( 67 Clerk St, Edinburgh EH8 9JG)
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This is a proper French bakery with wonderful aromas to inhale as you step through the door. Using quality flour from Les Grands Moulins de Paris, they bake bread slowly using long fermentations which means the bread stays moist for a few days.
The slow processes means some of the bread is ready later in the morning. Their sourdough ferments are nicknamed Otis and Heather, the latter is made with heather honey.
(46 Rodney St, Edinburgh EH7 4DX)
There are bagels and doughnuts galore in this independent bakery and cafe in Canonmills.
For years, the Bearded Baker supplied to other cafes and recently he opened his own shop where all the handmade bagels, sourdough loaves and other goodies are freshly prepared on site.
They do delicious bagel lunches too. Make sure you plan your visit for early in the day as they sometimes run out of their bagels in the late afternoon. The jam doughnuts are highly recommended.
(91 High St, Haddington EH41 3ET)
This German bakery makes authentic sourdough bread and pretzels with German rye flour. The owner Falko is a real Konditormeister, a state qualified Master Pastry Chef. All cakes are made in the traditional Viennese manner, without raising agents.
They have traditional German treats such as apple strudel and Black Forest Gateaux but Falko isn't keen on too much sugary decoration.
“I want to eat cakes, not look at them,” he says. In typical German style, there's a strict baking schedule listing which breads are baked on which days on their website and there's a list of their breads in order of crumb density.
Our favourite is the Dinkelbrot (spelt bread). You can also bring your dog.
(22-24 Easter Rd, Edinburgh EH7 5RG)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BipFYTTAOSz/?taken-by=themannahousebakery
Reminiscent of Brick Lane beigel shops, this artisan bakery is a local favourite on Easter Road. They work through the night to bring locals early morning loaves, savoury bakes, sandwiches and there's an enticing counter of tarts and cakes.
They make great breakfasts: the toasted banana bread is a must. And don't miss the bespoke Innis & Gunn sourdough loaf.
(27 Simpson Loan, Edinburgh EH3 9GG, and 3 Deanhaugh Street,
Edinburgh, EH4 1LU)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZVmmWCAj1w/?hl=en&taken-by=petersyard
Legend has it that the local Michelin-starred restaurants source their bready goods from here.
With fine ingredients and special Swedish recipes, both the Meadows' student-filled cafe and the smaller Broughton Street shop are packed to the brim with bready beauties from crisp bread to almond-filled mazarins.
A strong favourite is the cardamom buns which you can buy singly, or for the truly gluttonous, by the tray.
(352 Morningside Rd, Edinburgh EH10 4QL)
Andante, meaning 'at a slower tempo' in music and Italian, is so called because they take their time to make proper bread from scratch using locally sourced ingredients.
They don't use any additives or artificial improvers and frown on the fast processing methods used by big companies. They also sell at farmers markets. Try the apple and balsamic vinegar bread.
