that bulge with pumpkin-flesh-heavy pastry cream, and slices of pumpkin spice pain perdu with a deeply caramelised crust that crunches to spine- chilling effect before giving out to an ephemeral crumb. Imaginative loaf cakes such as a five-day fermented malt, chilli, and orange loaf are not specific to Halloween, but are worth seeking out for a thrilling treat." - Emma Louise Pudge
"Walking through Russell Square without popping into this small bakery for a flaky sausage roll or custard and strawberry morning bun is unforgivable in our books. A popular spot with locals (people and pigeons) plus anyone who’s fond of golden pastries and cinnamon buns the size of a mini basketball, it’s open from early morning until 3pm. Grab a latte, a spinach and feta-stuffed pastry that you can scoff on one of the benches out front, and a carrot cake loaf for your mid-afternoon snack (trust us, future you will appreciate it). Just know that if you arrive after 2pm you might miss out on these excellent baked goods." - Rianne Shlebak