Hyde Park
Bakery

Aug 2018
$4.20
Donut from Hyde Park Bakery

Hyde Park Bakery sits in one of my favourite suburbs of Adelaide. Paved streets bump your car along the main street with quaint shops selling high-quality clothing, florists, dessert bars and busy restaurants. Each shop is well presented with verandas providing shade and extra vines creeping up the sides of red brick buildings. And as you’d expect, the surrounding real estate is pricey; large plots of land with impressive stone mansions and leafy, cool tree-lined avenues.

I had posted a poll on Facebook asking which bakery we should visit over the week, and Hyde Park won by a good percentage. So, one pleasant Thursday afternoon I made my way there, parking up a side street and appreciating the walk. The bakery was thriving, with the average age of patrons over 60. The bakery was staffed with plenty of cheerful servers standing behind large glass shelves stacked tall with a beautiful selection of paninis, pies, cakes and, thankfully, donuts.

Hyde Park Bakery,
Mitchell Street, Hyde ParkView on Map

I was hopeful at the quality of the donuts, having heard many a good thing. Added to this almost every one of the older customers had a donut with their savoury pie and cup of coffee! However, my peaked interest was dashed when the lady at the counter said that their donuts were not made fresh in store, but actually brought in from their sister bakery – Otto’s, up in Handorf.

Oh dear. I had not given <a href="https://theholeygrail.blog/regional-south-australia/ottos-bakery-donut/">Otto’s a positive review</a>. Firstly, the service had been sub-par in Handorf. Second, and more importantly for the taste buds, the donut was not great. It hadn’t been just me that had rated the donuts poorly, those I were with were in agreement as well. Now, a few months along from the initial Otto’s incident, the thought of having to eat another disappointing donut had ruined my chirpy and sunny day.

However, I was proven wrong for the donut at Hyde Park Bakery, courtesy of Otto’s, was actually pretty good. It helped that it tasted a lot fresher and that the icing wasn’t as garishly pink and fake flavoured. It was enjoyable, a good size to share, and I wouldn’t mind going back again. Whatever change Otto’s Bakery you’ve made in the past few months – keep up the good work!

Aesthetics — 7.5

The donut was topped with baby pink icing and half dipped in sprinkles making it one of the more aesthetically pleasing, pink-topped icings I had seen for a while. The donut was generous in size. However, the dough itself was light in colour and squidged out at the bottom – a bit like 'cankles' – making it all seem a bit awkward and bottom heavy.

Topping — 6.5

The icing was thin, moist and almost runny underneath the shell. The sprinkles were crunchy on the half that was covered. At first I thought the icing was more of a plain vanilla one, merely tinted pink. However, as I made my way through the donut I realised there was a subtle flavour, one which tends to be associated with the term "berry" and a lot of E-numbers.

Dough — 7

The dough was pleasant, yeasty and sweet, but a bit bland. It tasted almost like a sweet bread that you might get from a packet. Unfortunately there was a slight aftertaste to the donut of other bakery items it must have sat around in transport with, although no oily aftertaste which was good.

Texture — 7

The donut was dense with little spring. I like a chewier, denser donut – although I think this took it a tad too far. The icing, as mentioned, was thin, the sprinkles crunchy, and I think between the density of the dough and the runnier icing it made the donut have a moist texture overall.

Overall

7.0

Worthy Contender

I was surprised at the improvement in the donut since we had reviewed it from the makers up in the hills. It was large, but dense, so not an easy one to consume on your own. But I wouldn't mind going back.

  • Aesthetics: 7.5
  • Topping: 6.5
  • Dough: 7
  • Texture: 7
Adelaide South
#13
All Donuts
#42

Where Next?