Nothing is quite as satisfying as biting into warm, freshly baked bread. And Singapore’s cafe and bakery scene knows how to deliver. These hot joints dish up more than just your regular slice of white bread, with a range of rustic bakes from baguettes to ciabatta that are lovingly crafted from time-honoured techniques and high quality ingredients.
This café is famed for its scrumptious sourdough breads, which are handmade using natural leaven and flour-liquid roux.
The breads, which are put to great use in the café menu’s toasts and sandwiches, are mildly sweet with a hint of sourness at the end, and are also offered for individual sale (hurrah!).
For a healthy crunch, the multiseed wholegrain is filled with all sorts of goodness: Think toothsome sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds.
But if push comes to shove, we would gun for the incredibly soft Hokkaido milk bread, which is a subtly flavoured bread which goes down like a dream when smothered with dollops of sweet jam.
Bread Yard, 1 Fusionopolis Place, Galaxis, #01-23/24, Singapore 138522
This bakery also specialises in sourdough breads. Its offerings change daily, so call to check what’s on the menu.
Popular options include Country, which is made with 50 percent stoneground wheat flour; and Walnut, which is packed with toasted walnuts and coated with sliced almonds.
They also proffer sweets such as naturally leavened doughnuts, which produces a chewy, dense texture; as well as jars of homemade nut butters, which we recommend slathering generously onto their breads.
Woodlands Sourdough, 183 Upper Thomson Rd, #01-03, Singapore 574332
One of the very first bakeries in Singapore that introduced French style pastries to the local foodie scene, this iconic bakery in Tiong Bahru has recently opened a new outlet at Fort Canning Park, with a quirky swimming pool theme and tall windows where you can see your croissant being prepared in real time.
We are still all about its breads and pastries however, particularly the fluffy and oh-so-buttery croissants.
Also make a beeline for the brioche loaves and other unique bakes like the Squid Ink Baguette, which has a pronounced savoury flavour that’s very moreish indeed.
Multiple outlets, check here for the list.
The comforting smell of freshly made bread hangs heavy in the air of this Keong Siak outlet.
The breads – the range includes ciabattas, baguettes, pain de campagne and cinnamon buns – are freshly baked in small daily batches, so there are limited quantities available each day (which means fastest fingers first!).
The “limited edition” loot is displayed clearly and proudly behind a glass panel which stretches the length of the café, engaging just about all of your senses in the most delightful way possible.
Have it to go or toasted on the spot to pair with your cuppa.
Bread & Hearth, 18 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089125, Tel:+(65) 6534 7800
First off, Eric Kayser has been pegged as one of France’s best bakers, with his Maison Kayser outlets being ubiquitous around the world.
In Singapore, there are now six outlets and like the others dotted across the globe, these serve a wide range of artisanal breads made from natural leaven.
The options include traditional French breads, like Rye, Country and Monge, as well as breads inspired from other cultures like the Japanese Pain de Mie (a sweet bread with a very thin crust) or the Italian Ciabatta (their version is made from natural liquid leaven shot through with a generous amount of olive oil).
Multiple locations, click here for details.
Made fresh daily, the bakes at Fine Dining Bakery, by Chef Akira who has previously plied his trade in the kitchens of Joel Robuchon and Béni, have a light, delicate touch them balanced by rich, delicious flavours.
Using quality Hokkaido flour, the small (currently) takeaway-only location at UE Square along River Valley Road does a brisk trade in croissants, pain au chocolat as well as the decadent cinnamon sugar toast. Regular patrons drop by regularly for shokupan, white bread, and baguettes (one designed for red wine, and another for white).
Fine Dining Bakery, 207 River Valley, #01-59 UE Square, Singapore 238275
Squirreled away in a corner shop inside Icon Village, this bakery serves up European-style breads culled from head chef Nick Chua’s bread-making experiences all over Europe: Think offerings spanning Italian focaccia to French brioche.
His signatures include Granny Stick, a crispy stick bread rolled in fresh herbs, mixed grains and seeds that was named after a regular elderly customer who was often seen with her walking stick.
If you’re up for something more adventurous, have a go at the Mixed Herb Bread, an amazingly aromatic bake that comprises an assortment of herbs like parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme.
Nick Vina Artisan Bakery, #01-54/55 Icon Village, 12 Gopeng Street, Singapore 078877
Joining the fray is yet another Japanese bakery, this one doubling as a café for leisurely sit-down brunches. If you’re dining in, go for the Cube Loaf, box-shaped desserts with oozing middles and tried-and-tested flavours like green tea chocolate, blueberry cheese and chocolate.
Otherwise, take away the Royal Milk Tea Earl Grey Loaf that features a mild tea fragrance and a pillowy soft texture. Or go for the signature Fruit Rye, which comprises a stunning combination of orange peel, rum raisins, walnuts and almonds.
Multiple locations, click here for more information.
This innovative patisserie cleverly incorporates Asian flavours with European ingredients to create confections to excite the palate.
From the earl grey cashew brioche to Hainanese chicken bread (yes, it comes with a special chicken rice chilli dip), expect your palate to be both intrigued and delighted.
Crown Bakery and Cafe, #01-03 Crown Centre, 557 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269694
Unpretentious and wholesome are words often used to describe the delectable creations at this halal bakery.
Baker Dewi Imelda Wadhwa pairs time-honoured methods with natural ingredients for her delicious treats. Her sticky toffee pudding (pictured) and gula melaka scones have gained And All Things Delicious a cult following.
All Things Delicious, 34 Arab St, Singapore 199733
Text: Ho Pei Ying/HerWorld, additional reporting by Karen Fong
This story was updated 10 September, 2021
