Since opening in Lakewood in June 2009, husband-and-wife team Tom and Adria Clark have run Blackbird Baking Company as a neighborhood bakery making European-inspired breads and pastries by hand. Tom, a Lakewood native who trained in Portland, brings a baker’s craft to naturally yeasted levain loaves, croissants and the bakery’s award-winning Salted Chocolate Chip cookie. Everything is made from scratch and fresh daily, with ingredients including European butter and free-range eggs from local farmers.
Five Points Artisan BakeshopFamily-owned and operated in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill/Point Breeze, Five Points Artisan Bakeshop makes European-style breads and pastries in small-batch bakery fashion. Its breads begin at least 20 hours before baking, allowing each loaf—from baguettes to multigrain and whole-wheat breads—to be baked the day it is purchased. Pastries are made with high-quality eggs and butter, with local produce used whenever possible.PITTSBURGH, PA
BREADSEstablished in Fairlawn, Ohio, BREADS makes handmade artisan breads and European-style pastries, cookies, and sweets. Its bakers have more than 18 years in the business, preparing the products daily in a custom French artisan oven with nonprocessed ingredients and no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. The loaves are shaped for a crisp European crust and soft interior, while the bakery’s fresh sweets include its popular “Death by Chocolate” cookies.FAIRLAWN, OH
Bakehouse Bread & Cookie CompanySince 1997, family-owned Bakehouse Bread & Cookie Company has been hand-shaping artisan breads and baking pastries and cookies daily in downtown Troy, Ohio. Founded by Margaret Begg after training at the Culinary Institute of America and apprenticing under a French master baker, the bakery now operates under her son Bryan Begg, continuing its whole-food approach with naturally leavened breads that take up to 72 hours from start to finish. Its bakery café also serves fresh breakfast, lunch, and catering for the local community.TROY, OH