Features Restaurant Bakery Bread Shop Bread Breakfast Homepage Highlight Guide To Connecticut Bread Bakers & Bakeries Hannah Goodman January 27, 2024 Bread. It’s the culinary foundation for so many cultures, each with its own unique varieties and history. Bread plays a pivotal role, whether it’s mopping up a beautiful sauce after a meal, or given to a child slathered in butter, after school. Bread baking is an art, a science, and a labor of love, especially for those bakers nurturing sourdough starters, passed down for generations or created by them many many years ago. “Often, our choices of bread are all about feelings. Flavour too, yes, of course. But the emotional resonance of bread is like little else.” -The Borough Market Guide to BakingThe explosion of Bread Bakers in Connecticut is a gift. So please, let us “break bread” together and enjoy this list of exceptional local bread bakeries. If we missed a local bread baker you know and love, please contact us.Soleil Bakery - Woodstock https://www.facebook.com/SoleilSunsBakeryLLCSoleil has the best bread this side of the country has to offer. Their breads are made with top quality ingredients and so much care made by the biker baker! It's so good that Soleil Bakery just received a “Best of New England” award for their breads. They offer sourdough, asiago cheese, Kalamata olive, and cinnamon raisin bread, just to name a few! And don't miss their specialty breads such as dark chocolate cherry, antipasto, dill pickle and cheddar. They are like none other! If you know bread, you know Soleil!Wave Hill Breads - Norwalk http://www.wavehillbreads.com/Noted by Food & Wine magazine as one of the 100 Best Bakeries in America in 2020 and appearing on their 2022 list of the Best Bread in Every State for Connecticut, Wave Hill Breads is a local favorite. Fresh organic whole grains are milled in-house daily, doughs ferment for up to 72 hours and ingredients are locally sourced. By following authentic traditional European techniques, the result is flavorful, fresh tasting, easily digestible artisan breads, pastries and pizzas. Offerings include artisan breads in traditional French three-grain, sourdough, multigrain, pumpernickel, focaccia, ciabatta, pan loaves, challah and much more. Wave Hill Breads has bread for every table. Spruce and Rye Baking Co. - West Hartford https://www.spruceandryebakingco.com/Spruce & Rye Baking Co. is an artisanal microbakery offering Nordic-influenced breads, buns, pastries, and cakes. The bakery is run by a husband and wife team out of their home who have spent years gathering old Nordic recipes from their travels. The bakery is their way of carrying on the stories, memories, and people behind each recipe. All of Spruce & Rye's breads and pastries are handmade using sourdough starter and organic ingredients. The bakery focuses on giving each product a modern presentation, just like what you would find across the top bakeries and cafés in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Paris. As part of the bakery's commitment to better taste and nutritional value, Spruce & Rye only supports small farmers that grow ancient wheat varietals and who grind their flour the "old way" with stone mills.Hartford Baking Company - Farmington, Glastonbury, West Hartford, South Windsor (Spring 2024) https://hartfordbaking.com/Hartford Baking Company started with a dream of bringing fresh artisan bread to Connecticut by Scott Kluger while he was employed in finance in New York City. Back in 2010, HBC was just a humble little piece of sourdough starter handed down to Scott by his mom, and a dream of baking crusty loaves. Fast forward to 2024, and HBC is proud to be the premiere destination for artisan bread and the 'coffee shop experience' in Hartford, with locations in Farmington, West Hartford, Glastonbury, and a lease signed for a South Windsor location this spring. HBC is proud to be locally owned and operated, with a diverse and vibrant staff, and a commitment to scratch baking techniques, including: unbleached and unbromated flour, non-gmo ingredients, a 24 hour fermentation process, the famous vintage sourdough starter, low gluten flours, and of course, fresh eggs and real butter. The long fermentation process and labor intensive baking procedures used at HBC create beautiful loaves of bread that are crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and made with just four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast. The cafe experience is central to HBC. Enjoy coffee, sandwiches on our crusty artisan bread, pastry, and more at all three cafes. Uncle Matt’s Bakery & Cafe - Sandy Hook https://unclemattsbakeryandcafe.com/Uncle Matt's Bakery in Sandy Hook brings artisanal bread perfection to Sandy Hook and its surrounding communities. Owner/head baker Matt Kirshner draws on his lengthy experience to bring his customers rustic and crusty sourdoughs, soft challah, and a selection of pan breads to elevate any lunchtime sandwich, as well as seasonal and holiday favorites like stollen. And let’s not overlook the all-time favorite semolina bread, which smells amazing, sells fast, and never lasts more than a day in a hungry household! Matt uses overnight fermentation and whole grains in his breads to bring flavor and added nutrition to the table. Atticus Market - New Havenhttps://atticusnhv.com/Located in the East Rock Neighborhood, Atticus Market opened in 2021 by those that brought you the Atticus Bookstore Cafe. The bakers at Atticus get their flour from Northeastern farmers and millers. They take pride in baking with whole grain flour instead of white flour, as it is healthier and actually gives their bread and pastries a nuttier, more delectable flavor.Bantam Bread - Bantamhttps://www.bantambread.com/Bantam Bread uses time honored practices - by hand, from scratch, fresh daily - using their own homemade whole wheat sourdough starter. They have a selection of over 10 bread options, from a traditional white table bread to a light rye with raisins, walnuts and cranberries, and everything in between. The Black Walnut Artisan Bread Co. - East Hamptonhttps://www.blackwalnutbread.com/At Black Walnut, they keep it simple and use just the basics for 90% of their bread varieties: flour, water, yeast, and salt. They use only King Arthur flour, which is never bleached or bromated. Their bread menu changes daily, so follow them on Instagram or Facebook to see their newest delicious creations. Brotworkshop - Killingworthhttps://www.brotworkshop.com/Brot is the German word for bread, which is quite fitting as Brotworkshop decided to combine European sourdough cultures with others from around the world. They use organic, stone-ground flour and a sourdough starter to make their breads, which are made to order – guaranteed freshness! Check out their workshops and events to learn some baking techniques from the experts. Chabaso Bakery - New Havenhttps://www.chabaso.com/At Chabaso, they use just flour, water, salt, and a little bit of yeast to make their bread. They are committed to using strictly non-GMO ingredients as well as plenty of whole grains, as it is healthier and allows for a richer flavor profile. East Rock Breads - New Haven https://www.instagram.com/eastrockbreads/Bill Frisch opened East Rock Breads just over a week into the new year! Aptly named, this new bakery is open in the East Rock Neighborhood and specializes in sourdough breads, bagels, and pastries. Fatto a Mano: Artisanal Italian Micro-Bakery - Westporthttps://fattoamanobreads.com/Pierluigi Mazzella, founder and full-time baker at Fatto a Mano, received the award for 2022’s Baker of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. Mazzella was born and raised in Italy, which is where he learned the true art of baking. He uses the best local ingredients available and makes everything by hand. The Flour Girl Bakery and Cafe - Hebronhttps://www.theflourgirlct.com/Flour Girl Bakery is a woman-owned and run business dedicated to offering their customers fresh breads made by the freshest ingredients. They started with just a loaf of sourdough bread (made from scratch) and now that same bread is available in almost 80 flavors, both sweet and savory! Be sure to get there early on Sunday mornings to get a freshly-frosted cinnamon roll before they run out. Flour Water Salt Bread - Darienhttps://www.flourwatersaltbread.com/Robert VanKeuren started his baking business in 2017 and has taken Darien and its surrounding towns by storm. His products are all 100% sourdough, which makes them easier to digest and great for those that have a gluten intolerance. The name of this bakery says it all, it’s that simple! Harpo’s Bakery and Cafe - South Glastonburyhttps://www.harposbakery.com/Six days a week, Harpo’s offers fresh-baked bread, from Italian and French breads to dinner rolls and stuffed breads. They make everything from breakfast and lunch to pies and cookies! They also make uniquely flavored donuts that look just as delicious as they are colorful.Isabelle et Vincent - Fairfieldhttps://www.bakeryfairfieldct.com/Isabelle et Vincent offers a decadent variety of baguettes, loaves, and gluten-free breads. In 2018, owners Jill and Mark bought the bakery from the original Isabelle and Vincent, and they continue to offer the authentic French pastries, desserts, and breads that originally point them on the map in Fairfield. Kneads: Bakery, Cafe, and Mill - Westporthttps://kneadsbakerycafe.com/Daniel and Brittany Moreno, Kneads’ co-owners and chefs, have plenty of experience cooking and baking, which made opening this place a dream come true. They work with Wild Hive and Oechsner Farms, which are both certified organic grain farms. Their mission is to combine farmers and bakers to make the best bread product possible. Moonsmoke Bakery - Fairfield https://www.instagram.com/moonsmokebakery/?hl=enMoonsmoke Bakery is a popup bakery in Fairfield specializing in naturally leavened breads made from ancient grains and fun viennoiserie (breads in the style of Vienna). Mozzicato DePasquale Bakery - Hartford, Middletown, Plainville, Rocky Hill, Wallingfordhttps://www.mozzicatobakery.com/Mozzicato offers freshly baked Italian breads and rolls, baked in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures from centuries-old recipes. Considering its five different locations, this place definitely knows authentic and quality Italian breads and pastries. Repeatedly voted “Best Bakery in Connecticut” by Connecticut Magazine and The Hartford Advocate, they also offer online ordering for some of their goods!Ovens of France - Woodburyhttp://www.ovensoffrancect.mymobisite.us/Ovens of France is aptly named, as it is a truly authentic French bakery and pastry shop. Baked fresh daily, they offer a variety of breads, including artichoke & swiss focaccia, olive and rye bread, as well as others. In addition, they offer hand-made croissants, including plain, ham and cheese, chocolate, and almond. Not every bakery makes their own croissants, as it is very time-consuming, so trying theirs is a must! Purdy Hill Bakery - Monroe https://www.purdyhillbakeryanddeli.com/Open 7 days a week, the fine people at Purdy Hill bake their delicious goods daily, assuring you’ll get the freshest bread, cakes, pies, and other pastries around. They offer fresh Italian, rye, pumpernickel, Irish Soda, ciabatta, challah, and so many other types of bread! They’ll even let you create your own cake, so nothing is off the table (literally). Roly Poly Bakery - New Britainhttps://www.rolypolyinc.com/This unique Polish bakery offers fresh baked goods and pastries and their preservative-free, hand-crafted bread is a great place to start, although it won’t end there. Their attention to detail and quality ingredients is clear when you see their beautiful sweet and savory creations. Ross Artisanal Bakery & Cafe - Ridgefieldhttps://www.rossartisanalbakeryandcafe.com/Since 2009, Ross’s has become a neighborhood favorite, offering bread and pastries made fresh every morning from organic flour and ingredients from local farms. They also have their own brand of oils, vinegars, and jams, which when combined can make a great gift basket! Royal Bakery - Sheltonhttps://www.royalbakeryct.com/Royal Bakery has been serving their community delicious breads, pastries, and desserts for over twenty-five years. They offer various breads, rolls, and stuffed breads (count me in for the broccoli and sausage ones!). They also make and decorate their own cakes for all occasions. Looking for something specific? Get creative and they’ll make your delicious vision come true. Scratch Baking - Milfordhttps://scratchbakingct.com/Lesli Flick has been a professional baker since 2002 and is the owner of Scratch Baking. Her pastries have been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, Oprah’s O-Magazine, and Connecticut Cottages and Gardens. You can get a breakfast sandwich on their fresh rolls, cream cheese or butter on their very own pretzel-bagel hybrid, and an avo toast on their yummy toasted sourdough. Sift Bake Shop - Mystic, Niantichttps://www.siftbakeshopmystic.com/The bakers at Sift Bake Shop mean business, as they are up at 3 a.m. making their delicious breads, pastries, and savory goods. All of their breads are naturally leavened by fresh yeast and shaped by hand. They also offer vegan and gluten-free baked goods, and everything is made fresh in their very own kitchen, each and everyday. Small State Provisions - Avon, West Hartford https://smallstateprovisions.com/At Small State Provisions, they have a passion for offering baked goods made from the finest ingredients, in what they call a “labor of love”. The bakers use organic, handcrafted sourdough starter, organic flour, salt, and water. Their menu is ever changing, but their staples include a variety of sourdough breads, scones, cookies, breakfast, and sandwiches. The Sono Baking Co. - Norwalkhttps://www.sonobaking.com/John Barricelli is a third generation baker and owner of The Sono Baking Company. They bake their bread in a deck oven imported from Italy, so you could say John values the quality of the breads and pastries he serves to his customers daily. Whole German Breads - New Havenhttps://www.wholeg.com/Whole German Breads offers incredibly authentic German-style breads, including rye bread, sourdough bread, walnut black pepper bread, granola bread, and fig and walnut bread. You can taste the love and intelligence from the generations that came before and inspired this bakery.
