Some places stay on your list for months before you finally make it there. The Dusty Knuckle was one of them. We had first tasted their bread at Trullo , one of our favourite Italian restaurants in London, and that alone was enough to get us interested. Add everything we had read about the bakery, its beginnings, its community work and that famous sourdough delivery van during the pandemic, and expectations were running pretty high.
Last winter, during a fortnight spent mostly exploring East London, we finally made a point of visiting. It was a Saturday, so we arrived fully prepared for a queue. There was one, of course, but it moved surprisingly quickly, and before long we had secured two seats indoors, right next to the counter.
And then we ordered four brunch dishes. For two people. No regrets. The breakfast sandwich, with fried egg and bacon tucked between thick slices of toasted bread, was exactly the kind of thing you hope to find at a bakery that takes its bread seriously. Then came another generous sandwich, built around fluffy focaccia, eggs, fresh herbs and green chillies, with that lovely contrast between the airy bread and the rich filling. We also made room for something sweet, a beautifully laminated, sugar-dusted pastry that was every bit as tempting as it looked.
The counter itself was quite a sight. Trays of golden pastries, stacks of cookies, crusty loaves piled high behind the staff and plenty of activity in the open bakery beyond. Nothing particularly polished or precious, just a busy, lively space where the food does most of the talking.
But what I remember most wasn’t actually the food.
Towards the end of our meal, one of the waiters noticed we had some leftovers and kindly offered to pack them for us. I initially declined, but he gently insisted, suggesting we take them along and perhaps offer them to someone on the street who might appreciate a meal. It was such a small, thoughtful gesture, delivered without any fuss. So we did exactly that.
And somehow, that moment told us more about The Dusty Knuckle than any beautifully baked loaf could. Of course, the bread remains the main attraction. Their potato sourdough is the one to look out for, and I was so taken with the place that I bought their cookbook and carried a loaf back home on the plane that very same day.
The Dusty Knuckle is not just somewhere to stop for a good sandwich or a morning pastry. It’s a bakery with a real sense of purpose, where the generosity of the people feels every bit as important as the quality of the baking. And when both are this good, it’s easy to understand why people keep coming back.
