On weekends when brunch just seems too much a commitment, a pastry could be just the treat you need to kickstart your day-- less hassle, but special enough to enjoy on the weekend. These are some of our favorite confections from bakeries around the city to put on your breakfast bucket list.
Sandbox Bakery's Morning Bun
Here in Bernal Heights, there is a morning bun whose sticky, flaky, butter-laden dough tears into generous swirls of citrus and cinnamon. After time at La Farine in Oakland, Chez Panisse, Rubicon, and 10 years at Slanted Door, it's no wonder pastry chef Mutsumi Takehara's morning bun is whispered to rival Tartine's.
Baker & Banker's Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll
Lori Baker's little pastry shop on the side of her restaurant serves up some enormous cinnamon rolls with brown butter cream cheese frosting. Tangy cream cheese and deep brown butter melt into a rich frosting smoothed over a luscious, sticky round of cinnamon bread.
Devil's Teeth Baking Company's Beignets
Just look at these huge beignets-- light, airy, warm, comforting. Get some at The Devil's Teeth Baking Company in the Outer Sunset and wash it down with a glass of Bicycle Coffee. These billowy pillows of sweet are only served on Sundays though, so plan accordingly.
Arizmendi's Cherry Corn Scone
This little co-op in the Inner Sunset turns out some of the best scones in the city, like their menu-mainstay: a sour cherry cornmeal scone. Cornmeal lightly sweetens and gives a thicker crumb, while buttermilk makes them rich, moist and a little tangy. The granulated sugar sprinkled on top is just enough crunch. Their savory scones are also stellar- like one subtly perfumed with rosemary and piquant with parmesan.
Trouble Coffee Company's Build Your Own Damn House
I'm calling toast a pastry today. Just imagine a piece of toast slathered so liberally in cinnamon-sugar butter, that melts into a thick, crystallized frosting. Order a "build your own damn house" at Trouble Coffee Company, and get cinnamon toast, a fresh coconut to eat/drink, and an awesome cup of coffee to wash it all down. It's the perfect way to start your morning if you feel like lighter fare (and a shorter wait) than Outerlands a few doors down.
Craftsman and Wolves' The Rebel Within
Ex-Quince pastry chef William Werner has really outdone himself. At his new brick and mortar establishment in the Mission, he brings a creation back to life from his days at Tell Tale Preserve Co. "The rebel within" is a cheesy sausage muffin with a runny egg IN IT. On top of this, the croissants and pain au cochons look ridiculously flaky and delicious.
Knead's Pomme d'Amour
Though Knead has been around for a while, it's so fabulous that it needs to be talked about. In case you felt any qualms about ordering dessert before noon, Knead found a loop hole: Just wrap it in puff pastry and call it breakfast. The "pomme d'amour" is flaky puff pastry filled with custard topped in a layer of brûléed sugar. And just like that, crème brûlée before 10 am is possible.
Ironside's Evil Breakfast Bun
Sweet and savory are married in a beautiful way at Ironside in SoMa. Their mini "evil breakfast bun" is Danish puff pastry stuffed with tangy cream cheese and diced bacon, glazed in sweet maple, and rolled into a gooey, morning bun fashion. Good thing it's just a tiny evil morning bun. If it were any bigger, it would border on diabolical.
What are your must-try pastries in the city?
