the canyon bakery

I love when I find a cute spot with tasty eats in my neighborhood. Perhaps because there aren’t all that many options here in Topanga? The Canyon Bakery is a local bakery churning out freshly milled whole grain baked goods, naturally leavened breads, pastries & pizzas here in the canyon! They take online orders for Friday pick ups, but currently are only “open” as a weekend pop up, aka Sunday Fundays! After stalking their Instagram for a while, we finally made it over to try out the goods. Their freshly milled Hundo whole grain Sonora cinnamon rolls had caught my eye, so that was a must order, and it did not disappoint! The giant spinach & cheese spelt croissant swirl was flakey and delicious as well. Talk about up my alley!

If you’re a fan of freshly baked breads, definitely grab a loaf or two to take home. The sprouted ancient grain and the chocolate cherry rye loaves were both big hits in our house, whether turned into a sandwich or eaten alone! There are plenty of gluten free things on the menu as well, including bagels, muffins and a millet bread, so don’t feel like you have to miss out if you happen to have a sensitivity to wheat or gluten. I’m also happy to see that on subsequent trips, The Canyon Bakery seems to be expanding their menu a bit, to include exciting things like whole grain focaccias studded with purple potatoes & castelvetrano olives, apricot jam brioche buns with creme fraiche & mint, and roasted shallot & gruyere buns! Next on my list to try are their Hundo spelt pizzas! Yum!

lodge bread co.

I'll just come right out and say it- I'm obsessed with Lodge Bread Company. This bakery and café in west LA focuses on whole grain sourdough bread baking, freshly milled flours, and wood-fired pizzas, and truly impresses in all ways, if you ask me. Every day, Lodge Bread churns out some seriously delish and hearty bread, unique pastries, and both Neapolitan & pan pizzas, not to mention some tasty wood-fired veggie dishes as well. It's truly everything I want in a meal- carbs and sweets! I'd been eyeing the (gigantic!) sourdough cinnamon roll ever since I first saw it on Instagram, and finally indulged on my most recent visit. It's not overly sweet, thanks to a lighter, whipped frosting and that hearty whole grain sourdough, but utterly delicious with the perfect amount of cinnamon flavor! Next on my must-try list is the babka!

I've now gotten to try a good variety of things from the menu, and have yet to be disappointed. Upon first entering the bakery, after checking out the bakers handling the dough with such care , you'll find the beautiful array of pastries baked fresh that day. I highly recommend trying a couple (or five). Other than the cinnamon roll, the pine nut blondie and the carrot olive oil cake are to die for! The wood-fired cauliflower with pickled raisins & chermoula is just bursting with flavor, as are the roasted beets with chicories, cara cara oranges, labne & pepitas. You can't come to Lodge without ordering pizza. Trust me, just do it. My pan pizza was thick and chewy, almost like a slightly crusty sourdough focaccia, piled high with roasted veggies. Our sweet pea pie was the perfect seasonal treat, topped with snap peas, pea tendrils, green garlic & ricotta! I'm now drooling again just thinking about this meal, so looks like a return trip is in my very near future!