Rising above: 8 artisanal bakeries in Singapore to try

Named appropriately for its pocket-sized premises, this place makes its own ricotta cheese and spreads in addition to fine sourdough loaves. Crowd favourites include Nut Butter Toast, which features different nuts each time that are ground with sunflower oil, as well as the Grilled Cheese sandwich, which involves melted cheddar, mozzarella and brie de Meaux with some tangy sauerkraut.

The signature lemon cake is a must-try at this halal-certified artisanal bakery. Head baker Naadhira Ismail, who studied at the International Culinary Institute of New York, brought the fermentation starter, also known as the mother dough, back with her and it continues to thrive. The breads, handcrafted with organic flour, are baked daily. Also available, Danish pastries,  almond croissants, brioche, muffins, brownies, quiches, cinnamon rolls and more.

Have a hearty brunch from a full menu backed by freshly baked breads and croissants made of French Normandy butter to keep them flaky. Baked in small batches, using traditional European techniques, the bakes range from brioche to pain au chocolat, as well as tarts and pies, both sweet and savoury.

Run by bakers Louis Koh and Elvis Liew, Bread Createur offers hand-kneaded French loaves and Danish pastries made with French butter and flour free of extra preservatives to satisfy the palates of health-conscious carb-lovers. They stick mainly to classics and bestsellers include traditional baguette, made with an in-house cultivated starter and sourdough, Chocolate Almond Banana (pain au chocolate filled with almond frangipane, tropical banana and garnished with almond flakes), sourdough, and Kouign-amann with brown sugar.

Run by vintage buyer Phoebe Teo, Cordon Bleu London-trained chef Sim Li-Shenn and operations manager Eunice Yeo, Carpenter & Cook is a warm and inviting artisan bakery café and vintage home store. It produces fresh bread, desserts and jams daily. Here’s where you can indulge in comforting favourites such as croissants, pain au chocolate, cinnamon rolls and buttery fruit scones. The laidback café is also perfect for a mellow Sunday afternoon chill-out.

As Singapore’s first “Healthier Dining Programme” bakery approved by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), this humble bakery, also named “Healthier Bakery 2019” by HPB, uses natural proofing techniques and preservative-free dough made of winter wheat flour and a home-cultured sourdough to make bread such as baguettes, wholemeal pita bread and chocolate buns.

Former IT engineer Joseph Lee set up The Bread Table in 2013 after quitting his job and completing a baking course at the French Culinary Institute in New York. Joseph, who uses natural fermentation and traditional bread-making techniques, brings traditional French-style pastries and bread to the table while adding his own spin. His creations strike a perfect balance between the rougher textures of European breads and fluffiness of local favourites.

The staff at this cosy bakery café produces its tarts, breads, brownies, cupcakes and cookies in small quantities . Its ingredients are fresh and free of artificial preservatives. Best known for its cupcakes when it first started, it has branched out to include more savoury treats such as peanut butter milk chocolate cookies and salted caramel truffle tarts.

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