Is bread the staff of life or a guilty pleasure? Whatever your answer, every meal just seems to be better with bread. It starts us off with toast at breakfast, cushions sandwiches at lunch, supports a charcuterie snack on a sunny afternoon, dips into soups and mops up sauces at dinner, and some form of it adorns the table at every major holiday. Thankfully, the bakeries of Pittsburgh continue to bake up loaves of bread that are crispy, fluffy, and flavorful. The next time those crusty cravings strike, consider a local baker like the ones listed here.
Pittsburgh Bakeries With Fresh Loaves of Bread
Five Points Artisan Bakeshop
6524 Wilkins Avenue, Point Breeze
European style breads and pastries are the staple of this Squirrel Hill spot. The bakers here start each loaf of bread at least 20 hours in advance to produce the fluffiest, most flavorful loaf possible. Their crisp, crunchy crusts are unmatchable. Stop in to try their baguettes, croissants, sourdough, challah, multigrain, and wheat loaves.
Allegro Bakery
2034 Murray Avenue, Squirrel Hill
Vegans can find a safe haven at Allegro Bakery because of their commitment to vegan baked goods and sandwiches. Everything you’ll try at this bakery is 100% plant-based using organic flour and their own sourdough starter. Head in to pick out loaves of sourdough, focaccia, French batard, raisin walnut, rye varieties, baguettes, brioche, sandwich-shaped pan loaves, and so many other types.
Mediterra
Multiple Locations
Whether you live in Sewickley, Mt. Lebanon, Lawrenceville, or Cranberry, you can shop their selection of artisan breads made fresh every day. Over 20 varieties of bread adorn their counters with seasonal varieties changing throughout the year. No matter the season, however, their excellent ciabatta is perfect for making lunch sandwiches, and their rich, dark pumpernickel is great for accompanying a cozy comfort meal like stew.
Driftwood Oven
3615 Butler Street, Lawrenceville
In addition to stopping in for a slice of their sourdough pizza, Driftwood Oven is a destination for sourdough focaccia. Their version is drizzled in aged balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and herbs, making every bite a small monument to deliciousness. But, if you want to take this delicacy even further, get it with their house-made hummus featuring toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds, pickled red onions, and extra virgin olive oil. If you have any room left after that feast, try something sweet: the pastries are excellent, too.
Daniele Brenci
Bloomfield Market, Bloomfield
This author of Advanced Bread Baking at Home heads out to the Bloomfield Market every Saturday to bring his fresh baked breads to the community. Daniele Brenci is always pushing the boundaries of bread making with his custom loaves. For instance, at last year’s summer market he brought out squash and toasted hazelnut loaves alongside sweet potato sourdough. Clear your schedule. Take some home. Don’t tell anyone, though: you’ll want it all to yourself.
Pane è Pronto
2627 Penn Avenue, Strip District
Whether you’re a restaurant looking for wholesale bread or just a customer looking for something special, Pane è Pronto has your breakfast, lunch, and dinner covered. Choose from homemade buns, bagels, various types of focaccia, dinner rolls, ciabatta, baguettes, and even carefully etched Sicilian white bread loaves. They even carry bags of crostini that provide the best dipping bread for any celebration.
Jak’s Bakery
4310 Main Street, Bloomfield
Meet Zhelyazko Latinov, aka Jak, who brings over 20 years of baking experience to his Bulgarian breads. He takes traditional recipes from his Balkan upbringing and tweaks them with modern flavors and techniques for cases full of deliciousness. Inside his bakery you’ll find sweet and savory breads alongside classic loaves to take home. Try his Cinnamon Sugar Kifla or Country Loaf the next time you’re in the area. He’s often at farmers markets in the area, as well.
Pitaland
620 Brookline Boulevard, Dormont
If you plan on enjoying Mediterranean food for dinner, it’s a must to stop by Pitaland and pick up their handmade pita bread. This shop makes whole wheat, plain, zaatar, and tannour pita breads in both large and small sizes. Grab a pack on your way home so you can cook up your own gyros or even make Greek-inspired pizzas with feta cheese. If you have any extra, toast it lightly in the toaster the next morning and slather it with butter and honey.
Third Space Bakery
5349 Penn Avenue, Bloomfield
The three women owners of Third Space Bakery spend each day handmaking loaves of whole wheat, seeded, multi-grain, kalamata, and focaccia bread. Besides these types, which you can get any day of the week, certain weekend days also feature oat porridge, raisin walnut, bialys, and dark rye. If you’ve ever had an interest in becoming an expert bread-maker yourself, this bakery also holds classes to help you tune up your skills.
Madeleine Bakery and Bistro
609 S Trenton Avenue, Edgewood
Croissants, baguettes, and sourdough: what more could you ask for? The skilled folks at Madeleine Bakery and Bistro bake up a regular sourdough loaf, an olive and herb loaf, and a multi-grain loaf to make sure your cravings are met. Besides their bread loaves, they also carry baguettes that are authentic to European recipes and only get better when you reheat them at home.
Story by Kylie Thomas
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce
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