When young couple Jack Rex and Danielle Knott opened Leichhardt’s Ragamuffin way back in 2012, they offered us what, at first blush, could have been a flash in the pan niche. An entire business dedicated to the humble English muffin? Bold. Yet nearly ten years later, they’re as busy as they’ve ever been. So what’s the secret? The power of steam.
Throw any preconceived notions of the modest pantry staple out the window, because these traditional bad boys are worlds away from what you’ll find in a two-for-one special at Coles. The muffins at Ragamuffin are steamed before they’re baked and are more reminiscent of a bagel, with a glossy exterior and a chewy texture with more than a bit of pleasant resistance. The traditional steaming method allows for a super-fluffy interior of slightly soured dough that comes with a whole smack of different toppings like sesame, poppy seeds, and the ‘everything’ muffin.
The counter boasts not just savoury numbers, but steamed sweet pastries filled with custards, jams and fruit, psychedelic purple blueberry muffins and awesome Cassieopia coffees pumping from the customised La San Marco served with kitschy collectors spoons.
Available for takeaway and delivery, there’s offerings of carrot and turmeric hummus, falafel hash, pickles, cos lettuce and vegan mayo on ‘the flash’ muffin, or one of our personal favourites, ‘the fancy pants bacon and egg muffin’, a soft fried egg with sharp cheddar cheese and crispy pancetta. While the pancetta may not be overly generous, the measure is more than made up for by the house-made, not-quite HP sauce, with its umami-packed, salty-sweet and sticky intensity.