All rise: A bakery guide to the best sourdough
Editor’s note: With so many bakeries and so little time, it’s hard to figure out where to source this pantry staple. With the help of splainer fam, we’ve put together recommendations for the best places to buy fab, naturally-leavened sourdough bread. Yes, most of the picks are limited to three metros. We’d love to include other cities—please email us over at talktous@splainer.in
Fab finds in Mumbai
TwentySeven Bakehouse: With outlets in Bandra and Mahalaxmi, and Swiggy as their delivery partner for all pockets of the city, this bakery is the top pick for Shyama who loves that they use clean ingredients and have great staples. She recommends the seeded sourdough and the occasional weekend specials like the Bhavnagri chilli and cheese loaves.
Suchali’s Artisanal Bakehouse (map): Meera loves the variety of sourdough breads Suchali’s boasts—from the simple country sourdough and olive & rosemary to jalapeno & cheddar, plus some eggless and vegan options like the seed feast sourdough. She also especially loves their sandwiches. This chain is in Mumbai-Pune, Delhi-NCR, and Kolkata.
Suzette bakery (map): Deepto suggested this quaint bakery located in Bandra which has “lovely” and “crusty” sourdough. If you don’t want an entire boule, you can buy a convenient half.
Mag St Bread Co (map): The owner of this multiple joint bakehouse, Gauri Devidayal, kindly filled out the form to let us know they have killer sourdough focaccia! Advisory editor Prachi attests to the claim and loves the bagels too.
Theobroma (map): Prachi lets us in on a secret. When you don’t have time to score that perfect, crusty boule, the chain does a genuine, well-hydrated sourdough. It won’t break the bank and works well for a modest breakfast.
The Bread Bar (map): With outlets in Chembur and Powai, this specialty bread boutique is one of the good ones with a large selection of sourdough bread. Prachi loves their seeded multigrain sourdough and recommends the sandwiches too.
Bread-hunting in Bangalore
Loafer & Co (map): Ajeeth Swaminathan highly recommends Loafer & Co, a locally incubated artisanal sourdough brand. He loves their commitment to using top-quality, locally sourced ingredients directly from farms, ensuring a fresh and authentic taste. The breads are freshly baked and delivered straight to your doorstep in Bangalore, though they operate on a pre-order basis with fixed delivery days each week: a must-try for anyone looking for genuine sourdough and other breads.
Mezcla Bakery (map): With a focus on bursting flavors and homemade goodness, Mezcla Micro Bakery is Sweta’s top recommendation. This women-run business offers whole wheat sourdough loafs and olive rosemary garlic sourdoughs, in addition to the regular sourdough. Available for delivery on Swiggy Minis, they make it easy for anyone in the city to enjoy their delicious offerings straight to their door.
Sourhouse (map): Shilpi recommends Sourhouse for its freshly baked, reasonably priced croissants, along with their selection of kombuchas and other fermented products.
Honore (map): Shubhra suggests Honore for its exceptional texture and density, noting that nothing else quite matches it. She also highly recommends their banh mi and rye sourdough, which are both excellent choices.
Breadtime Stories (map): With a focus on fresh, high-quality bread, Breadtime Stories in Cox Town is Joy’s top recommendation. This unpretentious bakery specialises in a variety of bread, with a perfect balance of a crusty exterior and soft interior that stays fresh for days. The staff is always helpful, and their sourdough crackers are a must-try. While they don’t have a retail outlet or much signage, Breadtime Stories delivers consistently fresh and delicious bread that’s worth seeking out.
Patisserie Nitash (map): This is where scoring a good sourdough takes a whole new meaning. Nitash Lalkaka, baker extraordinaire, runs a cloud kitchen in the bylanes of Cooke Town. And he sells his bread, wait for it, off a coveted WhatsApp group on a first-come-first-serve basis. But, you can place orders, too. According to Prachi, it is the crustiest, and the most chewy, genuine sourdough in all of Bangalore.
Delhi-NCR delights
Miche Artisan Bakery (map): Uma suggested them for their “excellent sourdough bread”. The prices are between Rs 99 to Rs 400. The mark of trust: A friend of theirs has visited the bakery and confirmed that their starter is genuine and homegrown. The shop is located in Shahpur Jat, and they also have online delivery.
Wheaty (map): One of many new-fangled cloud kitchens to have set up operations in the congested lanes of Zamrudpur, this delivery-only brand is Debo’s go-to as it’s “simply one of the best” the national capital has to offer. They also deliver out of Gurgaon’s Udyog Vihar neighbourhood.
Bread & More (map): Located in GK-1, this French-focused outlet is a stone’s throw away from Wheaty and serves as a great alternative if you’re looking to enjoy your sourdough in person at a cute brick-and-mortar bakery. They also have branches in Vasant Vihar and Noida.
Subko (map): Aneesha suggests Subko, a coffee shop that serves the best sourdough she’s ever had. Although it's not a bakery in the typical sense, the sourdough at Subko is baked fresh every day, and you can truly taste the freshness in every loaf.
Modern Bazaar (map): Sometimes the safest and most convenient option can be found along the grocery aisles—as unfashionable as that may sound. Fortunately, this 50-year-old chain is as high end as it gets due to the variety on offer, and its in-house sourdough is consistently reliable.
As for the rest…
Impossible Foods (map): Ronit recommends Impossible Foods for its great pricing and wide selection of sourdough options, including both 50% and 100% whole wheat loaves. His top pick is the Fifty Artisan. Although based out of Alibaug, they deliver to Mumbai, Pune, and Goa.
Pumpkin Tales (map): Not as easy to come by in Chennai, our friends there wholeheartedly recommend this sourdough bread. While they do the regular varieties, they also offer a popular Emmer wheat sourdough and brioche sourdough. They are available for pick up and delivery in Chennai.
