While the art of baking may be lost on some of us, luckily, there’s a bakery (quite a few, actually) for that. And while the usual favourites like Tall Grass Prairie and Whitehouse Bakery will always get the nod of approval, we decided to check out a few different bakeries just waiting to be discovered or further explored. Here are just a few of the options we came across.

The Pennyloaf Bakery

Corydon Avenue, Winnipeg

There’s a little more love and attention that goes into a small batch of anything, especially food. There’s a little more love and attention that goes into a small batch of anything, especially food. The Pennyloaf Bakery prides itself on small-batch artisanal baking. When you enter the doors of this bakery, be prepared to have your taste buds tantalized with quality ingredients and good, old-fashioned baking à la its wood-fired brick oven.

Integrity Foods

Rd 141 N, Riverton

If the idea of brick oven baking has you all fired up and you’re up for a little road trip, then add Integrity Foods to your list. This bakery’s hands-on approach to the art translates into painstaking ingredient selection, day-old, hand-chopped tamarack wood for baking, stoneground ancient grains, and a whole lot of heart and handcrafting that goes into what comes out of that stone oven. During the summertime, the bakery doubles as a pizzeria on Fridays and Saturdays. And while the seasonal pies may be no more, there’s always next year.

La Belle Baguette

Avenue de la Cathédrale, St. Boniface and Ness Avenue, Winnipeg

One look alone at the artistry of La Belle Baguette’s creations is all that’s needed to induce a crisis in cravings. From the swirls of colour, to the toppings of meringue, dollops of cream and refreshing surprise of fresh berries so tastefully presented, you may actually think twice about savouring one of these flaky treats. But alas, feast on them, you must, and disappointed with them, you won’t be!

Lilac Bakery

Grosvenor Avenue, Winnipeg

Baked from scratch just like your grandmother and her mother used to do, Lilac Bakery is quite proud of its adherence to tradition and its commitment to that homemade taste. In fact, this bakery is so steadfast in its commitment to tradition that its baking is made only with good old creamy butter. No hydrogenated margarines here!

Arborg Bakery

Main Street, Arborg

A bakery must be doing something right if it gains a reputation among its customers for having the best bread…in the world. Arborg Bakery’s customers are die-hard about its rye bread, but that’s not the only thing that keeps them coming back time after time. The impeccable service and the new creations, from the ice-cream-filled donuts, to the customized cakes and mile-high paskas would bring any bread lover back and begging for more.

High Tea Bakery

Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

There’s something very clean, crisp and, above all, charming about High Tea Bakery. It’s another one of those spots where you may second-guess whether you should even dare to put any of these aesthetically pleasing gourmet presentations into your mouth. So, our advice is to stare longingly at your treat for as long as you possibly can, take a few photos of said treat, after which you have more than earned the right to plunge yourself into unbridled bliss.

Old Church Bakery

Main Street, Steinbach

Ask just about every regular who enters the doors of the Old Church Bakery what keeps them coming back and the answer is always the same. There’s just something about that sourdough bread. These artisan breads are fermented over a two-day period before they are shaped by hand and ushered into a hearth for baking and later for your enjoyment.

The Crusty Bun

St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg and Headmaster Row, Winnipeg

The Crusty Bun is serious about its dough. So much so, this bakery even ensures that the water used in its masterful creations is purified. The bakery employs the slow-bake method, letting its dough rest for up to 24 hours, creating a uniquely yummy taste. The bakery also includes no additives in its recipes. Of course, that’s not counting the heart and hands that make it all happen.

Sleepy Owl Bread

Wall Street, Winnipeg

With limited menus, smaller batches, local, preservative-free ingredients, and doughs left to ferment over time, the bakers at Sleepy Owl Bread feel more confident that the products they offer are of a quality deserving of repeat business. This bakery enjoys heavy foot traffic thanks to its breads and pastries, which are reminiscent of classic French-style bakeries.

Treherne Bakery & Pastry Shop

Railway Avenue, Treherne

While it may be a fairly new kid on the block and is currently undergoing a few changes and renovations, Treherne Bakery has been making a name for itself among its customers since it opened its doors in 2015. They’ll soon be opening those doors again and by the look of things and the excitement of its customer base, it simply can’t happen soon enough. We highly recommend their cinnamon buns!