There’s a smell of fresh-baked bread hanging over Austin these days. From South Austin to Mueller and downtown, a new wave of bakeries has been rolling out pastries and sugar-laced treats to crowds that seem perpetually willing to wait in line for a taste.
With the openings come pistachio-cherry croissants, soft-baked cookies the size of a hand and other specialty pastries. The city’s appetite for baked goods shows little sign of slowing. Comedian Tom Segura’s Ciccio Bomba has expanded rapidly with three locations in a year, while the long-awaited return of Texas French Bread after a 2022 fire is one of Austin’s most anticipated food reopenings.
Sugarwolf
Opened downtown in April, Sugarwolf has the types of pastries that leave flakes on your shirt. The croissant is the immediate standout — deeply buttery, shatteringly crisp on the outside, melting away with each bite.
Other highlights include an everything cream cheese-filled pastry and a smoked salmon sandwich layered with pickled red onion, cucumber and dill on crunchy focaccia. Coffee and breakfast drinks round out the morning offerings, while a full bar serving beer, wine and cocktails keeps the space alive later in the afternoon.
The bakery comes from Larry + Guy Restaurants, led by Austin restaurateur Staton Jobe and chef-partner Kevin Taylor, known for ATX Cocina and Bulevar Mexican Kitchen.
Insider tip: Don't miss out on the chocolate chip cookies, which start appearing after 11 a.m.
401 W. Fourth St., Suite 120. 512-827-2520, sugarwolfbakery.com.
Matok Bakery
If Austin's bakery boom has a most inventive newcomer, Matok might be it. The South Lamar bakery fills its pastry case with creations that use European technique and Middle Eastern flavors. Daily offerings include breads, pastries, cakes and coffee drinks, but the more adventurous selections are what got our attention.
There’s knafeh topped with rose petals and crisp shredded pastry, a creamy petit beurre pastry, a labneh cheesecake and babason — a hybrid of baba au rhum and croissant filled with vanilla cream and raspberry-rose coulis. Traditionalists can stick with the bakery's classic croissant, while those looking for something a little different can opt for the pistachio-cherry version. On a Wednesday morning, the shop had small samples of fluffy cacio e pepe with olive oil for patrons.
Matok is the work of pastry chef Michal Michaeli, who built a following through pop-ups and home baking before opening the Lamar storefront in March. Michaeli previously worked at Badolina Bakery & Cafe in Houston.
Insider tip: Arrive early on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. That's when special pastries appear, often announced only through the bakery's Instagram stories.
2300 S. Lamar Blvd., Suite 102. 510-480-1481, matokbakery.com.
ThoroughFare
Part bakery, part deli, part grocery and part neighborhood cafe, ThoroughFare checks many boxes all at once. The Mueller concept opened in March as the latest venture from the team behind ThoroughBread, bringing coffee, sandwiches, baked goods, pantry staples and a curated wine selection under one roof.
The menu's signature item is the "burridough," a name that initially sounds like a typo until said out loud. It’s similar to a burrito, but swap the tortilla for buttery pastry dough. The brisket and ham burridoughs, both packed with fluffy scrambled eggs, are standouts. Another favorite is the soft-baked, oversized Nutella banana cookie. Paired with the creamy and fruity strawberry matcha, the two are enough to make you forget about blood sugar levels.
Insider tip: For a Tex-Mex kick to the burridough, ask for a side of the house-made salsa verde or roja.
1905 Aldrich St., Suite 110. 737-295-3660, instagram.com/yourthoroughfare.