SUBANG JAYA, April 29 — It’s hard to find a good bakery that balances out the sinful with a little good(ness). Good Ground Bakery fits the bill perfectly.

“The idea is when you buy a cake here, it’s as good as getting a homemade one... just like how your sister would make it,” explained Sarah Yeoh, who started the bakery in June last year. The 25-year-old finance and marketing graduate left an accounting career to pursue her sweet ambition.

Make a beeline to Good Ground Bakery for their delicious, wholesome bakes.
Make a beeline to Good Ground Bakery for their delicious, wholesome bakes.

Located in a well-hidden spot in Subang Jaya, the bakery caters more for take-aways since seating is limited to just one large communal table. About half of their business comes from supplying to F&B establishments. Cafe hoppers will recognise familiar items at coffee hangouts like Pulp in Bangsar, One Half in PJ and Room 203 at Publika.

Walk through the glass door and zoom in on their counter heaving with freshly-baked sweet treats, croissants and quiches. Everything beckons to you to eat them all! Prices here won’t kill your wallet either (think RM8 for a tart or RM6 for their bestselling banana loaf) so it’s definitely worth a drive to Subang Jaya to get your fix.

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Sarah’s sweet pursuit started out as a hobby, back when she was in Form Four. “I was watching a cooking program on AFC (Asian Food Channel) and I started to try baking and I found it interesting.” Her first bake was a basic butter cake. It was essentially her mother’s go-to recipe, inherited from Sarah’s grandmother. Later, she took to watching videos and cookbooks to develop her baking skills.

In Australia where she studied, an order from a friend to supply a cake for a birthday celebration, turned baking into something more serious. “That was probably the first cake I ever sold,” she said, remembering the chocolate cake she made.

In addition, she also dabbled in some catering, making simple Chinese dishes to feed her friends who didn’t cook. During that time, she would constantly try a lot of things in Melbourne to develop her own tastebuds, in anticipation of opening her own bakery.

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Enjoy their fully laden quiches (a choice of mushroom or roasted vegetables) and flaky butter croissants.
Enjoy their fully laden quiches (a choice of mushroom or roasted vegetables) and flaky butter croissants.

You can order a selection of cakes for special occasions which include the chocolate cake that Sarah made for her first order.
You can order a selection of cakes for special occasions which include the chocolate cake that Sarah made for her first order.

When she returned to Malaysia, she set up her own home-based bakery called The Honest Baker, reaching out to customers via Facebook. The choice for that moniker captures the values she has when it comes to baking. She adds, “It was a name that I really resonated with because I try to use natural ingredients.”

After six months, she discovered when doing a Google search that the name was pretty common, so she switched to Good Ground Bakery. “We believe it all begins with good ingredients and good business values. I believe that just knowing how to bake isn’t good enough. You got to also be honest.”

Those values and style of baking also extends to her team, a band of three full-timers that include Rachel Gan Rae Xian and Lee Yuin Yi, and a part-timer. All of them with the exception of one staff who took up a professional baking course, are in essence, self-taught home bakers.

The bakers at Good Ground Bakery share the same philosophy in baking with Sarah, like Rachel Gan Rae Xian (in blue) and Lee Yuin Yi (in red).
The bakers at Good Ground Bakery share the same philosophy in baking with Sarah, like Rachel Gan Rae Xian (in blue) and Lee Yuin Yi (in red).

Sarah explains that this also makes it much easier for them to work well together. For instance, Yuin Yi joined them as she was interested in the same style of baking.

Sarah has a magical way with making the bakery’s treats feel less decadent. For instance, fondant is a definite no-no here. Sarah explained their ethos on decorating cakes, “We prefer to keep it to fruits and nuts that people enjoy eating and it’s just not all sugar.”

They also cut back on the sugar in their bakes. It’s a fine balance since reducing one element in the recipe can lead to a drier cake but Sarah manages to work her magic here. They use alternatives, such as molasses and brown sugar.

It’s hard to chose between their apple cinnamon cake with coffee cream and almonds or the red velvet cake topped with blueberries (left). Munch on these walnut scrolls (right).
It’s hard to chose between their apple cinnamon cake with coffee cream and almonds or the red velvet cake topped with blueberries (left). Munch on these walnut scrolls (right).

The moist carrot and pineapple cake has more grated carrot to give it a natural sweetness.
The moist carrot and pineapple cake has more grated carrot to give it a natural sweetness.

For their carrot cake, they use less sugar, opting instead to increase the carrots which have a natural sweetness. Sarah is also incredibly particular, using only pure butter in all her bakes. In fact, her preference is salted butter that gives a more savoury edge which balances out the sweetness.

Recalling her decision to pursue her bakery dream, the self-taught baker said, “I was just so desperate to get out of the corporate world. I just wanted to bake so I took the chance.” Sarah thought carefully about how to make her business work. She decided to focus on cutting costs by looking for a place with a cheaper rent. In addition, she explained, “I wanted to do more wholesale rather than retail as I did think that wholesale would be where we can churn in more income.”

As none of her family has any F&B experience, Sarah went in blind to uncharted territory. The only one with some inkling of the industry was her fiance who used to work in cafes, when he was younger. Nevertheless she pushed on.

The unpretentious set up at the open space bakery features an adorable mural painted by Sarah’s cousin and a table for dine-in customers.
The unpretentious set up at the open space bakery features an adorable mural painted by Sarah’s cousin and a table for dine-in customers.

She reached out to people in the business and talked to suppliers to get recommendations on what equipment she would need, etc. “It was a scary thing to do as I didn’t know whether it was going to work. I just had to have a bit of faith and trust. It was a very steep learning curve but worth it.” The whole process took her about five months, since she was still juggling her day job.

In the beginning, business was slow but they got famous when one of Rachel’s friends, food stylist Trisha Toh, featured their banana loaf on Burpple KL, a food guide.That glorious moist cake with that beautiful fragrance of ripe pisang berangan won many fans and it’s their bestseller till today.

Welcome to Good Ground Bakery where discerning cake lovers can find happiness in their homey, delicious eats.
Welcome to Good Ground Bakery where discerning cake lovers can find happiness in their homey, delicious eats.

On a daily basis, they offer nine varieties. During the weekend, they add a special item. Everything is made in small batches to keep it fresh. Look for the fully laden quiches — a choice of mushroom and onion or roasted vegetables.

If you love tangy lemon treats, try their lemon brûlée tart. It’s love at first bite with the luscious lemon curd combined with a buttery, crumbly tart base. Even though some customers have said it’s too sour, Sarah is adamant to maintain it as is.

“We never changed it as there are people who enjoy this level of sourness.” Their cakes are also moist with a lovely crumb. Sarah bakes them up with recipes that have followed her throughout her baking foray.

Rachel patiently cuts the buttery pastry for their tarts.
Rachel patiently cuts the buttery pastry for their tarts.

Don’t miss out on their lemon brûlée tarts.
Don’t miss out on their lemon brûlée tarts.

You will find they only make brioche and croissants here, preferring them over sourdough. Sarah explained that she does not intend to make sourdough here. “We don’t intend to move to that direction as it’s not an easy thing to do. It’s not for us, as you need attention to detail and we prefer to leave it to experts.”

Her preference are croissants, which she learned to make in Melbourne. “It’s pretty straightforward, you make the dough using regular yeast.” When she returned, she experimented with the ingredients and machines for two to three months before introducing it in the bakery.

The open space lets you peek into the ongoings in the bakery.
The open space lets you peek into the ongoings in the bakery.

Throughout this time, they have tweaked some items following customer feedback. For instance, the carrot cake which originally had currants, now uses canned pineapples, per their request. Some customers have also asked for gluten-free creations. This has led to the introduction of their flourless chocolate brownie, made with walnuts.

Sarah also makes a selection of cookies, a total of six types, all made with butter, like chocolate chip, chocolate walnut, oatmeal and cranberry, Earl Grey tea and their bestseller, butter pecan. You also have the perennial Chinese New Year pineapple tarts. Her version is the closed pastry type (she calls them tau sar pneah!) — a buttery, melt-in-the-mouth creation. Hidden inside, you find pineapple jam made with lots of time and effort. Most importantly, the tarts are less sweet, making that festive snacking, a little less guilty. These are usually seasonal but she can also make them for special orders, if she is given enough time.

Try this dream cake topped with coconut and molasses or their flourless chocolate brownies.
Try this dream cake topped with coconut and molasses or their flourless chocolate brownies.

The cakes are made in small batches to keep them fresh.
The cakes are made in small batches to keep them fresh.

You’ll be surprised but Sarah actually does not have a sweet tooth. She tells us, “I do enjoy eating baked goods but I don’t crave it.” What she finds addictive about baking though is the reaction to her efforts. “For me, the first time I brought treats to church and friends and it was highly praised. That was what motivated me to continue baking. And now it is like I cannot stop. I guess the pleasure comes from seeing people enjoy your food. When people tell you your cakes are good, it gives you that satisfaction.”

Good Ground Bakery
No. 143, Jalan SS17/1A
Subang Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 011-1280 0874
Open: 10.30am to 7pm
Closed on Mondays
https://www.facebook.com/goodgroundbakery/