“Why name your bakery after a North American frog?” you ask.

“Why not?” respond Danny Berkovitch and Jarrod Hack, owners of four-week-old The Woodfrog Bakery in St Kilda.

There is an explanation. According to Jarrod, the fella responsible for all the baking (he’s done the rounds at Baker D. Chirico, Chimmy’s South Melbourne, Sonoma in Sydney and more), the wood frog has a unique ability: it freezes during winter and then thaws out when it becomes warm again. In other words, it’s resilient and more evolved than most frogs. How does this relate to a bakery? Well, the boys at Woodfrog are planning to always change with the times and grow their product range to keep customers excited and satisfied.

At the moment, they are sourdough specialists, and we can attest that their loaves are the best we have tasted in a long while. There are plans to offer a range of gourmet pies, pizza slices and sausage rolls in under a month. Expect to see (or is that taste?) interesting fillings such as beef cheek. A pastry chef is also about to start working alongside Jarrod, so sweets are on the way. But the boys know you can’t have cake without coffee, both of which you’ll be able to enjoy sitting next to the vertical garden out the front, which will sprout edibles from a custom-built wooden frame.

Inside Woodfrog, baskets heaving with fresh loaves, bagels, baguettes and ciabattas are fastened to an olive green wall. Ironbark wooden bench tops and window frames add a touch of homeliness, contrasting against the monster of an oven in the background. Behind the wall, the room opens up to reveal an enormous, warehouse space where all the magic happens.

At The Woodfrog Bakery, the bread never falls butter side down. Look out for the striped black and white awning and the white ‘BAKERY’ sign wired to the tree out the front.

Location: 108 Barkly Street,  StKilda
Phone: (03) 9077 5440
Open: Tue-Sun, 7am-4pm
Website: facebook.com/TheWoodfrogBakery