Best independent bakeries in Islington

Explore the charming independent bakeries in Islington, each offering unique flair and delicious baked goods. Here are some of the top picks:

Quince

Overview: Quince bakery in Islington, named after the quince fruit, offers a cosy atmosphere and delightful bakes. Enjoy the inviting aroma and distinctive ‘quince’ scent that make Quince bakery a must-visit in Islington.

Pros:

• Offers a range of beautiful sourdough bakes, including loaves, sandwiches, and buns.
• Uses seasonal ingredients and emphasises quality produce.
• The staff are super friendly and approachable.

Cons:

• Inconvenient opening hours: Closed on Sunday-Tuesday and shuts down early in the afternoon (from 2:30pm onwards).
• Items sell out quickly, so it’s best to visit early.
• No option to have bread sliced.

Best Seller: The brown butter bun.

Address: 267A, New North Road, London N1 7AA

Pophams

Overview: Visit Pophams in Islington for a cosy, inviting bakery and café experience.

Pros:

• Ideal for brunch or lunch.
• Known for their generously-sized creative pastries.
• Cosy café atmosphere.

Cons:

• Limited selection of sourdough, which tends to sell out quickly.
• No option to have bread sliced.

Best Sellers: Bacon and maple syrup swirl and rosemary and sea salt twist.

Address: 19 Prebend Street, London N1 8PF

Jolene 

Overview: Jolene offers a stylish atmosphere that blends the best of a bakery and café. Like Pompams, it focuses on high-quality pastries and a seasonal café menu. 

Pros: 

• Ideal for brunch or lunch with a selection of pastries.
• The bakery makes use of a variety of ancient grains, which they mill on-site. 

Cons:

• The sourdough tends to sell out quickly.
• Early closing times, and no guarantee of bread availability.
• No option to have bread sliced.

Best sellers: House sourdough, croissants & honeyed financiers.

Address: 16, Essex Road, London N1 8LN

Sourdough Sophia

Overview: Sourdough Sophia is a bakery that embraces a feminine aesthetic with its striking pink exterior, reminiscent of a Barbie set.

Pros:

• Eye-catching pink branding.
• Popular for trendy cruffins and innovative bakes.

Cons:

• Surprisingly few sourdough loaves available despite the name.
• No option to have bread sliced.

Best Sellers: Cruffins and bow croissants.

Address: 117-119 Essex Road, London N1 2SN

Good in Bread

Overview: Order from Good in Bread, an online bakery specialising in artisan sourdough loaves and bagels. Despite being online, it fosters a sense of community among ‘breadheads’ through newsletters with bread care tips and recipes.

Pros:

• Offers a variety of beautiful artisan sourdough loaves and bagels.
• Use organic, stone-ground flour in their bakes.
• Convenient delivery to your doorstep from Tuesday to Saturday.
• Options to have bread sliced and delivered in freezer bags.
• Excellent customer service.
• Bake-at-home range available, including starters, kits, and tutorials for those interested in baking their own sourdough.

Cons:

• Does not offer pain au chocolat or croissants, though some sweet treats are available.

Best sellers: The white country loaf & the everything bagels.

Address: https://goodinbread2026.kinsta.cloud/

Each of these bakeries brings something special to the table, catering to different tastes and preferences. Whether you’re a sourdough enthusiast, a lover of classic patisserie, or someone who enjoys trendy and unique bakes, Islington’s independent bakeries have something to offer.

The Sourdough Library

Imagine a place where bakers and bread enthusiasts carefully preserve the essence of sourdough from around the world. We recently discovered such a place exists—the Sourdough Library—and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.

A Hidden Gem in Belgium

The Sourdough Library, nestled in the quiet village of St. Vith, Belgium, uniquely dedicates itself not to books but to living cultures from around the globe. Founded by sourdough aficionado Karl De Smedt, this extraordinary library has been around since 2013. It now houses over 130 sourdough starters from more than 25 countries. Each one represents the rich and diverse heritage of sourdough baking.

As a company deeply passionate about sourdough, we can’t help but wonder: is the Sourdough Library a guardian of tradition or does it stifle innovation?

The Importance of Preserving Sourdough Starters

Innovation: The Other Side of the Dough

However, this emphasis on preservation raises an important question: Does the Sourdough Library stifle innovation? Some bakers argue that while tradition is essential, baking is also about experimentation and evolution. They believe that rigidly preserving starters can limit the creative freedom to develop new and exciting flavours and techniques.

Microbial Diversity: The Female Touch

In an episode of The Food Programme titled “The Sourdough Library,” the hosts noted that sourdough starters made by females often have different bacterial compositions than those made by males. This difference comes from the unique microbial environments on their hands, which influence the bacteria in the starter.

Our Take: A Balance of Tradition and Innovation

At our sourdough company, we believe the Sourdough Library serves as both a guardian of tradition and an opportunity for innovation. By preserving these unique starters, the library provides a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for bakers to learn from. It encourages us to respect the craft while also pushing the boundaries.

For example, understanding the characteristics of different starters can inspire bakers to blend traditional methods with modern techniques. Instead of stifling creativity, the library can inspire new ideas. It allows bakers to experiment with flavours and textures drawn from the rich heritage of sourdough.

A Day in the Life at the Sourdough Library

Karl De Smedt’s role as a sourdough librarian involves feeding and cataloguing these starters, ensuring they remain healthy and vibrant. It’s a meticulous process that demands a deep love for the craft and respect for the cultural significance of each starter.

How You Can Get Involved

The Sourdough Library isn’t open for daily tours, but you can join virtual tours and events to explore this amazing world. Follow their Instagram to spark your sourdough passion and get inspired for your next bake.

Final Crumb

So, next time you savour a slice of tangy, chewy sourdough, think about the incredible journey of that little starter. From its humble beginnings in a baker’s kitchen to potentially being part of the Sourdough Library’s collection, each starter carries a story. The joy of sourdough baking lies in honouring these stories while crafting new ones.

We believe the Sourdough Library helps keep the flame of tradition alive while providing fertile ground for innovation. It reminds us that every loaf has a story, and every baker has the power to add their own chapter.

What do you think? Does the Sourdough Library help or hinder the evolution of sourdough baking? Share your thoughts with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

For more insights into the fascinating world of sourdough, check out our post on “23 Things You Need to Know About Sourdough Starters”. It’s packed with tips and knowledge to help you get the most out of your sourdough journey. If instead, you want to bake something besides a classic loaf with your starter, check out “Easy Recipes Using Sourdough Starter“.

Happy baking, and may your loaves be ever flavourful and your starters always bubbly!

Loaf Thy Neighbour Campaign

Since we’re all in need of a bit of cheering up at the moment and to celebrate the end of a tough January, we wanted to continue spreading the loaf with our new ‘Loaf Thy Neighbour’ Campaign. 

Each subscriber will receive an extra box with their Loaf Of The Week subscription over the next few weeks, which you can then gift to a neighbour to help Share The Loaf! 

Help brighten up someone else’s week by the gift of free sourdough; there’s nothing better than a surprise by someone unexpected in such uncertain times. 

If you have any questions or thoughts, please feel free to email us at: hello@wearegoodinbread.com, we’d love to hear from you! 

The Magic Behind Our Sourdough

Our loaves are handcrafted using the finest of stoneground flours from both Stoate & Sons and Shipton Mill.

It is really important to us that we use such high quality flour due to its high nutritional value, while ensuring that we provide our customers with the best quality bread that we can! It’s a combination of our flour plus the size of our loaves that makes them so different to most bakery products. 

Our White Country ‘True Loaf’ is made with 100% stoneground flour, giving it a complex flavour profile with a much higher nutritional value; stoneground flour is a high gluten flour, meaning it has a much higher protein and fibre content. It is also 750g, which makes it about 1.5x to 2x larger than the average store-bought loaf of bread of 400g.

Why is stoneground white flour better than regular flour? 

Stoneground White Flour has been slowly ground between two millstones then sieved to remove any of the larger bran pieces.

This particular grinding process also leaves the wheatgerm more intact than the grinding process with regular flour, which is usually ground between rollers and crushes out more of the grains.

These larger bran components cause stoneground flour to have a coarser texture but a much deeper flavour than regular flour, whilst having additional nutritional benefits. The bran and germ retain much more of their natural, original proportions, and additionally, as the stones grind slowly, the bran is not exposed to extreme temperatures; too much heat would cause many of the vitamins to be destroyed. 

Stoate & Sons: 

Stoate & Sons are based in Dorset and remains a family run operation by fifth-generation millers. The mill was established in 1832 and has continued to produce stoneground flour for both bakery and domestic trade throughout. Their flour is produced using French Burr millstones, driven by a 19th Century iron waterwheel powered by the river Sturkel. 

The continued growth in popularity of artisanal breads produced by traditional methods has enabled Stoate & Sons to continue running into its third century. 

Shipton Mill: 

Based in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, the ruins of Shipton Mill were discovered in 1981, overlooking the River Avon. The mill and all the original machinery were restored, resulting in the flour also being ground with the traditional French Burr millstones. Both the mill and the river at Shipton Mill are home to a diverse ecosystem and they are now working on generating their own electricity. 

Both Shipton Mill and Stoate & Sons use traditional machinery that remind us how even today, these ancient methods produce better quality, artisan bread that is more nutritious. 

The Size Of Our Loaves: 

Not only is our bread made with some of the finest quality flour available, but our loaves are about a third bigger than the standard size. They are made fresh daily and then delivered to YOU across London, with storage tips, recipes and much more included in each subscription! 

The Overnight Oat ‘Hearty Loaf’

We are proud to present our new Overnight Oat Sourdough ‘Hearty Loaf’. Made from soaked overnight oats, this nutritious and decadent loaf is packed with antioxidants and fibres, providing you with even more healthy nourishment to last you through the day. We love it for breakfast as it pairs just as beautifully with butter and jam as it does with a side of scrambled eggs. 

Like all of our Sourdough loaves, it was handcrafted using artisan baking methods, the finest organic flours, natural sourdough leavens and a long cool fermentation. We like to think this gives our breads that unique flavour, aroma and texture.  

Ingredients (including allergens):

• Sourdough starter (flour & water)
• Organic stoneground wheat flour
• Organic stoneground wholemeal flour
• Salt
• Water
• Overnight-Soaked Oat flakes

Allergens:

• May also contain traces of other nuts and tree nuts. 

Care instructions:

• Pre-sliced: freeze right away in bio-degradable freezer bags. Loaf contains approx 20 slices.
• Unsliced: keep at room temperature in brown kraft bag provided or in linen bag.

Weight: 750g

Sourdough September Week #4

For us, Sourdough September has been all about celebrating the numerous benefits of Sourdough bread on our general health. This week, we draw your attention to the impact of Sourdough bread on blood sugar levels in our body. We asked our dear friend, naturopathic nutritionist & regular Loaf Of The Week subscriber Stephanie Chillaz to speak to this a bit more.

She says “Studies have shown that fermenting bread over a long period of time slows down the rate of digestion and absorption of carbohydrates which helps to moderate blood glucose response. The natural leaven found in Sourdough bread lowers the glycemic index of bread.

Why should you care about your blood sugar levels if you are not a diabetic?

Blood sugar control is at the core of good general and mental well-being, not just for people with diabetes but for everybody. This keeps our brains working properly, our energy levels in check and our moods stable. Disproportionate blood sugar spikes and crashes can lead to higher sugar cravings, irritability, anxiety, poor sleep, low energy and weight gain, as well as inflammatory conditions.

This is why we believe that the bread we eat every day is at the root of good physical & mental well being.”

Sourdough September Week #2

Week 2 of Sourdough September is all about celebrating Sourdough’s huge nutritional benefits. When bread is made using natural leavens and slow fermentation, it becomes rich in nutrients, minerals and anti-oxidants.

How?
The ancient process of fermenting dough unlocks the bio-availability of key nutrients, such as fibre, plus the minerals that are found in the flour.

This is thanks to the lactic acids present in natural leavens, which lower the breads pH, helping to neutralize the presence of phytic acids in the dough.

Phytic acids (phytates) make it difficult for your body to absorb the key vitamins and minerals as they bind themselves to them. 

This means that…
Lower phytates = increased mineral absorption.

Additionally, the lactic acid helps the breads ability to release anti-oxidants whilst the sourdough ferments. 

This proves that authentic sourdough is better for you as it provides you with all the good stuff that you wouldn’t get from bread that uses commercial yeast.

Keep checking our Instagram & Facebook accounts daily as we will be uploading new fun Sourdough content all throughout the month.