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.
Frida’s Bakery in Milton, New York
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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.
Photo 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.
Photo courtesy of Frida's Bakery
Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton, Virginia
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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.
Photo 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.
Photo courtesy of Red Truck Bakery
Our Town Bakery in Hillsboro, North Dakota
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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.
Photo 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.
Photo courtesy of Our Town Bakery
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Erick Schat’s Bakkerÿ in Bishop, California
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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.
Photo: 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.
Photo: PhotographersNature
The Texas Pie Company in Kyle, Texas
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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.
Photo courtesy of 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.
Photo courtesy of Texas Pie Company
J.P. Gifford Market & Catering Company in Kent, Connecticut
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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.
Photo 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.
Photo courtesy of J.P. Gifford Market & Catering Company
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TwoFish Baking Company, The Sea Ranch, California
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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.
Photo 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.
Photo courtesy of Two Fish Baking Company
--By Nevin Martell
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