Locals are annoyed by how many cyclists and day-trippers have discovered their favorite roadside bakery in Freestone, but it is a dreamy breakfast stop before hitting some Russian River wineries or swimming holes. The bakery looks out on a field of cows, while the wood-fired brick oven puts out fragrant sourdough and scones. There’s no indoor dining but the garden is open for visitors to enjoy.

Della Fattoria opened in downtown Petaluma in 1995, and over the years the bakery’s won bread and baguette accolades from Bon Appetit magazine, as well as put out a cookbook approved by the domestic goddess herself, Ina Garten. Sadly, baker Kathleen Weber died of cancer in January 2020, but her sourdough legacy lives on.

Semifreddi’s Bakery bakes an impressive 190,000 loaves of bread every week at their Alameda headquarters, which is to say that this a veritable Bay Area sourdough behemoth. Find crusty and reliably high quality baguettes and deeply sour batards at either the retail shop in Kensington or at any number of local grocery stores including Berkeley Bowl, Rainbow Grocery, Whole Foods, and even Costco.

Firebrand claims to be the only wood-fired bakery in Oakland, stoking the coals throughout the night to put out beautiful dark loaves tinged with smoke. Order online for pickup or delivery, choosing from batards, baguettes, and specialty walnut wheat and sprouted rye.

Husband-and-wife duo Chase Agee and Ayla Groom fuel the East Bay with big, blonde loaves of sourdough, including an oatmeal porridge that’s textured and tacky and a sesame durum that’s nice and toasty. Snag loaves at the Grand Lake, Kensington, or South Berkeley farmers’ markets, or online via Good Eggs.

Azikiwee Anderson is a former pro skater turned culinary pro who founded Rize Up, a black-owned microbakery. Anderson borrowed some starter from his buddies at Outerlands and is currently baking out of a production kitchen in Fisherman’s Wharf. Originally from New Orleans, he stuffs sourdough with jalapeno and bacon, confit garlic and thyme, black charcoal, and purple ube. Order online for pickup at specific retail locations.

Jane started as just a coffee shop, but spinoff Jane the Bakery opened in 2016 and quickly rose to sourdough fame. Former head baker Jorgen Carlsen established an award-winning program for both sourdough and croissants, and while he’s since moved on, the good bread continues, with crusty loaves made from 100-percent California whole wheat, ancient grains, and spelt. 

Josey Baker (real last name) was the first in San Francisco to roll a mill into a bakery, and freshly grind his own grains for the biggest, fullest flavor. Critics quibble about inconsistencies, and sure, the bread can occasionally be dense, a risk that comes with a more natural ingredient. But a good loaf of Josey Baker bread is perfectly oblong, with a dark and pliable crust, and the local wheat, rye, flax, and oats shine through.

This neighborhood bakery is worth seeking out even if you’re not a part of the Noe Valley village. Secure a sour batard or an oblong sourdough wheat batard — and if you’re in the market for something sweet, don’t skip the kid-friendly cupcakes and cookies.

Matthew Jay Jones was the longtime baker at Outerlands, a restaurant with outstanding sourdough. But with a lengthy closure during the pandemic, Jones struck out on his own, and now runs the wildly popular Avast Bakeshop at the Outer Sunset Farmers’ Market. His country loaf comes in two sizes, “large or smallish,” while other loaves feature emmer, einkorn, and rye.

Matthew Kosoy ditched tech and started baking sourdough out of his home in 2016, before opening his bakery in 2019. The sourdough loaves are golden brown and lofty, with a tender crumb flecked with tighter bubbles, so toast toppings and sandwich fillings won’t fall through.

Right in Google’s backyard, in a former Acme warehouse, the Midwife and the Baker is the highest volume bakery that’s milling its own flour in the Bay Area, grinding thousands of pounds of grains every week. Thomas “Mac” McConnell was an instructor at the San Francisco Baking Institute before taking on this challenge, and his bread is wildly flavorful and consistently beautiful. Order online to pick up or keep an eye out at local coffee shops.

Manresa restaurant has three Michelin stars, and with that same fine-dining attention to detail, sister bakery Manresa Bread has a sourdough reputation. Avery Ruzicka partners with local farmers, mills her own grains, and bakes perfect loaves. There are now four locations in Los Gatos, Los Altos, Campbell, and the latest in Palo Alto.