The 5 Best Bakeries in Michigan, Voted By Michiganders

I asked my audience to name the best bakery in Michigan, and the votes told a story of family shops that have been at it for generations. I tallied everything from my socials, and here is the top five.

1. Crust, Fenton

Crust opened in downtown Fenton on February 1, 2012, founded by Chad and Marybeth Brennan. It runs as an artisan bakery with a full breakfast and lunch restaurant at 104 W. Caroline St. Regulars know it for almond croissants, a cinnamon roll made with brioche dough and European-style butter, artisan breads, and a take-and-bake line of quiche, pot pies, and pies. The restaurant serves 8am to 3pm Tuesday through Sunday, and the business also keeps a booth at the Flint Farmers’ Market and ships nationwide.

See Crust in the Michigan-made directory

2. Hinkley Bakery, Jackson

Hinkley Bakery has been frying donuts in Jackson since 1913 and is now in the hands of the fourth generation of the Hinkley family. Regulars line up for the chocolate crescent, oversized glazed raised donuts, glazed donut holes, filled long johns, and apple fritters. It’s cash only, open Wednesday through Saturday from 5:15am to 1pm, and the case often sells out before the early afternoon.

See Hinkley Bakery in the Michigan-made directory

3. Bit of Swiss, Stevensville

Bit of Swiss opened in Stevensville in 1967 when Hans Kottmann, formerly the baker at St. Joseph’s Whitcomb Hotel, set up shop in a renovated cabin. It’s now run by longtime employees Jessica and Jose “Pepe” Hernandez, who bought it in 2022. Regulars come for almond croissants, Hans’ signature salt-top rye, and hearth breads baked in a 40,000-pound French oven built on site. Modern Baking Magazine named it its 2012 Retail Bakery of the Year.

See Bit of Swiss in the Michigan-made directory

4. Crow & Moss, Petoskey

Crow & Moss is a family-run, micro-batch bean-to-bar chocolate company in Petoskey, operated by Mike, Danielle, and Nola Davies out of a 2,000-square-foot workshop they call the chocolatery. Mike grew it from a basement setup into a factory turning ethically sourced cacao into bars, confections, and drinking chocolate using just two ingredients, cacao and organic cane sugar. Food & Wine picked its Honduras drinking chocolate for its best chocolate gifts of 2024 list. The factory shop also sells baked-to-order pastries, open Friday through Sunday from 9am to 1pm.

See Crow & Moss in the Michigan-made directory

5. Dom Bakeries, Ypsilanti

Dom Bakeries has operated on Washtenaw Avenue in Ypsilanti, near the Eastern Michigan University campus, since the 1970s. It’s known for paczki on rich, eggy dough, big apple fritters with real apple pieces, classic raised and cake donuts, and custom cakes, with a drive-thru for fast pickups. The shop keeps long hours most days and is closed Tuesdays.

See Dom Bakeries in the Michigan-made directory

Did your bakery get left out? Make the case in the comments. If you own a Michigan bakery, apply for a free spotlight. I run new votes every week, so follow along to vote in the next ranking.

Author: Dave