Thread by @Karboholic

The Irani Cafes of Bombay had close friends in the Irani Bakeries that dotted the old city. Whilst writing about the Cafes a lot of people asked me about them and I thought today would be an ideal day to talk about Bakeries in Mumbai #IraniBakeries #MumbaiBakeries
#pau

The 1st bakers of Mumbai were the Paowallas as they were affectionately called ie the Goans & they set up a whole slew of simple bakeries making pau and poie all over the city. They were continuing a Portuguese legacy. The word pau is the Portuguese word for bread #MumbaiBakeries

The Portuguese brought serious bread making to the Indian shores and bread soon became a staple in Goa & other Portuguese Colonies. The French, Dutch & British too brought their share of breads & bakery products, this is not to say there were no bakeries in India #MumbaiBakeries

There were a number of bakers in Mumbai & all over the continent. Archaeology tells us the first tandoors were seen in Northern Rajasthan at Kalibangan 4500 years ago! Communal bread making has always been a part of Northern and Western India (Punjab, Kashmir etc) #MumbaiBakeries

But the breads of the subcontinent were not the double leavened pau of the europeans the breads of India were flatbreads: chapatis, rotis, parathas, naans and so many many more. Yes we did make leavened breads in North India but nothing close to pau #MumbaiBakeries

The breads of India were either baked at home, in community ovens or dough was taken over to a rotiwala who made the naan/roti for you. There were a number of such rotiwalas in Mumbai, mainly muslim owned shops. The last afaik is Gama Rotiwala in Bohri Mohalla #MumbaiBakeries

Many of them made rotis with their own dough too for clients who were less fussy and Roshan Bakery at Mazgaon is one such superb example. This though was mainly a Muslim phenomenon as caste and purity were issues to Hindus eating from 'outside' shops #MumbaiBakeries

So cut to the British arrival in Mumbai and their bringing of Goans/encouraging of Goans as fellow Christians to come and work for them. Goans soon flocked to Mumbai in the 18th & 19th centuries as peons, cooks, nannies, bookkeepers and helpers to the British #MumbaiBakeries

They brought with them a lot of their typical Goan traditions and they set up bakeries in the enclaves in which they lived esp in Dhobhi Talao, Girgaum, Mazgaon, Dadar, Mahim, Bandra. The poders (Goan Bakers) made poie and pau and Mumbaikars loved it! #MumbaiBakeries

They added more varieties but mainly kept it simple. Meanwhile the French had introduced fancier breads to Chandannagore & Pondicherry but it was the Dutch who actually had set the ball rolling in the mid17th century in Surat. The Europeans all had factories and they loved bread!

When the Dutch set up that bakery they ended up employing a number of Parsis as staff, when the Dutch left Surat the Parsi family running the bakery took over and are still making amazing biscuits at the 'Dotivala Bakery'! Possible the oldest in India! #MumbaiBakeries

The 19th c saw the return of Parsis to Persia and they were shocked to find Zoroastrians still there. They invited their coreligionists to India & many an Irani came in pursuit of a better life. They were mainly bakers in Iran and they set up bakeries and cafes #mumbaibakeries

Some of these folks became the amazing Irani Cafe owners of Mumbai and most of these had a bakery on the premises. They were masters of bread and confectionery and they took to Bombay like ducks to water and Bombay loved them back! Some set up exclusive bakeries #IraniBakeries

The Bombayites took to bread in a very big way and soon many smaller bakeries also dotted the city esp making savoury and sweet biscuits known collectively as 'Bakery Biscuits' in Mumbai. They became a staple with tea and soon Bombayites were clamouring for them #IraniBakeries

Soon Hindus in Mumbai were desirous of consuming the same, whilst the single men could do this w/o censure families needed to maintain a ritual purity-chritian/muslim/irani cooks just wouldnt do & thus were born the 'Hindu Bakeries' of Bombay a unique relio-cultural phenomenon

As Bombay became Mumbai and as commensality became more and more acceptable these Hindu bakeries soon began to disappear and merely a handful remain today scattered across the old city. My personal favourite in the Mankeshwar Hindu Bakery on P Dmello Rd at Mazgaon #IraniBakeries

The Christian bakeries of Mumbai are to the best of my knowledge all Catholic Bakeries and all have a Goan connection. They were some of the first places that made the larger breads that could be sliced to make sandwiches & this was way before machine sliced bread #IraniBakeries

Mazgaon was once the great suburb of Mumbai and many a community made it its home. Thus even today one of the last great Christian Bakeries of Mumbai is still located there. Philomena Bakery makes some truly superb bread, pau and biscuits. They still use a wood fired oven and 1/2

once the oven has cooled they are happy to let others use it. For years when we were at Mazgaon all of @katys_kitchen 's Lagan nu Custards were baked in their wood fired oven, giving them a lovely smoky flavour. Mazgaon also has the famous Roshan Bakery chapatis, puffs, rolls, &c

Many an old bakery is nothing but a memory these days and most of the Christian bakeries are shut down as the 'kids' migrated to other places. A few still carry on in Vakola and Mahim catering to multi-generation clients

The irani bakeries of yore are also becoming more and more a place of myth. Yazdani in Fort has kept the flag flying. The last year has seen both the brothers pass on to the great bakery in the sky but their sons Zyros and Tirandaz are holding firm. #IraniBakeries

Yazdani is forever etched in my memory. I still remember Zend Zend telling my dad - Maara German trai kidha ke? ie Have you tried my Germans ... he was making a beautiful boule back before all the breadmakers of Mumbai in the 70s! His bakery makes foccacia too #IraniBakeries

The Yazdani bakery was making Brown bread in the 80s! albeit with caramel for colour :) They also made Wholewheat loaves before all others and baguettes too! Their best bread ever was an Irish Soda/Milk bread sadly Mumbai wasnt ready for it #IraniBakeries

Zyros Zend has branched out and was the first person to make Fortune Cookies in India! His oatmeal and raisin cookies are to die for. Yazdani's pudding is legendary but their apple pie is their best kept secret. Bun/Brun Maska and Chai are also on the menu! #IraniBakeries

As @bombaywallah has said the Iranis made the best puffs - Jam puffs, egg puffs, chk puffs, mt puffs and Veg puffs too! The Muslim bakers were the ones who made the Khari Biscuits found in all Mumbai chai shops, hindus believed they were made with beef fat! #IraniBakeries

The truth is that some bakeries did use rendered fat but most quietly used hydrogenated vegetable oil (dalda/oomda) which was cheaper and constant in supply. The Hindu Bakeries made sure the bogeman never died :) #IraniBakeries

The Irani bakers of Mumbai had many a stand alone bakery & my childhood memories of bread are all about them. Right next to my house was the New Grand High Class Bakery (I kid you not) & my duty from ages 10-18 (whenever in town) was 2 get piping hot pau for dinner #IraniBakeries

At age 6 I almost gave up eating bread as my granpa told me it was called thus becoz the bread was kneaded by foot and took me to see this, he then told me the lil black flecks were dirt from between the kneaders toes! Not true but it grossed me out! I swore off bread 1/2

It took him a week to convince me otherwise and to say sorry he was just kiddin me ... :)

But yes 4 men in a large tub kneading bread was a common sight in a bakery. Irrespective of religious affiliation! #MumbaiBakeries

Many a bakery today is run on contract by familial groups of men from UP, they live in the back of the bakery, and save every single paisa that they can to keep the price of bread affordable for the masses. This though makes it impossible to compete with them. Why? 1/2

Sadly regular owners of bakeries had overheads, families, rents, childrens school fees in a city like Mumbai. It soon became impossible to compete and this was a major reason for the shutting down of bakeries and the transfer of bosses. Capitalism! #MumbaiBakeries

There are many things about the bakeries that I seriously miss, my maternal grandparents in Bandra had a 'paowala' on a cycle coming twice a day from the local bakery. Bread, Pau, Brun and a few goodies were carried by him door to door and fresh from the ovens #mumbaibakeries 1/2

To prove the origin of the breads the larger breads which were sliced on the spot by the paowala (you could buy half a loaf too) had a small unleavened rectangular biscuit atop the loaf with the bakeries name! We kids had dibs on them! #MumbaiBakeries 2/2

The paowalas of Bandra started to disappear once the highrises began to appear as it was impossible to leave an unguarded cycle and go up a dozen floors to see who needed bread. And you couldnt hear his bell or horn inside a flat! #mumbaibakeries

As @ranjona just reminded me the cycle paowala would also often bring eggs and would have a few packets of butter (Amul) & a few of margarine for a quick bun-maska or bun-amul :)They had a small rectangular board and a supersharp knife made from a hacksaw blade to slice your loaf

These bakeries both standalone and those in the cafes were often known for a specific thing they made and many were known for their biscuits, puffs, puddings, breads, and for a unique bakery commodity - crumbs! Yes crumbs all the left over breads, unsold breads etc were dried 1/2

@ranjona in the cooling ovens of the bakeries and then ground into breadcrumbs for use by home cooks and by commercial caterers, clubs and kitchens. There were two kinds. Regular and toast crumbs made from toast biscuit, plain cake dehydrated in the oven 2/2

Many of the older Colonial traditions have died there is just one baker left in Chandannagore who knows how to make French Bread, no one makes Dutch bread any more but the legacy of the proffertjes lives on in the Popatjees of the Parsis & the Appes of South India #IndianBakeries

The cycle paowalas had their brothers in the Tin Biscuitwalas, they carried either on their heads or on cycles an overflowing tin trunk full of 'Bakery Biscuits' many of them sourced from multiple outlets. They were all originally sold by weight or per piece #MumbaiBakeries 1/2

The Tin Biscuitwalas would take orders, service colonies, bring in seasonal goodies & also supply families and caterers for weddings & bday parties. They often als carried bakery cakes. Simple cakes with buttercream icing in lurid colours and with tuttifrutti #IndianBakeries 2/2

Many a Bombay household would have had a very sorry afternoon tea without the biscuits, cakes and cookies of the bakeries. The top faves were khari, toast, butter biscuits and fruit biscuits. Every community had their preferences and many bicuitwalas also delivered fresh pattice!

B Merwan's Mava cakes are legend as are the round kharis of Kayani but my fave was and is the Jam Puff from Daryush Bakery in the lane opp Charni Rd Stn E, the Irani Cafe is a Beer Bar but the Bakery bakes on! Thank the Bakery Gods for that one 😍#IraniBakeries

You cannot talk about Irani Bakeries without talking of Ahura & Merwan's of Andheri. Ahura is almost in its original version whilst Merwan's took their chicken puffs & added on tonnes of pastries & became a Mumbai-wide chain with branches in parts of Mumbai Navi Mumbai & Thane

Since 1908 five generations of bakers have run the amazing American Express Bakery at Byculla (ext at Bandra) and along with bread & pound cake have made their legendary sandwiches, puffs, biscotti, cream rolls, quiches, lemon tarts, coffee cake and much much more #MumbaiBakeries

Another great bakery tradition is the Venus Bakery at Vakola 'world femus in Indya' for its plum cake! They make cakes, puffs, pies, wedding cakes, biscuits, burger and so much more now available at their franchisee outlets all over Mumbai! #MumbaiBakeries

If you talk about AEB & Venus you cant leave out Hearsch in Bandra (its sister Andora) serving generations of #Bandraites rolls, burgers, chips, cakes and much more in a tiny outlet of their bakery with a walled compound where youngsters can meet, chat and romance #MumbaiBakeries

If there is one place that had a sister movement out Bombay it was Poona, yes Poona today its Pune.
There are many legendary bakeries in Pune and they are perhaps more famous sometimes than their Mumbai brethren as much for attitude as product #PuneBakeries

#PuneBakeries run by Iranis are legendary but more recent than the ones on Mumbai. Top of the list is Kayani @ East Street with their #ShrewsburyBiscuits & cakes. They sell over 200kg of the biscuits every day & if you havent prebooked no one can get you a box! Yes no one at all!

The next & even crankier one is Royal Bakery, Main Street & their #Batasas are 2 die for flaky, soft, crunchy, melt in the mouth & the perfect companions to a good Parsi Choi! But your 4pm order will not be given to you at 3.55 for love or money even if u can see it on the shelf!

I cant talk about #PuneBakeries w/o mentioning Imperial which AFAIK is a Christian Goan bakery with poie, xmas cake, garlic khari & other delicacies. They are at Poolgate.
Santosh Bakery in Shivaji Nagar needs a shoutout for cakes and creamrolls too. Both are over 50 years old

There are many many more bakeries in Pune and I am sure #Punekars like @floydian_sleep can do better justice. I have to make a mention though of Just Baked an Irani Bakery started in the 90s with an open kitchen on Dhole Patil Rd. Awesome Chk puffs! #PuneBakeries

Ok one more mention I have no idea of the owners affiliations but for the 80s, 90s, 00s the best cake in Pune was by Cake n Counter, try their Choc-Walnut & I promise u wont be disappointed!! Old-school buttercream cakes! #PuneBakeries PS good Black Forest too and Pineapple Cake

My last mention for #PuneBakeries is the New Lucky Bakery at Yerawada Circle, best pau and brun in Pune and a place frequented by me for many years when I studied at #DeccanCollege jumbo bruns there! solid #VFM

The bakery craze spread 2 many a colonial towns Irani, Baha'i, Christian, Muslim bakeries dotted the landscape in Matheran, Khandala, Lonavala, Mahableshwar & Panchgani to name a few hill stations. Lucky Bakery & Cafe for its innovative buns in P'gani is an old fave Baha'i bakery

But THE bakery in P'gani is Roach Bakery, established in 1901 & kept running by my old schoolmate from Billimoria High School Christopher Roach. Their creamrolls are super famous but their Palmiers are to die for, in my school days we knew them as Saira Banus 😚#PanchganiBakeries

There is so much more to write but all threads need tying of so here are the last few tweets.
In the late 80s I once spent a night on the streets, we had left for a holiday and actually missed the boat. 7am our friend turned up with sugar coated buns from City Bakery & I was 1/2

completely blown away. They were Irani Bakery buns but different. So began my tryst with City Bakery, I've enjoyed their biscuits, breads, rolls, pizzas (yes I lile them like that) and of course their breads. They are perhaps the last great bastion of the #MumbaiBakeries #Salaam

The otherplace that has been making good on the bakery front is undoubtedly Paris Bakery in Dukkar Galli behind Parsi Dairy Farm at Princess Street.
They dont bake bread! They do biscuits and mava cake! And their #Shrewsbury is often better than Kayani Pune! #IraniBakeries

I love the batasas from Paris many love the Cheese Batasa variant more but I'm a purist :D
I also love their mini Palmiers, good but not a patch on Roach Bakries SairaBanus 🤣
Their products are superb and I just finished the last Batasa from the 1/2 kg I bought on Friday

Paris Bakery's biscuits are usually prepacked & you can buy multiple packets unless you have preordered in bulk and asked for specific packing Danish who owns it is an acquaintance thanks to his old college buddy & my pal Binit.
@katys_kitchen almost exclusively uses their 1/2

.. biscuits in all their teas and breakfasts. Their Mawa Cake comes in a long rectangular form & is the next best thing to Merwan's. Their kharis are pretty good too. And like Kayani Pune they dont make #Shrewsbury if there is no Amul butter! #IraniBakeries #dontmissthisplace 2/2

So another thread comes to an end as you can see I take my twitter handle quite seriously in all things carb 😀
Thank you all for the encouragement by RT-ing and commenting, I learn much every time I share here.
Enough for today #TamamShud #MumbaiBakeries #IraniBakeries #Pau