7 popular hawker bakeries for lava baguettes, old school buns & more

Done wolfing down a plate of char kway teow or fishball noodles at a hawker centre and looking for a post-lunch snack?

You could just find it at that unassuming bakery stall nearby. We’ve rounded up a list of popular hawker bakeries that have made their homes in food centres across the island, doling out everything from old school buns to French pastries and luscious lava bakes.

Great for a post-meal treat or to takeaway for teatime, they’re often priced lower than your average cafe-bakery, too.

Uggli Muffins, Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CP95ahTnS7U/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]

Like its name suggests, this stall located on level two of Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre is best known for its imperfect but spongy and buttery muffins.

With mildly charred tops and irregular shapes (you’ll like this one if you aren’t a fan of muffin stumps), the stall serves up different flavours from Orange Peel with Chocolate Chip to Banana Walnut, Chocolate and ones studded with Oreo chunks. One regular muffin is priced at $1.30 or get a box of 12 for $12.

Uggli Muffins is at #02-34 Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre, 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310127.

The Headless Baker, Ghim Moh Food Centre

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CMWnsV7nxHG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]

Caneles, petite cakes, croissants and financiers. That’s what you can feast your eyes on when you come by The Headless Baker, a popular bakery nestled within Ghim Moh Food Centre.

It’s helmed by a couple, who have worked in a French patisserie as well as a speciality coffee roaster in Melbourne, together with their half-retired father. Each day, you’ll find up to 20 types of confections that aren’t just picture-worthy, but also priced affordably too — from $2 for the best-selling banana loaf to $3 for the lemon pistachio cake (this one’s a crowd pleaser).

It has also recently opened a new cafe,  The Headless Baker & Sons, at Star Vista.

The Headless Baker is at 01-64 Ghim Moh Food Centre, 20 Ghim Moh Road, Singapore 270020.

Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery, Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CPjsAE0sU28/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]

Most mornings, you’ll find a line at Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery, which doles out freshly baked old-school buns and cakes.

The bestseller is undoubtedly the luncheon meat bun, with a square of luncheon meat tucked inside a soft fluffy bun. Simple yet satisfying. Up for something sweet? Another favourite is the grated coconut bun, alongside red bean and yam paste buns, custard puffs and a moist spongy banana cake that’ll leave you satisfied.

Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery is at #01-45 Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre, 49A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555945.

ALSO READ: Cruffins: Where to find these hybrid bakes in Singapore

Ah Tas Muffins, Old Airport Road Food Centre

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CORyMtwHqGN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]

A play on the word ‘atas’ (meaning ‘above’ or ‘sophisticated’), Ah Tas Muffins opened just this year in January at Old Airport Road Food Centre.

Its halal-friendly confections, priced from $1.90, are baked fresh on the daily, with crowd favourites including Chocolate Chip, Dark Choc Banana and Blueberry Granola. And you can expect quality ingredients that include butter from Denmark and couverture chocolate from Italy.

Apart from muffins, it also sells various cookies like dark chocolate and walnut cookies.

Ah Tas Muffins is at #01-49 Old Airport Road Food Centre,  51 Old Airport Rd, S390051.

Mr Baguette, Golden Mile Food Centre

Come here for the signature Lava Baguettes that you can bite into or break apart to reveal a delectable molten centre. And you’ll be spoilt for choice with its slew of tempting flavours – think Apple (with apple custard and chunks) Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, Adzuki, and Salted Caramel, which boasts white chocolate and salted caramel bites. If you have a taste for savoury bakes, go for the Cheese Lava that houses four types of cheese.

Tucked inside Golden Mile Food Centre as well as at Hougang Ave One, lava baguettes are priced at $3 each, $4 for a box of two, and $11 for a box of six. Delivery is available too.

Mr Baguette is at #B1-51 Golden Mile Food Centre Singapore, 505 Beach Road, Singapore 199583, as well as 102 Hougang Ave 1, #01-1195, Singapore 530102.

AJ Delights, Alexandra Village Food Centre

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CSf1QVyJx83/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]

This Halal-certified muffin bakery, named after its owners Amy and Jerry, has some pretty good-looking muffins, with rounded crusty tops and interesting toppings. And you’ll get to choose from over 20 flavours.

What’s best perhaps are its streusel muffins boasting generous, crumbly tops. You’ll get options like Walnut Streusel Double Chocolate, Apple Streusel with juicy apple chunks and the Green Tea Monster, crafted with fragrant Japanese green tea. Prices start from $2.10 for a chocolate muffin.

AJ Delights is at #01-82, Alexandra Village Food Centre is at 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore 150120.

Bake_Of, Amoy Street Food Centre

Here, it dishes out no-frills muffins, scones, and cakes that are perfect before starting a day at the office (if you work around the Amoy Street region) or for tea time.

The muffins are fluffy and moist, and absolutely a steal too — a Banana Walnut or Salted Caramel muffin will set you back just $1.40 while a Blueberry Muffin costs $1.30.

Baked_of is at #02-111, Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Rd, Singapore 069111.

ALSO READ: 5 new patisseries for artisanal cakes & pastries

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.