Sourdough bread has garnered a well-deserved reputation for its unique taste and health benefits, and choosing the best brand can elevate your culinary experience. With an increasing number of people seeking artisanal and authentic options, many brands have distinguished themselves by offering exceptional quality and flavor. From traditional methods honed over generations to innovative recipes that add a contemporary twist, these brands highlight the diversity and richness sourdough bread offers. Ready to explore the best brands to satisfy your sourdough cravings? Find our curated list below.
Illustration of sourdough bread
Best brands of sourdough bread in 2025
Tartine Bakery
Tartine Bakery, founded by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson in 2002, is renowned as one of the most influential and beloved bakeries in America, particularly for its exceptional sourdough bread. The bakery produces around 180 to 200 loaves of bread daily and uses about 3,000 pounds of flour per week, emphasizing careful management of fermentation stages to achieve consistent quality. Chad Robertson's unique bread-making techniques, developed over two decades of apprenticeship and experimentation, have earned him a James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2008. The bakery's commitment to sustainability and high-quality ingredient sourcing aligns with the growing trend towards natural and healthier food options, contributing to the sourdough market's anticipated CAGR of over 9.1% between 2024 and 2032. With a strong focus on artisanal bread-baking, Tartine Bakery continues to innovate and push the boundaries of traditional baking methods. For more details on what to order at Tartine Bakery, check out their featured recommendations on Serious Eats.
San Francisco Baking Institute
The San Francisco Baking Institute (SFBI) is a world-renowned leader in artisan bread and pastry education, particularly esteemed for its expertise in sourdough bread. Founded in 1996 by Michel Suas, SFBI offers specialized classes and professional training programs, including an 18-week full-time and 24-week part-time Bread & Pastry Professional Training Program. The institute has contributed significantly to the artisan baking industry, with Suas winning the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Baker in 2018. SFBI's global alumni base includes thousands of professionals, and the institute has been instrumental in training winners of prestigious baking competitions, such as the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in 2005. With its rigorous training and commitment to excellence, SFBI stands as a premier institution for those aspiring to master the art of sourdough bread.
Boudin Bakery
Boudin Bakery is renowned for its exceptional sourdough bread, a tradition that dates back to 1849 when French immigrant Isidore Boudin first combined wild yeast and French baking techniques. The bakery uses a portion of the original mother dough, nurtured for over 166 years, to create its distinctive flavor and texture. This proprietary starter, which includes local varieties of wild yeast and lactobacillus, allows the bread to rise naturally without commercial yeast. Boudin's sourdough is baked in a process that takes up to 72 hours, ensuring a dark golden, crunchy crust and a soft, chewy interior. As a major player in the sourdough market, Boudin Bakery contributes to the sector's projected worth of $5.15 billion by 2032.
Acme Bread Company
Acme Bread Company is a renowned producer of sourdough bread, leveraging its commitment to using only organic flour and collaborating closely with farmers to select the best grain varieties. Founded in 1983 by Steve Sullivan, the company has established itself as a leader in the North American sourdough market, which is expected to account for 36.7% of the global market share in 2024. Acme's dedication to quality and tradition has made its breads a staple in many cities and towns across the U.S. and Canada. The company's continuous production, with three shifts of bakers working around the clock, ensures fresh bread is available throughout the day. This consistent quality has contributed to the robust demand for sourdough, driven by health-conscious consumers and the prevalence of gluten-free diets. For more information about their offerings, visit the Acme Bread Company.
Sullivan Street Bakery
Sullivan Street Bakery, founded in 1994, is renowned for its exceptional sourdough bread, which has been a staple in New York's top restaurants. The bakery, led by James Beard Award-winning baker Jim Lahey, is celebrated for its Italian-inspired method that produces crusty, aromatic loaves. Lahey's no-knead recipe, outlined in his cookbook, has revolutionized home baking, making it accessible for intermediate and advanced bakers. The bakery's sourdough, characterized by its light interior and crackling brown crust, is a testament to Lahey's expertise. With its recipes and methods detailed in "The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook" published by W. W. Norton Company in 2017, Sullivan Street Bakery continues to be a benchmark for artisanal bread. For more details, you can read this review of The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook.
Poilâne
Poilane, founded in 1932 by Pierre Poilane, is renowned for its artisanal sourdough bread, particularly the iconic miche, a large round loaf weighing approximately 1.9kg, made from stone-ground wheat flour, Guerande salt, water, and natural leaven. The bread is baked for at least six hours, including one hour over a wood fire, resulting in a thick crust and dense, beige-colored crumb with a tangy flavor. Poilane produces around 3000 loaves a day in 24 wood-fired ovens and has expanded to include various varieties such as wheat, rye, and nut breads. The company, now led by Apollonia Poilane, the third generation, maintains a commitment to quality and traditional methods, with a global presence including bakeries in Paris, London, and distribution lines reaching North America and the Far East. Poilane's bread is celebrated for its nutritional value and better digestibility due to the natural fermentation process.
Ken's Artisan Bakery
Ken's Artisan Bakery is renowned for its exceptional sourdough bread, with products like the French Rye bread made from 50% rye flour and 50% wheat flour, offering a dense and slightly sour flavor profile. The bakery, founded by Ken Forkish, has gained a strong reputation since its inception, with its Country Brown Bread recipe, adapted from Forkish's method, requiring no kneading and utilizing ingredients like 108-120 grams of active sourdough starter and 342 grams of filtered water. The bakery's products are highly rated, with a 4.5-star review on Tripadvisor and a significant market presence as noted in the global artisan bakery market analysis. Ken's Artisan Bakery is particularly popular for its weekly baked goods, including the French Rye delivered every Saturday. The bakery's commitment to quality and traditional baking techniques has made it a favorite among bread enthusiasts. For more details, visit their official page.
Tom Cat Bakery
Tom Cat Bakery, a renowned artisan bakery in New York City, has been perfecting its sourdough bread for over 35 years, with a sourdough starter cultivated for more than 20 years. Known for its hearty and flavorful sourdough, the bakery uses a blend of enriched white flour, water, rye flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and yeast. Their breads are handcrafted and baked fresh daily, and they have expanded their distribution nationwide through a partnership with Dot Foods, serving all 50 states and over 55 countries. Tom Cat's sourdough is a staple among Michelin-star and James Beard award-winning chefs. The bakery's commitment to quality and traditional baking methods has made it a leading name in the artisan bakery movement.
Bread Alone
Bread Alone is a renowned producer of high-quality sourdough bread, baking approximately 150,000 loaves every week using organic grain since 1983. The company, founded in the Catskills, emphasizes traditional methods with long fermentation times of up to 24 hours, resulting in bread that is healthier and tastes delicious without preservatives. Bread Alone sources regionally grown and milled flours, preserving the vitamin-rich germ of the wheat kernel, and operates a carbon-neutral bakery powered by a 366kW on-site solar array. With a team of about 250, the company ensures every loaf meets high standards through careful hand-cutting and folding of the dough. Bread Alone's commitment to sustainability and quality has made it a leader in the artisan bread market.
Josey Baker Bread
Josey Baker Bread is renowned for its exceptional sourdough bread, produced using a rigorous, science-like approach that ensures each loaf is of the highest quality. Founded by Josey Baker, the bakery has been a staple in San Francisco since 2012, baking over 370 loaves of bread daily. Josey Baker's method involves using fresh-milled whole grain flour, which enhances the aroma, texture, and flavor of the bread. His bakery, The Mill, is the only one in San Francisco with its own stone mill for onsite flour production. This attention to detail and commitment to quality have made Josey Baker Bread a favorite among bread enthusiasts.
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