5 Grocery Store Bakeries That Make Fresh Bread From Scratch

Store-bought bread doesn't necessarily have to be low-quality, especially when you shop at Publix, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, or Walmart. Offering fresh-baked bread and other confections, these grocery chains give you the chance to purchase something that's a cut above the standard selections you'd find anywhere.

If you've ever walked into one of these markets, you probably already know the sneaky reason grocery stores put their bakeries up front. The enticing smells draw you in and ignite your hunger, but they aren't just trying to get you to make an impulse purchase. They're also trying to ensure proper turnover of fresh-baked goods, many of which go stale or lose their overall quality relatively quickly. While in-store bakeries may not always be profitable, companies know that access to fresh, decent-quality bread is a huge incentive for shoppers to patronize their businesses.

Fresh bread can be the ultimate game-changer, whether you're just packing your workday sandwich or carefully building the perfect Reuben for dinner. Something about a good crust, the right texture, and a flavor that only comes from handmade transforms the bread from a way to hold everything together into a highly valued ingredient. Whether you want just one of Publix's famous sandwich rolls or a bulk order of Costco's baguettes, there's no shortage of options for from-scratch, fresh-made bread.

Publix's made-to-order subs, or "Pub Subs," make it one of the most beloved grocery chains in the South. While the buffet of meats, vegetables, and condiments greatly contributes to that, it's ultimately thanks to the freshly-made sandwich rolls.

Since 1957, the Publix bakery has been a major part of the chain's identity. Now, stores offer over a dozen varieties of bread, from earthy, grain-encrusted Italian rolls to big rounds of classic sourdough. You can even call a day or two in advance and ask for specific, old-school recipes that it may not regularly make, like sunflower seed bread.

While Publix's huge bakery may be largely devoted to bread, it doesn't end there. It also offers donuts made fresh daily, different kinds of fruit pie, and its famous Chantilly icing, made fresh each day for new desserts.

If you really like fresh bread, there are few better stores than Costco to suit your needs. Whether your tastes run sweet or savory, Costco's industrial-sized bakery churns out dozens of different confections, though not all are actually made from scratch or fresh daily.

A Reddit user claiming to be a Costco baker said that Costco's multigrain, country French, rosemary, garlic, and cranberry breads are all made from scratch. While even its not-from-scratch products are delicious, these tend to be a cut above the rest, offering great textures and flavors you can smell from practically half a store away.

Whole Foods is famous for partnering with different local food providers, so what from-scratch bread they have available varies wildly depending on your location. One store in Metuchen,New Jersey has its own tortilla maker, while another in Pittsburgh has a fully "from scratch" bakery with only a handful of products trucked in from another bakery in Pennsylvania.

Regardless, Whole Foods offers a wide range of products you might not find everywhere else. If you're particular about avoiding certain ingredients, Whole Foods has banned more than 300 ingredients from its stores, including hydrogenated fats and high-fructose corn syrup. While it may not be quite as affordable as other entries on this list, it's a great choice for discerning customers with specific needs.

Kroger's bakery is both extensive and largely affordable, offering everything from sourdough to rich brown bread for sale. Kroger seems to stick with more American classics than unique offerings, so it's a great place to shop if you're looking for some simple sandwich bread.

Still, most of Kroger's products are shipped in from other brands. Fortunately, most Kroger locations place a "Baked in Store" sticker on relevant products, making it easy to tell what's fresh and what may have been sitting out for a while.

If you're looking for affordability, Walmart probably has the cheapest freshly baked bread available. Like Kroger, many of its products come from other brands or are baked and shipped in, but it still offers some classic, fresh options.

Walmart puts "Freshness Guaranteed" stickers on products that are cooked or prepared in-store. While some locations may have a bakery counter where bread sits on trays, this sticker is a good indicator that the location baked the loaf in-store rather than having it shipped in already made.