They started baking at home, but now each of them has their own shop. The best place for a mouth-watering, fresh loaf of bread. By Silvie van de Laar 1. Sumptuous sourdough Bröd Alice is originally Swedish, but has lived in the Netherlands for many years. Her passion for baking started when as a child, she used to help her granny roll out the cinnamon buns. She has dreamt of having her own bakery ever since. Her dream has come true as she bakes a whole range of Scandinavian delicacies in Bröd, the shop-in-shop in restaurant Kantien. Alice only uses sourdough and high-quality natural ingredients. Where: Veilinghavenkade 59, Utrecht More info: brodutrecht.nl 2. Time to rise Bakkerij Amadeus It’s tough in the world of opera at the moment, so opera singer Maurice decided to switch to the trusty profession of baker instead and opened his traditional Bakkerij Amadeus in the beautiful old Metaal Kathedraal in Leidsche Rijn. It’s a typical, old-fashioned bakery, like the ones you find in France and Italy – a place where everything is made by hand and the dough is given plenty of time to rise. The name Amadeus is a reference to the famous composer and an ode to Maurice’s former profession. Where: Rijksstraatweg 20, Utrecht More info: bakkerijamadeus.nl 3. In the nick De Bakkert Nils has been fascinated by flavours, food and nature all his life. De Bakkert is the place where he combines these three ingredients. He started on a small scale by baking for his neighbours, before doing an internship at a sourdough bakery in Utrecht and finally opening his own bakery in the former police station in Bilthoven. No two days are the same for Nils. To his mind, it’s all about listening to your dough. Tiny differences in temperature and humidity can have a huge impact. Where: Leyenseweg 38, Bilthoven More info: debakkert.nl 4. Bread proving ground Bammetje Bakery Bammetje bakery and lunchroom has been a culinary proving ground for bread for several years. The bread baked by Ulrika tastes of ingredients sourced from all around the world. Leaving the dough to rise for longer than usual allows the optimum flavour to develop. Apart from bread, Ulrika bakes flans and sweet and savoury snacks, stocks local products and gives workshops. Where: Hooghiemstraplein 51, Utrecht 5. Plant-based Loaf Sanne spent too long working herself to the limit, and eventually suffered a burn-out. One of the few things that she felt happy doing was cooking and baking. In her plant-based bakery Loaf, she uses sourdough to leaven her bread – a lengthy process that requires careful attention. Sanne also uses local and/or organic ingredients wherever she can. Apart from bread, she has a passion for coffee, tea and wine, items that you will also find in her bakery. Where: Samuel van Houtenstraat 10, Utrecht More info: loafutrecht.nl