Like much of the Phoenix food scene, the city’s baking community has transformed over the last decade. For years you’d either have to go out of your way to get high-end pastries, or settle for your local grocer’s options. Now, the valley is bursting with both savory and sweet bakeries so popular, often the goods sell out by noon.
While neighborhood panaderías that have stood the test of time remain, today they are now joined by bakeries from French-trained patissiers, James Beard award-winning bakers, and innovative “micro-bakery” owners. With that in mind, here’s where to source the best cupcakes, cookies, croissants, and conchas, in town, as well as the best sourdough boules, bagels, and tortillas.
Urban Cookies Bakeshop
Cookies are having a moment in the dessert world, and Urban Cookies Bakeshop blows all of the big chain brands out of the water. You can find your classics, like chocolate chip and snickerdoodle, but you can also find a twist on the Southwest-favorite cowboy cookie, complete with dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pecans, oats, and kettle potato chips.
As if that weren’t enough, Urban Cookies Bakeshop also makes its signature Cupcake Wars competition-winning cupcake, the Brown Velvet. While this treat is a year-round legend, don’t sleep on the rotating seasonal flavors either. 8776 E. Shea Blvd. Suite 108, Scottsdale, and 2325 N. 7th St., Phoenix, urbancookies.com
Proof Bread
For over a decade, Proof Bread has been a Phoenix staple for sourdough. Everything in the display cases, on the shelves, and at the farmers’ market booths are made Harriet, the bakery’s beloved sourdough starter. Much of the techniques center around the old world-style dough, whether you snag a flaky, cinnamon roll-esque morning bun or a green olive boule. With each bite, taste that signature sourdough tang and find out why it’s such a wonderful place to visit. Multiple locations, proofbread.com
Creampuff
Don’t let the name fool you, Creampuff in Downtown Phoenix isn’t actually known for that eponymous dessert, it’s better known for doughnuts. Most of the doughnuts are either brioche style or what they call “layered,”which kind of tastes like a cross between a traditional yeasted donut and a cronut…