San Leandro Bakery One Of CA's Best: Food & Wine

SAN LEANDRO, CA — It's a matter of civic pride when a local business is singled out for national recognition. That just happened to As Kneaded Bakery of San Leandro.

Food & Wine named the best bread bakeries in all 50 states. Many states have just one notable baker listed, while California has six — three in the Bay Area and three in Southern California. As Kneaded Bakery is the only East Bay business selected.

Here are all six entries.

As Kneaded Bakery, San Leandro — Iliana Berkowitz bakes astonishingly good challah at As Kneaded Bakery.

Manresa Bread, Los Gatos — At Manresa Bread in Los Gatos, Avery Ruzicka and team stroll confidently right along the divide between earnest New World artisanship, and classic Old World technique, giving us a quietly thrilling, naturally-leavened upgrade on the French staple (baguette).

Avast Bread, San Francisco — Outerlands and Tartine alum Matthew Jones at Avast Bread casually delivers more of the country's finest baguettes to the sleepy Outer Sunset farmers' market most weeks.

Colossus Bread, San Pedro and Los Angeles — Kristin Colazas Rodriguez took everything she learned baking her way through the Bay Area home to Southern California, opening Colossus Bread in the remote San Pedro section of Los Angeles, growing so quickly in popularity that she's now expanded across the port to her hometown of Long Beach.

Gusto Bread, Long Beach — Arturo Enciso has created a beautiful modern panaderia at Gusto Bread, celebrating ancient grains, Mexican tradition, and classic bread technique.

Jyan Isaac Breads, Santa Monica — Ex-Gjusta baker Jyan Isaac Horwitz is barely twenty years old, but he's already got lines out the doors at Jyan Isaac Breads in Ocean Park, because why not more great sourdough for Los Angeles, in this case just a couple of minutes from the beach?

Read about all of the chosen bakers in all 50 states on Food & Wine.