Review and photos by Lydia Schultz
If you think finding good bread is easy, you’re wrong. Bread seems simple enough, but it takes substantial work to produce and find exceptional quality loaves.
It takes a special magic to create a perfect loaf of bread: just the right ingredients, just the right fermentation time, and of course, just the right baker to produce consistent results.
Unfortunately, too many people settle for passionless carbs because they don’t know where to look — don’t worry, I’m here to guide you to Chicago’s finest artisanal creations.
As a self-professed bakery addict who has searched for good baked goods in fourteen different countries, I’ve compiled the top five best bakeries worth visiting in the city, based on the quality of their bread products.
Life is too short to settle for a mediocre loaf.
La Fournette, Old Town
Enjoy transporting from Chicago to Paris through the doors of La Fournette, a French bakery in Old Town.
The family-owned and run bakery moved from a small town in Alsace, France, to Chicago in 2010. Since then, it has saved Chicagoans a trip to Europe by supplying freshly made baguettes and croissants using the same French recipes and techniques.
The warm and rustic interior beckons you to try several other European treats, from an assortment of macarons, Berliner beignets and fruit danishes to savory quiches, croque monsieurs and tarte flambées.
The fifth-generation old business is continued by head chefs, Pierre and Michele Zimmermann, who ensure the authenticity and quality cultivated in Alsace is not lost with the help of sons Luc and Nico Zimmermann, who all pride themselves on recreating a communal feel amongst loyal and new customers alike.
Publican Quality Bread, West Loop
“Quality” is the name of the game here encapsulating this blessing of a bakery.
The aroma of fresh bread is more than enough to draw you in from the street; the irresistible pastries that change daily are more than enough to make you stay.
James Beard Award-winning baker Greg Wade oversees this retail location that is part of the Publican family of restaurants in West Loop.
Wade has spent over a decade mastering culinary practices that shine in every item on the menu — from sourdough loaves made from a 30-year-old bread starter to the naturally-leavened seasonal croissants that are too enticing to resist.
Publican Quality Bread collaborates with local farms to ensure the freshest, highest quality ingredients while still prioritizing simplistic magnificence.
Along with a rotating menu of fresh pastries and breads, every Thursday evening is Roman style pizza night — because there is so much more to Chicago than deep-dish.
Verzenay Chicago, Lincoln Park
Although a cafe’s pleasing aesthetics has little correlation to the quality of its goods, Verzenay gets both right.
Owner and chef, Arshiya Farheen, spent over a year in France training at the Ferrandi Paris cooking school and working at La Pâtisserie du Meurice par Cédric Grolet bakery to bring French excellence to Lincoln Park.
Choose from delectable sweets such as raspberry rose croissants, passion fruit ricotta cake or buttery kouign amanns, and treat yourself to a warm cup of café au lait or sipping chocolate.
You can choose to dine inside the pastel, pastry-scented interior or take a seat at one of the outdoor tables and pretend to be in Paris.
Before you go, make sure to snag a baguette or a loaf of sourdough oat bread.
Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter, Magnificent Mile
Look no further for the best croissants in the city.
This hidden gem is tucked away right off Michigan Avenue — and unlike most eateries in Chicago’s downtown overpriced tourist-traps — Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter is so worth the detour.
The cozy, small interior of the shop makes room for the croissants’ magnificence, which sit enticingly behind the counter in both sweet and savory flavors.
Dominique Schewebach, co-owner with self-trained Chef Renaud Hendrickx, says that the key is having only a few, high-quality ingredients — and dedicating eighteen total hours to making them from start-to-finish.
Along with the several varieties of heavenly croissants, they also serve homemade Belgian chocolates, specialty desserts, soups and sandwiches, and artisanal loaves of bread.
Sweet Rabbit, Roscoe Village
Last but definitely not least, Sweet Rabbit Bakery rests on an unassuming corner in Roscoe Village that should not be overlooked.
Everything is made in-house from scratch, including breads like babka and challah, in addition to specialty pastries.
The “sweetest” treat though is the sourdough loaves: the perfect balance between a crisp crust and pillowy interior that’s a dream come true for any bread-lover.
Andrew Cheng, the owner and chef, has been working in professional kitchens for about 12 years and specializes in technical baking.
His mission is to spread joy to people through food — and his masterful bread certainly excels at it.
These five bakeries have truly understood the assignment when it comes to quality bread and baked goods. Each is locally owned and run; each prioritizes the freshness of the ingredients used; each is committed to the time it takes to produce excellent quality.
There are plenty of other bakeries that did not make this list that still deserve honorable mentions: Loaf Lounge, La Pâtisserie P and Floriole Cafe & Bakery — to name a few.
While I cannot provide a definitive list of bakeries in Chicago, I guarantee that you have no excuse now to settle for grocery store bread.
Happy bread eating!
La Fournette, 1547 N. Wells St. Chicago, Hours: Daily, 7am - 2 pm
Publican Quality Bread, 1759 W. Grand Ave. Chicago, Hours: Daily, 7am - 3pm
Verzenay Chicago, 2507 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, Hours: 8am - 4pm, closed Monday-Tuesday
Hendrickx Belgium Bread Crafter, 100 E. Walton St. Chicago, Hours: 8am - 4pm (Tuesday-Saturday), 9am - 2pm (Sunday), closed Monday
Sweet Rabbit, 2159 W. Belmont Ave. Chicago, Hours: 7am - 2pm (Wednesday-Friday), 8am - 3pm (Saturday-Sunday), closed Monday-Tuesday
Lydia Schultz loves to explore diverse neighborhoods through food -- whether on her own or hosting walking and food tours for Airbnb. Lydia studies communications and media at DePaul University and is a staff writer for 14 East Magazine.