Best Breads in Montreal (QC)
Let’s see who’s making the finest breads in Montreal (QC). It’s tough to conclude all the top bakers. Therefore, we would like to suggest the ones that are leading the pack based on various ratings. We will be updating this blog post regularly. So if you feel that we missed a bread gem, we are always happy to learn about it. After searching high and low for top loaves, we’re pleased to deliver our top six Montreal bakeries to buy bread. Without further ado, here’s our top six bakeries sorted in alphabetical order.
Automne Boulangerie
98% of the flour used in this bakery is locally sourced in Quebec from places like Le Moulin des Cèdres and La Meunerie la Milanaise. Seth Gabrielse and Julien Roy made sure of this when they first opened the doors to Autumn Boulangerie in 2016. Constantly adapting to what is seasonally available, the chef and baker duo are able to deliver quality loaves and pastries thanks to their shared interest in the process and materials that go into the end product. Gabrielse was the former chef of Labo Culinaire Foodlab and Roy won the 2013 apprentice baker category in France’s annual Mondial du Pain. So you can bet these boys know their way around an oven! We recommend their country bread with cheese.
Guillaume
You might be keen to catch a glimpse of bakers working hard behind the scenes. If so, then Guillaume is the place for you. This gem gets its name from one of the owners, Guillaume Vaillant. It’s located on boulevard Saint-Laurent in the bustling neighbourhood of Mile-End. You can’t miss it. It’s the one with the big glass window, bright yellow signage, and generally a line of people out the door! Understandable when you find out their bread sells out quickly. They source all their flour from various regions in Canada, and it’s all organic except for the ‘white’ flour. You’ll find a range of unique Mediterranean loaves and baguettes like the fougasse with garlic and cheddar. And no one will judge you if you get one of their White Chocolate and Vanilla Mushroom Brioche for the road.
Joe la Croûte
With the exception of the olives and chocolate, they make everything in this bakery with ingredients that are certified organic. You have to love a bakery that uses Quebec sourced mushrooms in their products! Here we see Variety with a capital V. Products range from the fougasse with black olives to le Troubadour with apricots and hazelnuts. There’s even a bread loaf named after Popeye with goat’s cheese and sea spinach! It’s nestled in one of the outer corners of the Jean-Talon market. So it’s very easy to get to and well worth the visit. Did you know that its owner, Daniel Jobin, actually travelled to the south of France to study a particular kneading technique with Le Fromentier’s Benoît Fradette before opening Joe la Croûte? Be sure to try one of the Joenuts (Jobin’s equivalent to a doughnut).
La Bête à Pain
Located in Ahuntsic, Griffintown, and Laval, it’s no wonder this place makes our top six list when it comes to the best breads in Montreal. Still going strong, we’re spoilt for choice at this bakery. We can find their freshly baked bread products that feature rosemary, walnuts, and even figs. But that should come as no surprise when you find out it’s owned by Marc-André Royal (chef, entrepreneur, and all-around-kind-of-a-big-deal in Montreal’s food scene). Anything he touches turns to gold. Word on the street, their raisin and nut bread is to die for.
Les Co’Pains d’abord
Can you name another bakery named after a Georges Brassens song, or really any song for that matter? In 1999, Jacques Preschoux opened Les Co’pains d’abord to deliver quality products to l’avenue Mont-Royal. These include a delectable range of crispy crusted fresh breads and baguettes, Bretton specialties, and all the usual buttery pastries in between. By 2002, French pastry chef, Frédéric Chacun, had joined the team with even more pastries that attracted and enchanted gourmets. This wasn’t enough though. So like a supergroup composed of top notch musicians, Preschoux went on to recruit Alain Gouriou, Éric Goeury, and Mickael Guyomard. They created what is now a sort of mini boulangerie chain!
Le Pain dans les Voiles
If you haven’t figured it out already, owners François Tardif and Martin Falardeau are sailing enthusiasts. With three locations in Montreal, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, and Mont-Saint-Hilaire, visitors can expect to find artisan breads, fixed and seasonal pastries, plus fair-trade micro-roasting coffee. Their baguettes come in traditional, sourdough, and cheese. If you time it well, though, you can secure yourself one of their seasonal flavours. Currently, these are the fig, goat’s cheese, and honey option and the walnut and blue cheese option! Other baked goods include their fougasse and their kamut loaves, the latter being high in protein, zinc, phosphorus, and B vitamins if you’re looking for a health boost. It’s worth noting that Julien Roy (of Automne) actually trained at Pain dans les Voiles before going on to conquer the baking world.
So there you have it, our run down on the best breads in Montreal. Available at multiple locations, and perfect with some of your favourite cheese or plant-based spreads, there’s no reason you can’t bring a fresh loaf home next time you’re out!
