Once one of East London's true hidden gem, the Dusty Knuckle has turned into a true baked goods London powerhouse in recent years, fuelled by crusted, charred loaves of potato sourdough, huge toasties and delicate pastries, all baked in house. The Dusty Knuckle famously started in a 40 foot shipping container, before moving to the original Dalston site, which now includes a baking school, bakery and a good size cafe with a load of outdoor seating. Despite the size, the bakery gets seriously busy on weekends - you can preorder online to speed things up but otherwise, be prepared to queue.
Fresh loaves of bread are the heart of the Dusty Knuckle operation. The original sourdough loaves spread across London like wildfire thanks to a specific blend of flours and ultra-slow fermentation that gives them an incredible flavour and texture. Sourdough aficionados should give the potato sourdough a go as well - a mild starter and grated organic potatoes make this bread light and ultra-chewy, a little like a crumpet but with a crispy crust.
There's plenty more to get stuck into on the menu. At breakfast you can order a egg mayo sandwiches, as well as toast with spreads, granola or porridge, and the sandwich game cranks into full gear at lunch with fillings like purple sprouting broccoli and romesco, and meatballs, harissa, beetroot, yoghurt sauce and herbs. Simple soups and salads are available too, like a Tuscan Ribollita, and kohlrabi salad with mixed herbs, date molasses and sesame snaps.
Dusty Knuckle Dalston has also started serving pizza on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings - as is always the case, there are no bookings, so just rock up, grab a table and enjoy!