White Brick Oven @ Bangsar Shopping Center

From Sungai Buloh to Bangsar: White Brick Oven, the artisan bakery in Kubu Gajah village, now supplies its bread and buns to Jasons Food Hall at Bangsar Shopping Center.

Baker Mustaffa Abdullah creates these with natural levain instead of manufactured yeast, reputedly milling his own wholegrain, semolina and unbleached white flour, eschewing chemicals and preservatives.

This sourdough loaf, made with White Brick's own yeast, costs close to RM15, but it's hefty enough to feed many mouths. Plus, it's more wholesome than most supermarket varieties.

Olive-filled ciabatta and rock-heavy, fiber-rich German "dreikornbrot" bread stuffed with sesame and sunflower seeds make the case that maybe man can live on bread alone.

Not sure if the pastries are White Brick's too _ we've found that Jasons' staff members can't answer questions like "where's the bakery?" and "which of these are by White Brick Oven?" Still, the croissant is buttery-lovely, the guava tart is flaky-fruity and the custard roll is creamy-dreamy.

Artisan muffins? Why not; the one here tastes terrific, with an easily discernible cinnamon aroma emanating from a fresh-tasting muffin brimming with fruits and seeds. Equally addictive: Jasons' soft-baked double-chocolate chip cookies, oozing with dark richness.

And of course, every trip to Jasons Food Hall finds us falling for Pierre Ledent's Belgian imported macarons: some flavors sell out really fast, so whenever you see the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, cinnamon, coconut or vanilla-and-strawberry varieties, buy 'em if you can.
Main entry on Pierre Ledent: May 26, 2012.

White Brick Oven @ BSC,

Bangsar Shopping Center, Kuala Lumpur.