Here are 7 spots to find great bread at the Shore

Sarah Griesemer, Asbury Park Press
Updated ·5 min read

There is something magical about freshly baked bread. The aroma, the crunch of the crust, the way it warms your insides — pure magic.

Thanks to an abundance of Italian bakeries, delis, markets and restaurants, Italian bread is easy to come by at the Shore. But so is freshly baked sourdough, focaccia and sweet breads like babka, more of which is being baked by home bakers now that New Jersey allows the sale of homemade baked goods.

As Mike Carlo, owner of Sourbro Baked Goods in Stafford, put it, "It's one of the best things this state ever did."

Here are seven Monmouth and Ocean county spots for great bread.

Sourbro Baked Goods, Stafford

Herb focaccia baked by Sourbro Baked Goods of Stafford.
Herb focaccia baked by Sourbro Baked Goods of Stafford.

Carlo's fascination with baking began not with bread, but pizza.

Learning to make perfect pizza at home was "almost like an obsession for me," said Carlo, 38, of the Manahawkin section of Stafford. "I started making regular pizza with yeast, then people started making sourdough starter. That was the big thing during the pandemic. (I thought) why don’t I just try that?"

His first starter failed, as so many do.

"But I just kept going," Carlo said. "I got a heating pad involved, trying to keep the starter warm. I finally got it going, and it's the same starter I'm using today."

Mike Carlo, owner of Sourbro Baked Goods in Stafford, makes sourdough pizza.
Mike Carlo, owner of Sourbro Baked Goods in Stafford, makes sourdough pizza.

Inspired by his wife, Erin, to sell his bread, Mike launched Sourbro, a cottage business that offers sourdough bread and wood-fired sourdough pizza at pop-ups. He sells his bread online, and, in summer, outside Tuckerton's Union Market.

Guapo's Coffee House in Beach Haven uses his bread for its avocado toast.

"It's amazing," Carlo said, "I never thought I would get to this point."

He bakes classic sourdough ($10), deli rye sourdough, sourdough focaccia and sourdough in flavors like jalapeno cheddar, cranberry orange and cinnamon raisin (all $15).

Go: Order at Instagram.com/sourbromc.

More: From secret burger spots to cheap eats, 10 foodie tips to know at the Jersey Shore

Simply Silva, Howell

Sourdough loaves from Stephanie Silva's cottage bakery in Howell.
Sourdough loaves from Stephanie Silva's cottage bakery in Howell.

For Stephanie Silva, all it took to go from baking bread for her family to going into business was one person saying "I would buy that from you."

This was around Thanksgiving, and she was baking pumpkin-shaped loaves of sourdough.

"A few people found out and word spread super quick through town. It was just crazy," said Silva, 34 of Howell. "I'm grateful for Howell. I think because it's a more farm-based town, everyone really enjoys supporting each other."

Baking bread from scratch fit Silva's health-conscious lifestyle. "Bread, flour, salt and water — that's all it should be," she said. "If I can help you have something better on your table, I want to."

Stephanie Silva is the owner of Simply Silva, a Howell-based cottage bakery selling sourdough breads and cookies.
Stephanie Silva is the owner of Simply Silva, a Howell-based cottage bakery selling sourdough breads and cookies.

In her commercial-sized bread oven, she bakes about 50 loaves of bread — classic sourdough, flavored loaves like chocolate chip and brown sugar, and jalapeno cheddar; and sourdough focaccia — plus about 100 cookies each week ($10 for focaccia, $12 and higher for sourdough loaves, $12 for six cookies and $20 for a dozen).

Go: Orders accepted Sundays through Wednesdays, with pickups on Fridays; instagram.com/simplysilva_.

More: Do you remember these Jersey Shore restaurants? We wish they were still here

Lily's Bread Basket, Stafford

A loaf of savory cheese bread from Lily's Bread Basket in the Manahawkin of Stafford.
A loaf of savory cheese bread from Lily's Bread Basket in the Manahawkin of Stafford.

When Lily Veksler's job went remote during the pandemic, she had time to dive into bread-baking.

"I’ve always loved to bake," said Veksler, 43, of Stafford. "People were saying 'this tastes really good.' (I thought) people seem to like this, maybe I can see if they'll want to buy some."

They did: Veksler launched Lily's Bread Basket about a year ago, "and it's been going really well," she said.

She bakes classic sourdough and flavored loaves like cranberry walnut, rosemary garlic and cheddar jalapeno ($10), plus chocolate and cinnamon babka ($12) and a savory cheese loaf ($12). Veksler sells mostly at pop-up events and farmers markets, but takes orders as well.

She also makes butter in flavors like honey cinnamon, chocolate, and garlic and herb, as well as infused olive oils.

Go: Find Lily's Bread Basket at the Barnegat farmers market this season; order at instagram.com/lilysbreadbasket.

More: These Jersey Shore spots should have made the USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list

Other spots for great bread

Loaves of freshly baked sourdough from Benchmark Bread in Little Silver.
Loaves of freshly baked sourdough from Benchmark Bread in Little Silver.

Benchmark Breads, Little Silver: Travis and Besty Coatney's bread can be found on a number of restaurant menus in Monmouth County, but you don't have to own a restaurant to order it. The couple offers weekly drops of their sourdough bread — in varieties like seeded, pan, soft sandwich and sesame semolina — at places like Et Al Fine Foods in Highlands, Batch on Main in Manasquan, Dutch Hill Farm in Spring Lake, Sickles in Little Silver, and Salt and Smoke in Red Bank. benchmarkbreads.com.

Evengrow Sourdough, Lacey: Act fast if you want one of Amber Reilly's sourdough loaves or chocolate chip cookies because when orders open up online, they sell out in minutes. Upcoming flavors include double chocolate brownie, rosemary parmesan, and possibly dill. "(I'm) planning to add lots of seasonal focaccia flavors once the warm weather (and) garden season starts," she said. instagram.com/evengrow_sourdough.

Freshly baked sourdough bread from MKT Artisan Bakery, formerly MKT Eatery in Surf City.
Freshly baked sourdough bread from MKT Artisan Bakery, formerly MKT Eatery in Surf City.

MKT Artisan Bakery, Stafford: Rafael Morillo, whose bread became known through his family's now-closed restaurant, MKT Eatery in Surf City, offers sourdough loaves and bread bowls, baguettes, pizza, focaccia, multigrain bread and other baked goods at Agnello's in Barnegat Light and the Manahawkin section of Stafford (where the baking is done), and The Cheese Shoppe in Surf City. Bread-making classes are available, too; search MKT Eatery on Facebook.

Talula's, Asbury Park: You might know Talula's as a spot for great pizza, seasonally inspired and creative dishes, and lots of vegan options, but the restaurant also bakes fresh bread daily. Grab a loaf to go, or order the focaccia with hummus.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Where to find great bread at the Jersey Shore