Johan Tan, 31, used to be known as the somewhat atas hawker-baker at Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre. Besides the usual heartland-style buns and cakes, the hardworking millennial crafted French viennoiseries like kouign amann (say ‘kween-ah-mon’) and croissants from scratch at his tiny stall, an unusual sight in a humid hawker setting. The best part? He sold these pastries at about half the price of those from fancier cafes. Johan’s shop was named Juz Bake hawker bakery, but after the hawker centre was slated for redevelopment, the hawker gave his stall a brand overhaul and relocated it to the nearby Bukit Timah Interim Market and Food Centre on Oct 1. Now rebranded Dough, the stall continues to serve Johan’s well-priced pastries (his croissant at $2 and kouign amann at $2.80), on top of new Japanese-inspired bakes like shio pan and shokupan.
New brand & space for the 2.5-year-old biz
After baking at several heartland bakeries since the tender age of 17, and more recently at River Valley bakery-cafe LR Boulangerie, Johan left to become his own boss. He set up Juz Bake in 2022 after coming across a vacant stall (formerly also a bakery) with a signboard called… Juz Bake. Running the biz was a full-time commitment, so there was little room to consider a brand overhaul back then. “I had wanted to rebrand for a while,” Johan tells 8days.sg. “But I was too tired to do so.”
When news broke that the hawker centre would be demolished for redevelopment, prompting his stall’s relocation, Johan saw it as a chance to refresh his brand’s identity. Dropping the old name, he chose the simple yet fitting Dough. “I wanted the name to reflect what I actually do. At the end of the day, it’s all about the dough,” explains the boyish Malaysian-born Singapore citizen.
The new stall is larger, which explains why its rent costs $1,000 more than before. Johan has upgraded his oven to one with steam-baking capabilities, which allows him to experiment with unique bakes. I spent about $10K on upgrading my equipment in the new stall,” he shares. His wife now lends him a helping hand from time to time.
Threw away six bags of bakes on opening day
When the Bukit Timah Interim Market & Food Centre first opened its doors, Johan thought the location, just a short stroll from Beauty World MRT station and close to its previous spot, would keep regulars coming in. But foot traffic proved frustratingly slow, with few customers stopping by in those early days post-relocation. “It was really unsettling. I kept asking myself, ‘Where is everyone?’” Johan recalls.
Johan tells 8days.sg that he had to toss away six bags of bakes on the first day of reopening because there were no customers. Johan arrives at the stall as early as 1am and his bakes would be ready by 6.30am. He’d then continue the laborious routine of baking and selling until closing shop at 3pm, or earlier if biz is good. Most days, he’d catch a few winks at 7pm before waking up again at midnight to get ready for work.
Three weeks after the relocated stall opened, 8days.sg visited Dough on a Sunday at 3.15pm. There were still some bakes left on the display racks. As if accepting this new reality, Johan calmly says: “Business has been slow,” likely because many of his old customers simply didn’t know of the move or rebrand.
New offerings include baguettes, shio pan and shokupan
There are new offerings at the rebranded hawker bakery, including freshly-made baguettes, shio pan (Japanese salted butter roll) and shokupan loaves (Japanese milk bread). For his shio pan and shokupan, Johan says he uses Japanese flour to ensure the bread stays as close to the real deal.
How has he kept prices of his French pastries consistent even with the now steeper rent? “At the end of the day, we’re still a heartland bakery in a hawker stall,” says Johan simply.
Just steps away, Salted Caramel cafe prices its croissant at $4 and kouign amann at $5. Meanwhile, Tiong Bahru Bakery’s versions are priced at $4.20 and $5.80, respectively.
Shokupan (for five thick slices), $3.80
This classic Japanese milk bread is light, springy and boasts a thin, fragrant crust. Johan says he ferments the dough longer than usual: “The whole process takes about 20 hours”. Mildly chewy with a subtle sweetness, Dough’s shokupan is a step up from regular heartland loaves, though it doesn’t quite reach the creamier depth of traditional milk bread from Japanese bakeries. Then again, it is a lot more affordable here, so we can’t really complain.
Shio Pan, $2.30 each (8 Days Pick!)
Johan first learnt how to make this trendy Japanese salted butter roll during a previous stint at a cafe, then took time to fine-tune the recipe to his liking. His shio pan boasts a crisp crust with a moist buttery core. Simple but enjoyable, especially since it’s at a friendlier price point compared to those by bigger brands with assorted fillings (for instance, Shio & Sato’s Miso Butter Corn shio pan costs $4.80).
Johan’s take on this bun is refreshingly straightforward. “I get it — people want to innovate, but some things are best left as they are,” says the shio pan purist. “Good shio pan doesn’t need all those extra flavouring”.
Dough is at #01-027 Bukit Timah Interim Market & Food Centre, 2A Jln Seh Chuan, S599213. Open daily from 6.30am till sold out.
Photos: 8days.sg/Sng Ler Jun/Dough
Top In Asia
