A roundup of seven artisanal local bakeries and bread-making companies
Tiller Baking Co. baguettes (left) and assorted breads from Baguette Magic (right).
Baguette Magic
After pausing baking operations during the pandemic, sisters Paula and Samantha Kramer were finally able to resume their bread program, finding a space in West Ashley big enough to produce loaves for their Folly Road location and their newest spot on Spring Street. In addition to baguettes, there’s a weekly schedule of sourdough and multigrain loaves, along with specialty breads like braided challah, focaccia, and olive, and the sisters hope to launch a quarterly bread subscription later this year. In the meantime, they’ll be focusing on their cafes, where they serve coffee, pastries (“pop-tarts,” “cruffins,” and coffee cakes, to name a few), and sandwiches like the Recovery Baguette, a beloved creation piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, prosciutto, cheddar, tomato jam, and arugula. 792 Folly Rd. & 73 Spring St., baguettemagicchs.com
Tiller Baking Co.
Owner Joe Shea’s bread philosophy is to keep it simple: “Just grain, water, and salt. The best ingredients you can get and manage to ferment well.” Tiller Baking Co., which took over from Root Baking Co. in 2018, is more of a wholesaler than a retail spot. (If you dine out regularly, you’ve likely enjoyed Tiller bread.) However, fans can track down their popular sesame semolina loaf, as well as hearty mixte levain, heritage grit, and Lowcountry levain at Whole Foods, the West Ashley Farmers Market, and as part of Lowcountry Street Grocery’s weekly subscription delivery. tillerbaking.co
Normandy Farm Artisan Bakery
Normandy Farm was the first European-style artisan bakery to open in Charleston’s modern culinary era, establishing its retail and wholesale operation on Society Street way back in 1999. Since then, Normandy has grown into a larger facility at South Windermere, where they bake a daily menu of classic baguettes and boules available for sale. The café also serves coffee, biscuits, and bagels, plus sandwiches and pastries. They’ve expanded their offerings in the same shopping center with the lively Baker’s Bar, which serves pizza pies that boast a delicious sourdough semolina crust. 32 Windermere Blvd., @normandyfarm
Brown’s Court Bakery
From the outside, Brown’s Court is a bustling coffee shop with gorgeous sticky buns, Danishes, cookies, and doughnuts. But it’s also a busy retail and wholesale operation, supplying an impressive roster of restaurants with brioche braids, multigrain boules, crusty baguettes, hamburger buns, and milk-bread hoagie rolls. Order online to stock up on fresh buns, sourdough boule, brioche, ciabatta, pretzels, challah, and multigrain loaves. Also look for seasonal treats and Detroit-style pizza pies. 199 St. Philip St., brownscourt.com
Baguettes and sourdough from Butcher & Bee.
Butcher & Bee
According to executive pastry chef Jessica Olin, the unmistakably tangy flavor of Butcher & Bee’s eight-year-old sourdough starter makes the restaurant’s loaves stand out. Made from regionally sourced grains, a variety of baguettes, boules, brioche, and ciabatta are used to make unforgettable sandwiches like the OG Roast Beef and the BBQ Pulled Squash. Bread and pastries are also available for purchase, as well as at The Daily, their sister coffee shop on King Street. Throughout the year, Olin adds seasonal goodies like chocolate babka, Parker House rolls, and savory focaccia to the rotation for pre-order and to pick up. 1085 Morrison Dr., butcherandbee.com
EVO Craft Bakery
EVO made its name serving exceptional wood-fired pizzas first as a pop-up and then at the Park Circle location. It wasn’t long before the founders decided to take their expertise with dough and open the European-style EVO Craft Bakery behind the pizzeria, where baguettes, bâtards, and boules are available daily. You can also stop in for coffee, pastries, and sandwiches, like the Italian, which layers rustic sourdough wheat bread with ham, coppa, salami, and provolone with a smear of Duke’s mayo for a Southern touch. 1075 E. Montague Ave., North Charleston; evopizza.com/craft-bakery
Weltons tiny sourdough loaves and other baked delights.
Weltons Tiny Bakeshop
Hannah and Zachary Welton, who met in the kitchen at Husk, first introduced their love of flour and water to Charleston with a wood-fired pop-up pizza operation. Last fall, they found a space to settle down on King Street with Weltons Tiny Bakeshop, a “tiny space doing big things.” The Weltons use heirloom flours and sourdough starter to create their baked goods, including the Lowcountry Benne Sourdough Tiny Loaf. “It’s a manageable quantity for smaller households that maintains a longer shelf life,” they explain. Their buttermilk benne pull-apart bread is another staple that has quickly found a legion of fans. Each week, they make a collection of bread and pastries, from naturally leavened focaccia and specialty loaves to hot honey Danishes and pimiento cheese croissants. Don’t hit the snooze button on weekends, as the line forms early and they often sell out. 682 King St., weltonstinybakeshop.com
