best bread in any state (2023)

In the middle of the last decade, a handful of the country's most progressivebakerythey start painting theirMel, not only as a way to crack down on the crushed bean supply chain, but also because freshly ground whole beansCohenThey are still full of nutrition, local life and terroir, making better bread.

At the time, the idea seemed a bit farfetched, but if we've learned anything from the past two years, it's this: We really want and need to eat better bread. And most commercial flour, assuming there's still leftovers on supermarket shelves? not good at all.

A silent revolution happening insidebaked american breadIt may have been before the pandemic, but this strange moment opens things up. We all know the story by now: Anyone with an oven at home became a sourdough expert until many of us realized how much work it took.

This desire to outsource, combined with bakers also having free time at home, has led to an absolute explosion in the home baking business, and some of the best bread that many of us have ever tasted comes out of the oven. Buy it in just a few clicks.

Where are we two years from now? This list aims to answer that question, and one thing is clear: we have far more good bread left than we started with. This weird-sounding self-grinding flour trend has become almost the norm these days, at least among bread-baking talent across the country.

Local beans have also become the Holy Grail, and the budding alliance between growers and bakers will only grow stronger as time goes on. From Maine to Texas to the trendsetting Pacific Northwest, nearly every region of the country has its own high-quality commercial milling plant.

Sourcing may be more transparent than ever. Most of the bakers on this list will readily disclose the ingredients of their breads, and some of them have been able to keep things 100% within their state, or at least the region.

The present may feel shaky and the future eerily uncertain, but we know one thing: the best bread is here.

Alabama

After the past two years, this story will be familiar to most people. A charming young baker, or in this case several bakers, starts playing around the house, selling sweet, rustic sourdough bread via social media, gaining a huge following and becoming a local hero. Take Birmingham for examplehive bagfirma.Husband-and-wife team Caeden Oliver and Sarah Schlund aren't hanging around waiting for the pandemic, however. The couple started 2017 like they knew a storm was coming as they weathered whatever life threw at them as they ramped up production and front porch deliveries. More and more people are discovering that in this upside-down era, the joy of opening the door to find fresh bread at the door. The bread, in this case, is better made with local grains, usually ground at the baker.

Alaska

Some people retire to play golf. However, Jerry Levansky quit his job as manager of the Alaska State Park System, flew to California, and spent a year at baking school. in short term,Rustic Fire Island Pastriesdebuted on a side street just outside of downtown Anchorage; everyone who came to buy bread, cakes and cookies couldn't believe their luck: with the skilled help of his wife Janis Fleischman and children, this The family pushes the local baking culture into the future. That was more than a decade ago; Fire Island is as up-to-date today as it was then, a rolling stone without moss. Using all organic flour from Central Milling, Utah and fully seasoned entrées, the classic European bread is undeniably the best in Alaska.

Arizona

Wheat and the Southwest were introduced to the Sonoran Desert while the Pilgrims were still breathing on Plymouth Rock. As it happens, the tradition all but died out until cheerleaders like Don Guerraneighborhood breadIn Tucson, they decided to make it their mission to help revitalize, develop and promote Southern Arizona's traditional food economy. What better calling card than bread with the same kernel, at least at first? From the cactus-patterned Locavore to the Kino de Guerra, both made with soft, slightly sweet Sonora white wheat (one of the oldest surviving varieties in North America), baked with lots ofterroir

It turns out that a small store in Tucson can cast quite a long shadow, but Phoenix has a big shadow of its own. Marco Bianco's star baguetteWhite breadThey're as local a legend as the Bianco family's pizza business is nationally. Bread baked in Jason Raduca's stone firepannobleWorth the drive from anywhere in the valley.

Arkansas

In the early 90's, Dr. Morris Keller, a successful Dallas podiatrist turned chef,Serenity Farm Bakeryin the Ozark mountain town of Leslie. A safe bet, at least as long as many parts of the country are still curious about sourdough bread. However, it turns out there are enough health freaks, hippies and other assorted converts to keep the business alive through a couple of owners (the late Jordan Archote and Adrienne Freeman) who grew up patronizing (later Work in a bakery. They've inherited a beautiful 30-year-old wood-burning oven, century-old entrees, and a fairly loyal clientele who stop by for all the classics, as well as more experimental breads like the ignited molasses rye bread. Has a hint of orange on top. A far cry from your typical morning toast.

california

What many American bakers have yet to understand is that when it comes to making baguettes, it is possible to try and overdo it. Yes, it's one of the highest grades of white bread, but since it's most commonly eaten in its country of origin, it really is: one of the best white breads you'll ever eat. If you are too far away from the original ideal, it is easy to miss the goal if you go too far. existManresa BreadIn Los Gatos, Avery Ruzicka and her team confidently walk the line between visceral New World craftsmanship and classic Old World techniques, bringing us quietly stimulating, naturally uplifting updates to French staples. .In a state that has often set the standard for American baking, the latest wave of talent in action is exciting, with San Francisco, Outerlands and Tartine alumnus Matthew Jones at thePan AvastOn most weeks, he randomly delivers some of the best baguettes in the country to the quiet Outer Sunset Farmers Market, to the East Bay, where Iliana Berkowitz bakes surprisingly good breadLigesom Panaderia Amasada Liquor Store.

Kristin Colazas Rodríguez brings everything she learned on her journey across the Bay Area to Southern California, where she opened agiant breadIn the remote San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, its popularity grew so fast it has now spread across the harbor to his hometown of Long Beach, where Arturo Enciso has created a beautiful modern bakery Ii like bread, celebrating ancient grains, Mexican traditions and classic bread techniques. Finally, in Santa Monica, former Gjusta baker Jyan Isaac Horwitz is not yet 20, but he's already lining up outside the doorJayan Isaac ParnesAt Ocean Park, why not provide LA with more sourdough, in this case just minutes from the beach?

Colorado

We're not quite there yet, but it looks like we're getting closer to the point where being the best baker in town is only half the job. More and more customers will soon be asking,you grind your own grain? It's easier than it sounds: Anyone with a coffee grinder and a dream can make their own flour, and anyone with a serious bakery can buy their own grain mill. A rush to get flour as fresh as possible is taking the industry in all sorts of new directions, with bakers themselves often leading the way. Andy Clark is one of them. existMoxi broke up.In the Boulder area, every ounce of flour is milled on-site, mostly conventional organic wheat, and all from the region. Even a few years ago, this would have sounded more revolutionary than it does now. Clark himself might be the first to say that's a good thing. Looking for the best bread in Denver? To Ismael de Sousabakery company meeting, where you have to get the good stuff fast: baguettes, seed sourdough and excellent Pullman brioche bread.

Connecticut

Long before Bantam's Litchfield Hills village was known for its food, Niles Golovin was a talented chef who came out of New York City life to host a local bread competitionBantam Bread Company, baking the kind of sourdough you used to find mostly on the West Coast. 25 years later, the bread is still singing, but so is the crumbly Irish soda from Thursday's bake. in the first five yearsPane Wave Mountain, there was really only one bread, a simple yet remarkable pain de campagne; that was enough to bring mass adoration to front-line operations. The Norwalk bakery has branched out, but the original offerings are still popular.

Delaware

Like many graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, Keith Irwin stepped out into the world ready to take the restaurant world by storm. In his first job as an offline chef, he had the opportunity to start working with a pastry chef. After years of experience in the kitchen, Owen openedbread from the old worldAt Lewis, back in 2014, that was a long time ago in the age of modern bread. Long-fermented Italian bread (and rolls) is a must for anyone who thinks he knows Italian bread very well. While you're there, bring home a loaf of orange cardamom sourdough bread; no air freshener will make your car smell this good.

Florida

Some cities have a hard time finding the best bakery in town. You might see them everywhere while eating out or stopping at your favorite cafe, but you may never know who they are or the story behind the bread. That was certainly the case in pre-pandemic Tampa, and the best chefs in town know itJamieson B. Bakery, about Blue and Jason Laukhuf and their bread. As a former pastry chef at one of the best steakhouses in the country (Bern, you might ask), Jason was tired of seeing frozen bread shipped into town from elsewhere. At the end of the last ten years, everything went very well.so.Like many other businesses that depend on restaurants for survival, they hit rock bottom: At some point in 2020, the couple estimated they lost half their business. Most things are back to normal these days, but at least the shift to some form of mainstream retailing seems to be here to stay. For bread lovers, Saturday morning grocery pickup (necessity is the mother of invention) is the highlight of the week.

In South Florida, Zak Stern continues to set regional standards for European bread at his Miami restaurant.baker zack, but Miami Beach has two big newcomers: Matthieu Bettant is a fourth-generation baker from France, which means he'sBettant Bakery, right in the middle of the South Beach scrum. Meanwhile, tucked away a block north of Venice Boulevard,real bakeryThe results are some really good natural yeast breads.

Georgia

In the days of Innocence leading up to 2020, Kevin Scollo was a star on New York's baking scene, working alongside Zachary Golper at Bien Cuit, before teaming up with Danish legend Claus Meyer at the ambitious Great Northern. Food Hall in Central Station. Scollo, a Georgia native who had been thinking about coming home before the pandemic, picked up the keys just weeks before the country went into lockdownIndependent Bakery.In Athens, everything is ready for the grand debut. Luckily, one of the things that everyone seems to want is more bread, better bread, and they've got it. All of Scollo’s whole wheat flour is milled at the bakery, and half its supply comes from a farm down the road. Looking for the next big thing in Atlanta? This isPanosorno, pastry chef-turned-home baker Betsy Gonzales started small a few years ago and hit her stride during the pandemic. All of their grains come from premium Southern sources.

hawaii

Chicago (Alinea), New York (Cru), Napa (French Laundry), even real France - Oahu native Chris Sy has seen some stuff and worked in a few kitchens, step back and leave for a while After starting the journey home to attend the University of Chicago. She has been baking at home for over a decade, most recently in her own shop,bakery, in Honolulu. With the pandemic changing everything, regulars check out their weekly purchases on Tock every Tuesday morning. Rewards for receiving orders on time? The most spectacular collection of naturally leavened breads west of San Francisco, including some expert breads, from classic country loaves to rich, dark whole-grain rye.

Idaho

When Mathieu Choux left his native Burgundy 20 years ago to open a restaurant in Boise that bakes all from scratch, customers almost immediately started asking where they could get this very fine bread. In response to an obvious need for his own restaurant and the city, Choux opened aGaston's Bakery and MillIn 2006, there was no looking back. That's mostly because he's too busy looking ahead: Gaston's is more than just a place to pick good shots. Choux's vision for cleaner local bread has taken him out of the bakery and into the wheat fields of Idaho. These days, more and more baked goods are made with local grains, ground right here: a bag of Gaston's flour has become as popular in town as a loaf of Idaho wheat bread.

Illinois

In the spring of 2020, Ellen King and Julie Matthei, like many of the other talented individuals on this list, found themselves checking a list of wholesale clients who no longer wanted bread. Some bakers may have been able to turn around, but the pair behindSculptureIn Evanston, he had a small problem: They had committed to an ambitious expansion project that involved relocating to the other end of town. After the initial struggle for survival, it becomes clear that holding back isn't doing any good. Fast forward to now, and the relocated bakery is doing well and still producing some of the most inspiring breads in the area, much of it using the finest artisanal grains the Midwest has to offer. Next door in Chicago, gourmet vet Bobby Schaffer (Grace at Stone Barns, Blue Hill) makes superb Scandinavian-style rye, includinglost larson.White bread lovers can upgrade their habit with toast and split milk rolls from the elegant Aya Fukai.Aya pastry.

Indiana

After a quarter century in business, pastry chef Pete Schmutte, who has been making bread for a living since college, is finally ready to open his own bakery. One problem: He's finally ready to open his own bakery in mid-2020. In fact, there is no problem at all with the last;Leviathan BakeryNot only did it make a successful debut in the second half of the pandemic's first year, but it's been going strong since then, churning out everything from oat breads to naturally leavened polenta breads to delicate milk breads. Like many of the best Midwestern bakeries on this list, Schmutte works with a growing number of premium grain suppliers in the area, including Janie's Mill in nearby Illinois.

iowa

When Tom Schmitt was laid off from his flying job a few years ago, he was already impressing his colleagues with his baking skills. It didn't take long for him to come up with the next chapter, which was great for Cedar Rapids. since 2015Rustic Family BakeryThe town is supplied with naturally leavened bread, not to mention some very fine baguettes; Schmidt grinds his own flour on site. The local public market thing started out relatively small, but the bakery soon had to move; these days you have to drive to the edge of town to buy bread, which is a small price to pay for greatness. .

Kansas

Enterprising Petrehn brothers Taylor and Reagan took over an old laundromat in the college town of Lawrence in their early 20s and turned it into a1900 Bandits, the best and trendiest new bakery in the city, already has a huge selection. That was a good time a decade ago, but it's still the same, and bread still knocks it out of the park, from deadly no-nonsense classic baguettes to handy sourdough specials like sage walnut jalapeño cheddar.

Kentucky

Long before some of the bakers on this list were born, or at least before they could reach the kitchen counter without a stool, Jim and Francine Bates took what seemed to be the adventure of a lifetime. they opened a bakeryBlue Grass Bread Company, specializing in high-quality natural bread, not just anywhere, but in Lexington, a strip mall in the suburbs. One of their first customers walks in, notices they don't do donuts, and leaves just as she arrives. Others stayed, and later more people knew about it, and before they knew it, about thirty years later, every town in the country now has, or will soon have, such a bakery. They produce delicious pain au levain, baguettes and excellent local specialties such as the bohemian beer bread made with local beer, and the elegant Vollkornbrot, where most of the grain is produced through a partnership with the nearby Ministry of Agriculture University sourced and milled locally. from Kentucky.If some of the young bakers on this list are very lucky, they'll still be just as important to their communities three decades later. Looking for the best bread in Louisville? Choose a Perfect Pres Bread fromBlue Dog Bakery and Cafe.or baguettes. or both.

Louisiana

An early morning stroll through New Orleans is unforgettable, watching the bakers go about their essential business, throwing one giant brown paper bag after another onto the sidewalks, steps and porches of various restaurants, sandwich shops and city corners.Market . As it turns out, it takes a lot of effort to stop daily deliveries from arriving, and the pandemic certainly failed the stress test, not here. People need their cotton clouds for boy buns, a style that feels like it hasn't changed much in at least a generation or three. Many stay true to the classic French bread (and Italian bread, let's not forget the Italian bread), and over the years New Orleans, in its sizeable center, has made room for a modern—or should we say contemporary—interpretation of another style. out of space. . A classic. Take Graison Gill's Country FarmerBellegard Badgeri, which has been around for years, makes it feel like it's essential. For baguettes it ismayhew excavator, another recent welcome addition.Unlike many American bakers, Kelly Mayhew doesn't question classic styles, resulting in baguettes similar to the ones bakers across France serve up every day.

maine

With enough land to supply the entire Northeast with quality grains, a thriving milling community, and one of the most vibrant baking scenes in the country, Maine is starting to feel like one of those places where you don't get a glimpse of the future, but you're already in there. There are so many great bakers here now, the state really deserves its own best bakers list, but looking for Tim Semler and Lydia MoffettTinder Oven Bakery, initially installing a bicycle-powered cob stove and grain mill on an old family property in Brooksville. Things have changed a bit over the decade, but bread is now just as serious (or delicious) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Among the couple's many admirers is Daniel Leader, mostly retired as a baker at New York's groundbreaking Bread Alone restaurant. The Leader now lives nearby, at least part of the year, and can be seen at the bakery from time to time.

Maryland

Long before biologist Keiller Kyle decided to switch from the study of birds to the study of bread, the Baltimore resident enjoyed baking bread for fun and good for his friends and neighbors. It wasn't until 2019 that he got serious and decided to switch careers.ovenDebuting in the very uncertain mid-2020s, just when everyone is looking for sourdough bread, it just so happens to be Kyle's forte. The best bakery in Annapolis isn't the easiest to find --bakers and companyLocated on a quiet neighborhood in Eastport, St. John's College grads Chris Simmons and Lucy Montgomery created (and maintained for quite a while) one of the best small bakeries in the Mid-Atlantic. All were memorable, but it was the baguettes that really stood out: long fermented and baked over a stone fire.

Massachusetts

Today, bread is an increasingly global thing in Boston. Soheil Fathi started baking in Tehran more than a decade ago and studied there after her family moved to the US. These days, the most mouth-watering naturally leavened breads in town (try the beautifully textured yoghurt sourdough) are from Fathi himselfbaking seasonin Cambridge. Also noteworthy are the delicate Persian flatbreads, which are baked weekly and sprinkled with sesame and black sesame seeds. This also applies to business hoursMamadou Artisan Bread, with locations in Winchester and Arlington, where sourdough, brioches and everything in between tend to sell out quickly. Mamadou Maye, who owns the bakery with his wife Mame, learned French techniques in Senegal, where he grew up. After ten years of planning, he opened his first branch and soon another. Long before other East Coast cities started turning things around, Boston wasClay Flour Bread, established in 1982.Trail Blazers Christy Timon and her husband Abe Faber have retired from Brookline, but Jon Goodman and his partner Nicole Wall Nicole Walsh has been working hard to keep the dream alive.

Michigan

Jennifer Haglund and Mark Bogard met while working in an oven at Josey Baker Bread in San Francisco; as 2020 loomed, the couple got engaged, and Ann Arbor native Haglund convinced Bogard to move back to Michigan with her, and they will Start your own bakery there. When the state went into lockdown, they didn't even come back for a week, but we all know now that if there's one thing this virus can't beat, it's bread, especially really good bread.Roast Dog BirdHe debuted in Ypsilanti as a delivery service and is at the top of the industry; all of their beautiful Bay Area breads are naturally grown and only use organic stone-milled grains from around the area production. It takes a special talent to come to a town and scare everyone away, especially when that town is right next to Ann Arbor,gingerIt's been that way since 1992. Their blend of European breads over the years, as well as more modern offerings like True North bread, made with Michigan grains, continue to captivate us.

Minnesota

Once upon a time, Minneapolis called itself the Flour Milling Capital of the World. As of 2019, it has all but disappeared, with only a historic mill still operating. On the other side of town, however, the future is taking shapeFlour and bread from the bakery, local baker Steve Horton was frustrated by the lack of fresh, high-quality flour in a city that had sent so much flour to the world, he decided to be the one he wanted the world to see and opened a store in 2016. Now Baker's Mark It is one of the best artisan factories in the entire Midwest, working twice as many hours as the gap between farmers and bakers -- who actually do a lot of the baking themselves. His efforts boosted several major businesses in the Twin Cities, such as St. Louis. Paul's.brake disc, which started in 2014 as Bread Bikes, like you buy bread and they deliver it by bike, a service that was essentially built to thrive during a pandemic. (Surprisingly, it does.)

Mississippi

There are some clear advantages to spending time living in cities that haven't always been so quick to buck every emerging trend. Huge and beloved by locals, Lumeria Books has lived comfortably in its current home for more than three decades, a late 1990s haven now largely lost, magical book palace, coffee-drinking Customer couches and everything possible, because what's a bookstore back then without good coffee? turn outBroad Street Bakery, another gem of a classic San Francisco-style sourdough bread and the best bread in Mississippi, pays homage to owner Dan Blumenthal's grandfather, Sol, who spent most of his life running a bakery in New Jersey.

Measurement

Iibis bakeryThe flagship store in Kansas City's Crossroads district is less like walking into most other bakeries you've ever seen than visiting a pavilion at the World's Fair, one dedicated to the future of confectionery. And coffee. This sleek, multi-story Apple Store operation is actually built around its own giant Vermont granite bean mill, and also happens to be one of the city's most popular coffee shops and roasters, Messenger Coffee Co., because why not bring us Favorite everything under one roof? (No, they actually have.) Chris and Kate Matsch started simple in 2013, roasting for a suburban coffee shop and slowly taking over the world, or at least a corner of it, for less than a decade of work. good. .crew inleague loafersIn St. Louis, they work hard almost as long, and while their store is also a popular café, maybe not as glamorous, it's not bad; the best bread in town gets the most attention anyway.

Montana

before you turn on the lightsMilling and BakingIn Missoula a few years ago, Dan Venturella and Selden Daume had worked in other people's bakeries for years, which explains why bread from a relatively new business felt like a pro. (Plus, they got all the grain they could from Montana.) Working in the storage area of ​​an old quonset cabin near I-90, his work didn't have much trouble finding an audience, in part because of the building's size. . Another tenant, Black Coffee Roasting Co., seems happy to show off its neighbors' talents. Billings is far from Missoula, mileage wise etc., but farther from Dijon where François Morin is from. After a long IT career in which he worked in many different places, Morin ended up here, opening theoven, and began producing the best baguettes the city has ever seen.

Nebraska

When you're in the Great Plains, it's so easy to bake locally. Distances from Miller Dohrmann Farm to the nearest farmsNeighborhood Bakery and CafeAbout seven miles in Omaha. You farm the wheat, and grind the grain into flour; another transforms the flour into the region's favorite whole-wheat sourdough bread, as well as beautiful 100% whole-wheat star loaves. Hobby baker John Quiring traveled to Montreal and Paris to train, and returned home in 2006 to light his first commercial oven. in Lincoln; today there are 3 stores in the area.

Nevada

Continue with one of two (soon there will be three)Perennial BakeryWherever you go in Reno/Tahoe, you're likely to come across at least a few people working on Taylor and Obrio Lasky's photo-worthy croissants, the Scandi-chic store itself, or the sweetest alligator for miles Pear toast photoshoot. The bread may not be the first thing that catches your eye at this hugely popular restaurant, but it's what keeps you coming back again and again. The couple attended the Culinary Institute of America and are distinguished bakers. Something as simple as a country bread, baguette, or sesame bread might fit the bill, but if there's one thing we know by now, it's that true heroes don't always have their own dedicated social media accounts. in Vegas,desert breadOperating out of the driveway of owners Brett Boyer and Brandon Wilharber, who have done nothing to slow down the Yeast Fans – whose weekly pre-orders were a hot topic at the height of the pandemic – follow the other cars to your Saturday morning partition.

new hampshire

A French historian and a Japanese anthropologist enter a small New Hampshire town. Are you OK? But it's no joke: When career academics Sam Temple and Bridget Love moved to Keene, they weren't quite sure what to expect, other than that they wanted Get closer to family. Temple learned the baker's trade years ago and started making bread in his family's barn, wondering if he could turn his side hustle into a business. Back in 2017, he did it, it's hard to imagine Keane without it nowFire Dog Bread, much of it stone-ground whole wheat sourced from New England farms, forms the basis for a compelling bread selection including the unique Vollkornbrot. Across the state, Sarah Kozuma is baking a loaf of Hokkaido bread puddingHorseshoe coffeeIn Newmarket, which also happens to be; pain au levain is just as good.

New Jersey

Besides the stunning views of the Manhattan skyline, the second best ad in Jersey City Heights right now is easily Rick Easton's ad.bread and salt.It's not just one ofIn NYC, even though it happens to be in NJ, it's the place to go if you want some really authentic Italian-style bread, which is actually called "regular bread" here because Bread & Salt is just that. place, has done an exemplary job with little fanfare, except that it continues to get attention from hungry New York food writers. Originally a huge success in Pittsburgh, Easton's plan was to move the bakery to Brooklyn; it came here and then stopped. How lucky Jersey City is. One of the things you'll learn when you visit this side of the river is how much of New York's famous engineering was done here. Have you ever wondered, for example, howBalthazar BakeryHave you done all the baking? They're certainly not in SoHo: At the bustling Englewood Commissary, just minutes west of the George Washington Bridge, locals line up for some of the best bread in Manhattan that they actually source from New York. sweater.

Mexico

On a weekend morning, you'll find that there's really no other type of neighborhood in Albuquerque other than South BroadwayBurke's Bakery, seems to always be sleepier than most, except, of course, those blocks waiting in long lines to get to the drive-thru window to buy pinon sourdough, amaranth sourdough, or whatever is left now. (Even on Sunday, if you don't get here first, you risk it.) Sarah Ciccotello and her husband, Chris McQuary, started at the farmers market seven years ago. sell stuff; at the end of 2020, they took a very successful step. When one Albuquerque market favorite hits brick-and-mortar stores, another takes its place—and apparently, that's changing these days.Ferm's Brine and Bakery, known for its blue cornmeal sourdough and ancient grain breads; long joinedBosque Baking Company., years before the craze, he created and perfected the Green Chili Sourdough Bread.

New York

Anyone lucky enough to live somewhere in a quiet part of Taconic State Parkway early in the pandemic has done well. Then, in the summer of 2020, Norman Jean Roy (renowned fashion photographer) and his wife Joanna (talented artist) arrived. couple openbad friendIn Hudson, the lucky ones who survive much of rural Columbia are even luckier with unlimited access to some of the tastiest bread this town of 6,235 has ever seen. Jean Roy said they were just bakers, which is a bit like saying Chagall made windows. There are few bakers in this country who walk the tightrope between new world trends and old world techniques as deftly as this team, every loaf of organic loaf is sturdy, beautiful, and can be photographed as you please, but this guy comes with exquisite perfection, When you cut into it, that kind of perfection that you usually have to sail across the ocean to find.

There must be something in the water in Columbia County because more starts just a few blocks awaytalbot and aldine, a popular food market that has done well during the pandemic, has moved into a stunning new home. The in-house bakery produces some of the most appetizing focaccia this side of Liguria. just down the streetSparrow Bush Bakery, Ashley Loehr and Antoine Guerlain had been operating for about a year before the pandemic, where they were able to gather a small group of new fans. Firewood bread, some of which is made from farm-grown grains, looks rustic; this is bread eaten in a kitchen with centuries-old exposed wooden beams, perhaps served with a glass fresh from the strainer Strong coffee. The creamy texture of Raisin Oatmeal Yeast Bread should probably be reclassified as a dessert.

North Carolina

In 2014, whentender breadAt its debut in Raleigh's upscale Boylan Heights neighborhood, the co-owners made a point of noting that the grain mill they built was actually the real deal, not some hipster gimmick. At the time, it wasn't something you would see every day, someone grinding beans in a shop, but Boulted has been this kind of place from the beginning: a bunch of bread geeks, each with a lot of experience in the bread industry. Business, get ready to take this baking to the next level. That's exactly what they've done for the South and the rest of the country, inspiring more than a few young bakers to take action. As well as the top-of-the-class staples, look out for an impressive selection of premium Nordic rye, as well as a very unusual bread made with smoked oats. In Asheville, anyone suffering from low-sour-dough should head straightUgle Bagheri, a lovely pastry shop and cafe that also makes very rich bread.

North Dakota

Rezarta Dibra grew up in an Albanian family that made a lot of bread, all from scratch. As an adult, she came to miss that part of her life, but there were no recipes to fall back on: They were all in her grandmother's head. So she sent herself to baking school, learned the basics, and when she moved to North Dakota a few years ago, she decided it was time to put her skills to the test. In 2018, Dibra and his family opened aMinot Daily Bread, its all-natural (and naturally leavened) breads (plain and rye for the purists, and blueberries and Mexican cheddar for the rest of us) have taken the remote town of 50,000 by storm since day one. waves. Also in 2018, local kids Hannah and Jonathon Moser lit up the ovenfeed useAnd started selling the sourdough bread they fell in love with while working in Australia. Their social media followers can easily get involved with the occasional bread sale, as the couple works to increase the farm's baking capacity.

Ohio

Before spring 2020, mentioning Ryan Morgans was correctsixteen bricksKnown as the home of some of the best bread in Cincinnati, many locals needed the pandemic to get a proper introduction. During his first few years in the business, he was mostly busy painting and baking for his wholesale clients (and turning down odd buying offers that quickly became a very successful business), Morgan discovered that just a decade ago, He is also a mechanic himself. Have a little extra time to think. Like many bakers with restaurant patrons, he quickly devoted himself to community outreach, raising funds to bake as much bread as possible for the suddenly hungry, and holding bake sales open to the public. These days you're (mostly) again buying every loaf of bread you can find at your local retailers and supermarkets, but it's always worth a shot. Made from fermented Kentucky red wheat and rye, Morgan's Arcade Bread is a tribute to one of New York's greatest bakers of recent years, the now-retired Roger Gural.

But you don't have to go hunting to get whole baguettes from Tom McKenna's.go to the bakery, which brought a lot of good vibesCincinnati's Over-The-Rhinen CommunitySince 2017; you just have to show up before the shelves are empty. On the other side of Kent, sourdough is baked in a wood-fired ovenBrimfield Bread OvenThey are worth a visit. Owners Jud and Genevieve Smith are ardent supporters of Ohio grain farmers, sourcing whole grain wheat, rye and whole grains from nearby Holmes County, home to one of the largest Amish populations in the country.

Oklahoma state

Maybe it's sprouted whole-wheat bread made with organic, Oklahoma-grown wheat berries, or perfectly breaded, trash-free, washed challah that shines on the display case, but as soon as you walk away Just go in and you will know. ThatFarrell BadgeriAt the Tulsa location, you'll be well taken care of. A popular local name since the late 1990s, Justin Thompson, a high-profile chef who took over in 2018, can only mean good things for the bakery and the city's bread-loving crowd.

Oregon

It's almost like Matt Katz and Zena Valas at a time when everything feels backwardsMain breadThey were sent recently, reminding us that Portland will never cease to be Portland. It's a place where home bakers wake up one day and might decide to stick with Big Ag and then take action, a secret bread harvest, a place for single-origin bread made from family grains. The farm is just down the road. Most of all, the couple reminds us that Portland will likely always be a place where the public never stops getting excited about food. In a city that has been busy raising the bar for American baking for decades, it's good to know there's always room for more enthusiastic evangelists, more talented innovators. Like many good Northwest bakeries, Kedzie and Walas already stock some great stuffcountry grinderIn Eugenio. As one of the leading suppliers of quality flour west of the Rocky Mountains, the in-house bakery is a great showcase for what they do.

Pennsylvania

Mixed bread at the home of Clare McKopp WilliamsBear BakeryIt's quite possibly the purest, most joyous expression of modern Pennsylvania bread, and like all the breads at this online farm/farmer's market, it uses only grains grown in the state, in this case a red wheat blend. Firm, whole spelt and rye: everything in a perfect country loaf. McKopp Williams has been baking with Marc Vetri for a long time in Philadelphia, which means she knows a thing or two: Any legwork associated with her baking is worthwhile exercise.

After a challenging 2021 that included ambitious expansions and the dissolution of partnerships, the very famous Alex Boislost bread companyIt's back to basics: sourcing local grains, grinding flour and baking some of the best bread in Philadelphia, which you'll find at farmers markets in Philadelphia and New York City. In Lancaster County, pandemic darling Kristen Richards made strides almost quickly: Shegrilling on the balcony., started literally picking orders out of the trash can on the front porch and now has its own store in Millersville. Richards' sourdough and baguettes are worth a try, again with a strong preference for Pennsylvania grains.

rhode island

After a long period of planning and planning, Jeffrey and Keri Lyn Collins have opened their permanent locationSouth County Bread Company. Mid-2021. Their new store on Wakefield High Street probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of where to go for the perfect 100% natural leavened bread, trust us, go there. The most exciting bread here is the edible billboards of local grains sourced from excellent New England farms, with most of the supply being milled in-house. Summer picnic on the beach with baguettes in summersugar poisoningIn Middletown, they fit the bill. Of course, it helps that Bélinda Quinn, who recently opened a bakery, came to town from Paris with an extensive resume, including work at the Elysee Palace.

south carolina

One of the best new restaurants in the South,Oak Hill Farm and CoffeeIn Greenville, it's much more than that. In addition to having its own farm, the in-house bakery has also become a destination for some of the best bread in the area. Sourdough, yes, but also look out for the pan de leche and thin honey wheat bread, which you can order ahead for pickup. In another city, Charleston, they'd better check out restaurants while they're hunting,butcher and beeNot only does it have a pretty face, but it is also good for baking bread. Made with Carolina-grown grains from Lindley Mills and Anson Mills, you can buy your bread at The Daily, just a few blocks from town.

South Dakota

Like many Californians, the Napolitano family at one point began to consider living elsewhere. As far as he was concerned, another place ended up being Sioux Falls. After a series of adventures, their son David returned home ten years ago to open a bakery in his parents' garage, one thing after another. these days,PanadikIt has become a favorite of the region for its long-haired, naturally fermented seed bread, as well as its hearty, winter-friendly bread made with potato flour. In Rapid City, you have to stop at nothing to get a loaf of cinnamon-raisin sourdough, green chiles, or anything, really, insour, a new and upcoming craft bakery. Peter Mitchell and his team, the rest of the Mitchell family, are making some of the most exciting breads in South Dakota right now.

Tennessee

In 2009, Claire Meneely opened a seasonal pop-up at a farmers' market in downtown Nashville to sell her cookies; the pop-up led to another project and things got really serious. Now, especially after what we've just experienced, it's hard to imagine life in Nashville without itBakery hit, a staple not only in your lucky neighborhood, but the city as a whole. Start with the weekend baguettes made with freshly ground wheat, and continue from there to the extensive bread menu. back to chattanooga bewareSunday, a local classic bakery that Erik and Lauren Zilen took over in 2015. Since then, the bread project has significantly modernized: naturally leavened country bread has become a staple product.

Texas

Bread in the Lone Star State has come a long way in a short amount of time, which means 2018 was a long time ago. The year Ryan Goebel took a bold stepfull packageIn Austin, where Goebel has been making some of the best natural leavened bread in the state since the beginning at his humble shop tucked away in the Zilker neighborhood, there aren't many options. Today, this is still true, but there is no doubt that the drought is officially over. From the sprawling suburbs of North Texas, sourdough is now a big thing. There are two specialty loaves: beautiful loaves, and if you can find them on the online-only siteIn the Bageri communityin Dallas, andMagnol French BakingIn Houston, Breton chefs Otto Sanchez and Matthieu Cabon have been shaking things up since 2019.

Utah

When Phillip Massey spread the word last summerRiot BakeryShe's growing up, but she needs a little help to make it happen, hitting her fundraiser goal in just two weeks. That's how Salt Lake City came to appreciate its most talented baker, who has largely disappeared from the public eye during the pandemic. Not by choice, but by necessity: As of 2017, Massey had been selling her baguettes, sourdough and oat bread at the downtown farmers’ market, a market that had long been disrupted, leading to a shift to wholesale baking. Fortunately, that's over: the year-round market is back, and so are the regulars. On the hill (so to speak) Andrew Berthong has turned his home baking business into a serious business.eagle and sparrow- Today, her quality handicrafts are available for sale at Lola Street Kitchen in Park City.

Vermont

When Blair Marvin and Andrew Heyn enterMount Elmo BreadNearly a decade ago, they decided to cut ties with other people's flour and start making their own, looking around but couldn't find a factory that did exactly what they wanted. So they, like you, invented a new type of stone mill of their own, which they made from local granite. Mention New American Stone Mills to most bakers these days and they'll shine. If they don't have one of Heyn's creations, there's a good chance they'll want one. Between speeding repairs to broken supply chains and baking the Northeast's most beloved bread, the couple also found time to make another major contribution to the bread world, becoming founding members of Washington-based Skagit Valley.Bread Lab Collective, an equally talented group of up-and-coming bakers, many of whom are on this list, along with others associated with the industry. His mission? Make the best bread available to all by baking so-called accessible bread: high quality, but never so expensive that it's out of reach.

long, long agoback door panGrains became their main focus in Charlotte, and Jim and Lynn Williams began to take them seriously, even trying to grow their own to serve their popular Rhode Island bakery. After retiring, the couple moved full-time to Vermont, where they still grow their own wheat and bake some of the best bread in New England.

Virginia

For many in Richmond, brothers Evrim and Evin Dogu are simply the best bakers in town;Sutter Rosa BadgeriRaising the bar for bread in Virginia's capital, celebrating French techniques, local grains and its own Turkish-American heritage, which is how traditional cornmeal polenta bread is made locally, calling for a quick bake and sprinkled with herbs, as well as the classic pain de levain, all on the same menu. Behind it all, though, a sibling team has been leading the fight to transform the supply chain from the top down: The bakery was one of the first lines of stone mills made by Vermont pioneer Andrew Heyn. 1. The internal grinding business has expanded significantly. Evrim is also the founder of the Common Grain Alliance, an organization dedicated to greater sustainability by building bridges between bakers, millers and farmers in the Mid-Atlantic region. When in Charlottesville, a must seePan de AltheaLoop at the local farmers market; Marian and Susan Bayker started baking in 2018 at their country cottage in Albemarle County; the couple also grinds their own grain.

washington

Seattle before the pandemicSea Lion BakeryIt's not just where you buy the most exciting sourdough bread in town. The store, a few blocks north of Lake Union, is also one of those places where you can walk in and feel good in all weathers, thanks in part to an abundance of large windows that let in natural light. After months of door-to-door delivery of customer orders, and just after it became clear that this pandemic business was going to last for a while, brothers Jesse and Kit Schuman had an idea: open one of the windows. Giant, look down the street, the best bakery in the city of Seattle has suddenly turned into a kiosk. A giant kiosk moves among spoonfuls of flour, all ground from Northwest grains.

Bread has been outstanding in this region for a long time. Hard to believe trendsetting breadbread farmLittle Edison is now twenty, or Leslie McKee'sOctagon fishHe is in his thirties. A few years ago, Sea Wolf hit the scene with its beautiful sourdough bread, a good reminder that even in the best of bread towns, there's always room for another one. existBarn Owl BreadGrowing up on Lopez Island in San Juan, they paintedyesbake. This is one of the hardest bakeries on this list to get to, but it's worth the time, and you also get one of the best public ferry rides in North America.

west virginia

Many say (and we mean "a lot" very clearly, we're the ones who say it) that the best bread in West Virginia is fresh pepperoni rolls from the extremely classic Italian bakery in Fairmont and Clarksburg , in many journeys through what is undoubtedly the state of God's pure truth. Yet everything is developing, even in the mountains where tradition binds. In the state capital, WVSU biology professor Mark Chatfield is a baker and co-owner of a restaurantcharleston bread co.., is known for its high-quality and affordable sourdough bread; the same goes forsarah on mainlineIn Wheeling, popular local chef Sarah Lydick broke free in 2018 to open a lovely café and bakery in the city centre. Lydick is known locally for its savory bread: long, thin, crispy ciabatta-style loaves sprinkled generously with sea salt.

the state of Wisconsin

In the depths of March 2020, a group of Midwestern bakers, all part of a regional artisan grain collective, started a chat line to discuss what to do, how to help, how to keep baking, how to do good. for their local communities. It was from these discussions that the Nabobrød project arose: customers could add a loaf of bread to their order, which would then be baked and distributed to those working hard to keep food on the table. The first person to wear the legendary baker's apron was Kirk Smock of Madisonplain bread, each loaf is naturally leavened and made entirely from locally grown and milled organic grains. Madison may be the most food-savvy city in the state, at least in modern terms, but there's plenty of good bread these days: in Milwaukee,Stephen Lord, baker Stephen Blanchard is equally passionate about where the grain comes from, and in Green Bay, its sourdough bread comes frombakery travelerYou are looking for.

Wyoming

Oh, almost as cute and popular asPersephone Excavator, Ali and Kevin Cohane's bright and beautiful morning party. On any given day, it attracts everyone in Jackson, so many people that there are now two locations. What are they doing here? Breakfast, brioche with french toast, strong coffee, buttery brioche almond bread and croissants: everything is fine, but here you go, pushing your way through the crowd very politely, against choice of bread, against pain. au levain andbaguette, you'd be smart to order ahead. Let the starters fight for everything at the end: Back in solitude with some delicious cheese and a cozy little picnic. Just don't feed the bears.