Advertisement
Food and Drinks
LifestyleFood & Drink

The Chinese-Indonesian chef transforming Mumbai’s bread scene with her heritage baking

Shannen Alexandra talks about overcoming injury to bake for Mumbai-based Mag St. Bread Co. and how her breads and pastries honour her past

5-MIN READ5-MIN
Listen
Chinese-Indonesian chef Shannen Alexandra is the head baker for Mag St. Bread Co. in Mumbai, India. She talks about her culinary journey, how her heritage inspires her pastries, and developing breads using Indian grains. Photo: Shannen Alexandra
Victoria Burrows
In a converted warehouse in the light-industrial area of Byculla on the eastern seaboard of Mumbai, India, chef Shannen Alexandra pulls a tray of mantou, or milk buns, from a rack of baked goods. Her ponytail bobs as she excitedly explains how she tweaks the classic Chinese recipe to create her buns, which, rather than the typical round shape, resemble bow ties.

Her mantou differ in other ways, too. The classic version is usually made from simple milk bread, which is then steamed or fried; Alexandra uses a richer brioche recipe as well as poolish – a pre-ferment that rests overnight – in the dough to give it a softer texture and a gentle sweetness.

The bow-tie-shaped mantou are steamed in the bakery before being delivered to Mumbai hotspot The Table, where they are fried tableside and accompany a shovel-nosed lobster in a dish called Lobster Fra Rothschild.

“I wanted to tweak the mantou recipe just because it’s fun,” Alexandra says with the bubbling laugh that often spills out of her. “I like to have influences from my culture in the products I make.”

Alexandra holds a tray of her baked goods, including steamed mantou bow ties. Photo: Food Matters Group
Alexandra holds a tray of her baked goods, including steamed mantou bow ties. Photo: Food Matters Group

Alexandra’s baking journey from Indonesia to India

Her name may be deceiving, but Alexandra is Chinese-Indonesian – her father’s side of the family is Hokkien and her mother’s side is Hakka. She was born in Bandung, a city about two-and-a-half-hours’ drive from Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Her all-English name is the result of a clerical error.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x