Lagom Bakery, created by Chef Logan Prong, is bringing a Canadian approach to Nordic baked goods to Lakeshore Boulevard West by way of the Argonaut Rowing Club.
Lagom is a Swedish word with no direct translation to English, but it essentially represents not too much or too little––but just right.
"Lagom is a way of life, working towards balance to achieve happiness," says Prong. "Lagom means being present for the people we surround ourselves with. Lagom is living in a way that is sustainable for our health and the environment. Lagom is embracing the seasons and the culture that we live with."
And Lagom Bakery plans to emulate just that. Prong has spent time traveling through Norway and Denmark, working in kitchens in Sweden and Iceland, which has allowed for him to truly understand and appreciate the Nordic approach to cooking and baking.
While Nordic cuisine is generally regarded today for its foraging, Prong notes that modern Nordic cuisine is more so about appreciating the seasonality and traditions of the area you reside in. This is achieved through using products that connect you to the land. Prong considers the Canadian landscape to be quite similar and as a result, prioritizes to showcase the simplicity of high-quality Canadian ingredients, by working closely with local produce, dairy and grain farmers, ensuring that sustainable and seasonal ingredients are the base for all their products.
Through opening their space later this spring, Prong hopes to create an environment where people can take the time to embrace the art of Fika, by disconnecting from the busyness of life to enjoy the simplicity of baked goods and good company, with a great view and products that are Lagom (just right).
"As we emerge from all the lockdowns and work from home, we want to make an effort to maintain the balance that so many of us have realized was missing from our lives pre-COVID," says Prong.
While they wait for warmer weather to get their space set up, Lagom Bakery is currently pre-launching not only some of their favourite baked goods, but also different subscription services that lead to donations from them towards Feed it Forward. These include a focaccia club where once a month you're delivered four loaves of focaccia, as well as a cake club, where once a month you receive an exclusively crafted cake.
Their current menu, available for Saturday delivery, includes a few signature sweet buns and savoury buns, which rotate based on seasonal availability. Lagom Bakery takes pride in their cardamom buns and their cinnamon buns, which are influenced by Prong's time in Stockholm and Reykjavik respectively. Their base is made from a light brioche-style dough and are made with dark brown sugar, spices and butter.
One of the new additions to their menu is the honey nut bun, which is their signature brioche-style dough, packed with a flavourful vanilla almond filling, sprinkled with toasted nuts and seeds and finished with a drizzle of honey. The ultimate sweet breakfast treat.
Once doors officially open, the menu will expand to include various cookies, hand-rolled danish pastries like butter horns (croissants) and Tebirke, 'princess' and flourless almond chocolate tortes and of course, an increased selection of goods based on the season. This would include options such as saffron buns and semlor, Nordic Christmas favourites.
Since the menu will change according to the seasonal availability of products, be sure to check in with Lagom Bakery via Instagram and their website to stay up to date on all their offerings.
