Sure, you might have given sourdough bread baking a try during the dire days of pandemic lockdown, but let’s be honest: it’s never as good as when the pros do it.

Vancouver has no shortage of excellent bakeries serving up the superior form of bread. Here are what we consider to be the city’s top options.

Nelson the Seagull

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Gastown’s Nelson the Seagull ferments its sourdough for two days, making it taste amazing (and go easy on your stomach). With a soft, moist centre and a deliciously crispy and chewy crust, this sourdough is beloved for a very good reason.

Address: 315 Carrall St., Vancouver

Livia

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This Italian bakery does just about everything well, but the sourdough is of particular excellence. It’s somehow buttery with no butter, elegantly sweet and yet still sour—belissima.

Address: 1399 Commercial Dr., Vancouver

Terra Breads

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With two locations in the city (and loaves available at many grocery stores, too), Terra Breads’ sourdough is easy to come by. But don’t turn up your nose at it just because it’s not boutique—this loaf is perfectly great, with a solid crunch on the outside making it great as toast or for a sandwich. The olive version is particularly tasty.

Addresses: 1605 Manitoba St., Vancouver; 1689 Johnston St., Vancouver

Small Victory

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Baked using their own housemade flour, Small Victory’s sourdough is pull-apart perfection. Opt for the standard country loaf or mix it up with the delicious honey whole grain option. The bakery has locations in Yaletown, South Granville, and Mount Pleasant (plus Burnaby), meaning you can get your fix no matter where you are.

Addresses: 1088 Homer St., Vancouver; 3070 Granville St., Vancouver; 388 West 6th Ave., Vancouver; 1214 – 4580 Brentwood Blvd., Burnaby

Flourist

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Also using its own flour is the aptly-named Flourist, which has locations on Commercial Street and East Hastings. Expertly baked to chewy, spongy perfection, this sourdough is comfort in a loaf. The bakery’s Commercial Street outpost does pizza nights with sourdough crust, too.

Addresses: 3433 Commercial St., Vancouver; 865 East Hastings St., Vancouver

Fife Bakery

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Tucked away in Mount Pleasant, Fife Bakery’s loaves are made with local, organic grains and in-house levain. The result? Moist, chewy, succulent sourdough available in plain, olive, fruit and nut, or whatever the baking team has dreamed up specially for the season. Tip: don’t sleep on their chocolate chip cookies, either.

Address: 64 East 3rd Ave., Vancouver

Rise Up Marketplace

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Rise Up in Strathcona is a corner store with serious heart. Along with a selection of pantry items, you can pick up their house-made rosemary sourdough by the loaf, or order it as part of a sandwich (the jerk chicken is truly fabulous). Soft, doughy, and comforting, this bread is a real treat.

Address: 704 Vernon Dr., Vancouver

Tommys Whole Grain Bakery

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New to the Downtown Eastside is Tommy’s Whole Grain, which makes tasty whole grain sourdough and other treats. There is something richer about whole grain bread—it has a unique, almost denser flavour, and is more sustainable, too. It also kind of tastes like health. Tommy’s sourdough is made with organic grains from Cedar Isle Farms in Agassiz, and comes in many forms: big loaves, mini loaves, and even individual dinner rolls (which are just $1 each).

Address: 338 Powell St., Vancouver