Locals Know That Indianapolis Has the Goods When It Comes to Bakeries

In Indianapolis, there may be far fewer spots purveying fresh-from-the-oven treats than in bigger cities, but the bakeries making their mark are singular and stellar. While scoping Indy’s remarkably diverse food landscape for 2022’s America's Next Great Food Cities, I touched on how baked goods were taking off. Since then, the number of spots in town turning out exemplary versions, from spicy sourdough bagels to twice-baked croissants, has boomed, solidifying Indianapolis as one of the best cities in the U.S. for bakeries.

Pandemic pivots

The highly uncertain past few years proved to be fertile ground for many who decided to, at long last, pursue passion projects. That certainly was the case for pop-up sensation Indy Dough’s self-taught Amanda Gibson, whose over-the-top doughnuts — like her puffy brioche-based apple fritters — have earned her a rapt social media following and long queues. “The pandemic pushed a lot of us to do what we really want to do,” she explains.

Following a baking stint at Amelia’s, one of the most established bakeries in town, and selling bagels as a side hustle, Josh Greeson unveiled Sidedoor Bagels, a counter nook in the Cottage Home neighborhood, which will soon be expanding to the space next door. He's been turning out sourdough bagels in zippy flavors, like Szechuan pepper-flecked Spicy Everything, since Christmas Eve, 2021. An easy stroll away is Leviathan, a cafe opened in 2020 by bakers Pete Schmutte, Matt Steinbronn, and Jesse Blythe where everything, from the "Gorgeous George" eclairs to the ground-by-hand pistachio paste for the Honey Pistachio Latte, is meticulously crafted in-house. 

Area baking legend Cindy Hawkins — who made a name for herself selling macarons and croissants for 11 years at City Market, and teaching cooking classes at Ivy Tech for nine — set up Circle City Sweets at the vibrant food hall The AMP in 2021, so she could slow down and bake, sell, and teach from one dedicated space.

Room for all

Another reason why so many bakers are thriving in Indy is physical and financial freedom. Take, for example, an unassuming strip mall in Irvington that’s transformed into one of the hippest dining hubs. Here, you’ll find Landlocked Bakery, where head baker Jess Marvel spins classic baked goods in imaginative new directions with Cinnamon Sugar Milk Bread Babkas and Gruyere Béchamel Potato Croissants. It operates alongside Strangebird, a rum and oyster bar that’s also home to Kyle Humphreys’ ramen-centric Shoyu Shop. “The cost of living is relatively low, and you can always find a place to park,” jokes Neal Warner, Landlocked and Strangebird’s co-owner.  

Meanwhile in Garfield Park, partners in work and life Cheyenne and Ryan Norris — former New Yorkers who had a successful kids' clothing line before moving back to Cheyenne’s childhood home during the pandemic — are bringing renewed energy and dreamy sweets like a popular twice-baked pistachio-raspberry croissant with white chocolate ganache, to the historic neighborhood with Cafe Babette. 

Classically trained pastry chef Youssef Boudarine, whose resume includes Paris’ Laduree and Indy stalwart Bluebeard, will soon be opening his highly anticipated J’Adore, a cafe reflecting his Moroccan roots. “Everything will have a bit of a Mediterranean flavor,” says Boudarine, so expect croissant lamb burgers, cinnamon-infused onion tarts, and sable cookies adorned with soft cheese and orange blossom honey.

A real sense of community

Widely credited for helping spark Indy’s artisan baking movement in 2012, Amelia’s firmly remains a local fixture. Robust European-style breads are its claim to fame, but Amelia’s has also been pivotal in kickstarting Sidedoor Bagel and J’Adore by giving Greeson and Boudarine space to work and dream. “We don’t believe in non-competes,” says Amelia’s co-owner Charlie McIntosh. “Indy has more than enough room for all of us. We’ll never discourage people from getting excited about what they want to be excited about.”

Another spot bringing Indy together in ways more than one is Mama Ines Bakery, a Mexican bakery started by Rosa Gaeta back in 1999. The name comes from her unflappable mother Ines, who kept 10 children together through unimaginably tough times. Today, four locations are brimming with colorful pan dulce and bolillos that are adored by food trucks and restaurant owners, including a Vietnamese proprietor who swears by them for bánh mì. Gaeta beams with pride as she says, “A lot of people say it reminds them of home.” 

Not well-known to Indy outsiders but deeply important to the local baking community is 4 Birds Bakery, a mostly wholesale operation run by Jenna and Steven Unrue. Despite working around the clock to supply 40-plus accounts with their cult Oatmeal Maple Pecan Cookies, spent grain crackers, and English muffins (Jenna’s 99-year-old grandma has even pitched in), the couple creates original breakfast sandwiches every week for Broad Ripple Farmers Market from May through October. And why add more work to an already hefty workload? Steven chalks it up to Indy hospitality, where people genuinely enjoy the act of looking after others: “Just come visit, we’ll always take good care of you.”

Global Tastemakers is a celebration of the best culinary destinations in the U.S. and abroad. We asked more than 180 food and travel journalists to vote on their favorites, including restaurants and bars, cities, hotels, airports, airlines, and cruises. We then entrusted those results to an expert panel of judges to determine each category’s winners. In many categories, we’ve included a Plus One, hand-selected by our expert panel, to shout out more culinary destinations we don’t want our readers to miss. See all the winners at foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers.