Best Places to Buy Breads and Pastry

Bread is the staff of life, but the world of baked goods is far bigger than a loaf of sourdough fresh out of the oven.

For this season’s Dining Guide, we’re giving in to the temptation of bagels and baklava, buttery croissants, chocolate cakes and cookies galore.

While the guide highlights dozens of sweet treats, it also includes savory baked delights — from chicken pot pies to vegetable-studded tarts to herb-coated pita chips.

Also, folks who want to sink their teeth into gluten-free muffins and scones, or vegan cinnamon rolls and cakes, will find a list of 11 metro Atlanta bakeries who specialize in those baked products.

In total, the guide singles out 48 baked goods worth the calories, driving time and price. And, it points the way to six dozen bakeries, cafes, restaurants and pop-ups where you can get your fix of baked treats, ranging from Southern favorites (such as buttermilk biscuits and pecan pie), to offerings with origins from as far away as Estonia, Lebanon and Brazil.

You’ll also meet a baker’s dozen of the local talents behind some of your favorite breads, biscuits and other doughy delights. While they range from the self-taught to the professionally trained, each chef brings his or her own approach to the art and science of baking and patisserie — be it a focus on nutrition and health, a reverence for heirloom grains, or, as chef Vivian Lee of Leftie Lee’s put it, “a drive to perfection.”