Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Guides
    • Flight Deals
    • Travel Deals
    • Ways to Save
    • Hotels + Resorts
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Disney Vacations
    • Festivals + Events
    • Airlines + Airports
    • Buses + Trains
    • Ground Transportation
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Food and Drink
  3. Restaurants
  4. 15 Amazing Small-Town Bakeries

15 Amazing Small-Town Bakeries

By Nevin Martell
September 28, 2015
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Courtesy of Sherry B.
Get ready for some serious carb-loading the next time you hit the road. Some of the country’s best bakeries are secreted away in small towns off the interstate, and these pastry-filled pit stops are the perfect way to break up long trips and do a little exploring at the same time. Here are 15 sweet sanctuaries and what to order when you finally arrive. 
Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Frida’s Bakery in Milton, New York

Credit: Courtesy of Frida's Bakery

Most New Yorkers believe that there’s nowhere to find a decent bagel outside the five boroughs. This bakery, located in an enchanting Hudson Valley hamlet, proves Gothamists wrong with its Manhattan-worthy rounds. There’s also plenty of love for local traditions here; many of baker Dave Meltzer’s pastries feature ingredients sourced from nearby farms.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton, Virginia

Credit: Courtesy of Red Truck Bakery

Set in a remodeled vintage Esso gas station on the central corner of a charismatic little town in Virginia’s Piedmont region, this bakery looks like it was taken straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Baker and owner Brian Noyes turns out award-winning pastries, including a head-spinning chocolate moonshine cake, salted caramel apple pie, and a goodie-packed granola that Andrew Zimmern declared the best in North America.

2 of 15

3 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Our Town Bakery in Hillsboro, North Dakota

Credit: Courtesy of Our Town Bakery

Whether you’re in the mood for sweets or savories, this charming little bakery at the center of town is happy to accommodate. Sugar fiends rave about the indulgent monkey bread, fragrant cinnamon rolls, and miniature blueberry pies, while those in the mood for something heartier won’t want to miss the meat pies, which come with ever-changing fillings like gingery pork, Thai chicken, and corned beef.

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Erick Schat’s Bakkerÿ in Bishop, California

Credit: PhotographersNature

Nestled in a blip of a burg in the foothills of the Eastern Sierras, this bustling operation bakes 25,000 loaves a week in its stone-hearth ovens. A must-try is the “original sheepherder's bread”—a soft-centered boule based an ancient Basque recipe that the bakery has been producing for more than seven decades. It’s the perfect foundation for a Dagwood-sized sandwich or simply toasted and slathered with jam.

4 of 15

5 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Texas Pie Company in Kyle, Texas

Credit: Courtesy of The Texas Pie Company

Pull over between Austin and San Antonio for a taste of homemade Southern comfort food. Chef and owner Julie Albertson offers 18 pies made with recipes handed down from her grandmother, including buttermilk, pumpkin-praline, and peanut butter mousse. If you like eating with your hands, go for the pecan pie bar—brown sugar shortbread topped with gooey filling and caramelized pecans.

5 of 15

6 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

J.P. Gifford Market & Catering Company in Kent, Connecticut

Credit: Courtesy of J.P. Gifford Market & Catering Company

The ovens at J.P. Gifford Market run all day, so you’ll probably catch the intoxicating scent of this shop before you even arrive. With a repertoire that ranges from financiers and madeleines to English muffins and fist-sized muffins, the baking team wants to help you indulge. Don’t miss their phenomenal breakfast sandwiches.

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

TwoFish Baking Company, The Sea Ranch, California

Credit: Courtesy of Two Fish Baking Company

The work begins well before sunrise at this boutique bakery, where bakers Margaret Smith and Hilla Ahvenainen turn out blue-ribbon breakfast pastries galore. There are caramel-rich sticky buns, cinnamon rolls zigzagged with icing, and morning-style calzones stuffed with scrambled eggs, mozzarella, and plenty of bacon. Pick up a loaf of bread before you leave: the braided challah, golden baguette, and country wheat are all exemplary.

7 of 15

8 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Trading Post Market and Bakery in Cloverdale, California

Credit: Courtesy of Trading Post Market and Bakery

Located in the heart of wine country, this Mercer Restaurant Group bakery provides bread to San Fran restaurant standouts AQ and TBD. But it’s no commissary kitchen. The stone-hearth baked breads are favored by locals and visitors alike, who zero in on vegetable-speckled focaccia, hearty nut loaf, and baguettes that crackle when you snap off a heel to nibble on.

8 of 15

9 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Well-Bred Bakery in Weaverville, North Carolina

Credit: Courtesy of Well-Bred Bakery

This warm and welcoming corner bakery brims with freshly baked delights, such as cinnamon streusel coffeecake, fluffy cheese biscuits, and gigantic, cream-filled éclairs covered in dark chocolate. Many of the savory creations include organic ingredients grown in the bakery’s nearby garden.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Del Sur Bakery on St. Simons Island, Georgia

Credit: Courtesy of Del Sur Bakery

This is one island we wouldn’t mind being stranded on. The owners are Argentinian and Italian, so you’ll find items that honor both traditions, from alfajores and empanadas to Milanese and Caprese sandwiches. The gorgeous space looks like a reimagined classic gas station, replete with an overhang under which guests can sit to enjoy their purchases in the shade.

10 of 15

11 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, California

Credit: Scott Wheatfill

Thomas Keller’s five-star boulangerie never fails to delight. Whether you opt for an over-sized macaron, the chef’s haute take on a Nutter Butter (dubbed the “Better Nutter”), or a tuna Niçoise sandwich, you won’t get back in your car disappointed. Everything looks almost too beautiful to eat. (Almost.)

11 of 15

12 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Pie Lab in Greensboro, Alabama

Credit: Brit Huckabay

Part community center, part bakery, and part design studio, this small-town gem puts out beautiful pies in decadent flavors like chocolate-bourbon-pecan, coconut chess, and peanut-butter cup. If you’re in the mood for something other than dessert, there are also sandwiches, salads, and pizzas to choose from.

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Bob’s Well Bread in Los Alamos, California

Credit: Courtesy of Bob's Well Bread

Former marketing executive Bob Oswaks uses long fermentation and a stone-deck oven to turn out golden, crackling, artisan bread loves at a bakery housed in an old-school gas station. The family-run shop also sells impeccable French pastries and tartines, which have attracted both local love and faraway fans.

13 of 15

14 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Basque Boulangerie Café in Sonoma, California

Credit: Courtesy of Basque Boulangerie Café

European techniques and imported stone-hearth ovens add an Old World touch to this bakery’s creations, which include sourdough and sweet breads in addition to cookies, muffins, and cakes. The most buzzed-about offering is the shop’s beehive cake, which is plumped up with custard filling and topped with honey almond praline.

14 of 15

15 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

sherry b dessert studio in Chappaqua, New York

Credit: Courtesy of Sherry B.

This sweet spot is well worth the hour’s drive from New York City. Executive pastry chef and owner Sherry Blockinger crafts brownies stuffed with salted caramel, “tipsy” marshmallows infused with booze, and creative takes on classic desserts, like the Fluffernutter-inspired ice cream sandwich made with peanut butter–swirled marshmallow fluff ice cream and banana bread.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Nevin Martell

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 15 Frida’s Bakery in Milton, New York
2 of 15 Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton, Virginia
3 of 15 Our Town Bakery in Hillsboro, North Dakota
4 of 15 Erick Schat’s Bakkerÿ in Bishop, California
5 of 15 The Texas Pie Company in Kyle, Texas
6 of 15 J.P. Gifford Market & Catering Company in Kent, Connecticut
7 of 15 TwoFish Baking Company, The Sea Ranch, California
8 of 15 Trading Post Market and Bakery in Cloverdale, California
9 of 15 Well-Bred Bakery in Weaverville, North Carolina
10 of 15 Del Sur Bakery on St. Simons Island, Georgia
11 of 15 Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, California
12 of 15 Pie Lab in Greensboro, Alabama
13 of 15 Bob’s Well Bread in Los Alamos, California
14 of 15 Basque Boulangerie Café in Sonoma, California
15 of 15 sherry b dessert studio in Chappaqua, New York

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

15 Amazing Small-Town Bakeries
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.