Victoria Cosford
‘It’s probably a good thing I don’t have a sweet tooth,’ says Megan.
I’ve called in at the pop-up shop/bakehouse at Mullumbimby Industry Estate where for the last six years Megan Hunter has been baking, refining and perfecting her sourdough doughnuts. Due to all the recent rain, the market where she has a regular stall has been cancelled, so here she is, where the magic all happens, a welcoming smile behind the display of puffy doughnuts. Despite the moody dampness of the morning, there’s been regular drop-ins by customers, mostly known to Megan, who after agonising decision-making, bear away boxes of ‘mixed’.
Originally from Christchurch, Megan arrived in Australia 29 years ago. ‘My father was here,’ she tells me, ‘and I needed a change.’ At a certain point she started looking around for a job. ‘I knew I wanted to work for myself,’ she tells me. Her parents managed hotels and she herself had always worked in hospitality, though not in food. When inspiration struck, via online research, she launched into the business of making sourdough doughnuts. ‘I figured it all out on my own,’ she says.
It required months to perfect. With daughter Rania alongside, it took ‘six months to learn how to roll them with two hands.’
It’s a huge achievement; these doughnuts with their faintly fermented dough are gloriously light, and that could be enough – except that Megan’s fillings lift them to luscious heights. There are her staples, raspberry, lemon curd and the brown sugar custard-filled constants, but she’s always working on new combinations. Today there’s dulce de leche, the Latin American-inspired caramel that’s become popular this past decade (‘it’s insane!’ says Megan, ‘the brown sugar and milk caramelise…’) Over Easter there were the hot cross ones; in winter she’ll produce her apple pie version and at present she’s working on a crème brulee.
The lemon curd has native lemon myrtle and finger lime pearls; there’s a hint of rose in the raspberry; and spikes of honeycomb jut out of the chocolate ganache ones. Surrounded by these, day-in day-out, to have a sweet tooth would be a dangerous thing!
Sweet’n’ Sourdough Doughnuts are at Mullumbimby Farmers Markets every Friday from 7 to 11am.
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