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Overview
After six years in the hospitality game, the team behind Sydney venues nineteen43 and My Mother's Cousin pizzeria knew it was time to stretch themselves — just like the dough they work with.
"We saw Self Raised as the continuation of our passion for bread and baking. We didn't want anything trendy. We wanted timeless: Good bread. Good doughnuts. Good sandwiches," said Self Raised's co-owner, Sal Senan.
The team opened a store in Carlton, and even after a year in the neighbourhood, the long lines of bread-loving customers still weren't easing. "The lines at Carlton got to upwards of 45 minutes on the weekends for over a year. At that point, we knew that we needed to get another venue out to the community to make Self Raised more accessible for everyone."
They opened Self Raised Snack Shoppe in Bexley North, a quick-serve kiosk that aimed to ease the crowds of hungry weekend disciples. Yet, the people wanted more. A second Self Raised Snack Shoppe emerged in Merrylands, Western Sydney, late last year. So, what's all the hype about, and what actually goes into Self Raised's delicious baked treats?
Signature Items
If you're wondering why on earth people spend 45 minutes lining up for a slice of Self Raised, look no further. Sal says that the bakery's Boston Cream Donuts are Self Raised's signature item and have developed an almost cult-like following. "We started making them at our My Mother's Cousin pizzeria, and they would sell out within the hour every night we made them. They are the perfect nostalgic throwback to the original Cream Buns, which have been a lost art for a long time — simple and light but also super decadent."
Another unique go-to for customers (because there are many) is Self Raised's Roman-style pizzas. The bread goes through a 36-hour fermentation using a mixture of Australian and Italian imported flours. "We also use a dry pre-ferment in the dough called Biga, which adds extra flavour and improves texture," says Sal. The co-owner notes that this wasn't a recipe they developed overnight.
"It was something that took time to perfect, and we felt like it helped us stand out when it comes to focaccia-style bread specifically." For the toppings, they keep it simple: a classic cheese and a pepperoni with hot honey. "That way," says Sal, "we just let the ingredients and the dough shine."
Behind the Scenes of Self Raised
Sydney-siders get to enjoy the team's delicious baked goods from their many stores, but what actually goes into running a business like Self Raised? According to Sal, the bakers' days start at around 2–3am, with the sandwich and front-of-house crew getting in at an early 6am for the breakfast rush. While you may assume the team bakes the same amount of produce every morning, each day is different.
"Everything has to be fresh, and you can't just make more on the spot," says Sal. "Dough takes time. Fermentation takes time. So you're always trying to get it right without waste and without selling out too early. It's a daily challenge."
To know how much to make, the team checks factors including the weather and school holidays, as well as cloud-based point-of-sale and e-commerce platform, Lightspeed. It's designed for retail and hospitality businesses to manage inventory, payments, and customer data across physical and online stores.
"We use Lightspeed to track what sells," says Sal. "They keep us organised and provide the data that we need. We can see what's selling, what's slowing down, and where we need to adjust. It takes a lot of guesswork out."
As well as Lightspeed, Sal shares that the team also simply learns the rhythm of customers. "Fridays feel different from Mondays. Cold days are different from sunny ones."
It's these customers who add Self Raised to their weekly routines, says Sal, that keep the company growing into the Sydney powerhouse it is. "The same order every week. Kids picking doughnuts like it's the biggest decision of their day. That's when you know it's more than just a shop."
Image Credit: Supplied