Black Cockatoo Bakery, Katoomba – SMH Good Food app listing

It’s not uncommon for a Sydneysider to queue up for a ham and cheese croissant at Black Cockatoo Bakery only to discover that these croissants are not available on weekends. Locals know to check the cooking schedule on the website; that will tell you that the twice-baked, cultured butter croissants filled with Swiss gruyere béchamel and Feather and Bone ham are only available on Thursdays and Fridays. Kale and ricotta quiches are served on Saturdays, while nectarine Danishes are brought out on Sundays; even then tastes change with the seasons.

The bakery changed hands in September last year, but the breads and pastries are made the same way, using Australian stone-ground flour, filtered water and sea salt, and over 20 hours of natural fermentation.