Purebread Bakery has been one of my go-to’s for many years for delicious sourdough bread. This Taipei bakery was recently re-opened in a more densely populated area near Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, near the busy Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT station in what is known as the ‘Eastern Area’ (東區) of Taipei. With its delicious bread and pastries, it’s likely to become a progressively more popular spot for locals and visitors, so get there early to ensure that you can get one of everything!
The original Purebread just off Dunhua South Road south of Renai Circle was a quaint and unassuming spot where only the people in-the-know knew where to get their bread from. The intoxicating smells as you walked into the dark bakery filled the air, and some of the stand-out baked goods that I regularly indulged in were the almond croissant, Kouign-Amann, and of course the sourdough. Important to note, however, is that I have never had a bad experience at Purebread Bakery, everything is delicious!
I was surprised to see a contrast in style when I came to the new spot. The smaller space has been upgraded to a bigger one, the inside of the bakery is airy and light, and there is even some outside seating, too. Purebread is really making a statement that they are here to stay, and I am very happy to see this.
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That outside seating area is perfect for inhaling one of their pastries hot off the rack. Pair it with one of their coffees from their beautiful coffee machine, sit back and enjoy the people watching in this quiet back street. It’s what weekdays, weekends, mornings, afternoons, and everything in between are made for.
There are not many prettier sights than a row of beautifully airy-looking loaves of bread, in my opinion. A Taipei bakery with sourdough upon sourdough to choose from is usually where you will find me on at least 1 day of each weekend throughout the year.
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The Menu at Purebread
The menu at Purebread Bakery is pretty much all around you from the moment you walk in, but if it isn't clear to you what flavour the loaf is that you've been ogling and drooling over, then this little menu should give you a clearer idea. Most loaves are priced between $120-$150, with some of the bigger loaves coming in at just under $300.
A beautiful arrangement of bread and pastry. There's not much better, in my opinion. While I could happily order one of every item on that board, I managed to control myself and hone in on just a few key items that I needed to get my hands on.
Those croissants looked far too good for me to pass up, and that cinnamon swirl looked spot-on, too. Those cruffins (I hate saying this word out loud) look really good, but perhaps something that I will come back to at some point in the future.
I have had the pretzels here before, and they're delicious, but I was here for something sweet and buttery. Therefore my eyes wandered to the HUGE walnut & chocolate croissant, and as I drew closer, I noticed the unsuspecting candidate behind it - the raspberry crumble croissant. Having never seen one of these, I had to go for it.
With the pastry and the bread being my main focus, I hope you can forgive me for not indulging in tarts, mile feuille, or cheesecakes this time. Rest assured - they are on my list and ready for my next visit.
I have had the brownie at Purebread Bakery before. I took it home, put it in my oven, paired it with some whipped cream, and it was an absolute beauty. But, alas, I didn't get it this time.
Walnut and Raisin Three Flour Sourdough
The smell emanating from this loaf as I took it out of the bag was intoxicating. The sourdough flavours come through with the sweet raisings and woody aroma of walnuts - salivation. This must be cut thick, it must be lightly toasted, and it must have a light smearing of butter on top (preferably salted).
The loaf has a lovely density to it. Some lovely air pockets allow the sourdough to remain light and airy, but there's plenty of bread to wrap your mouth around. The flavours are all there, all singing, and are all lovely. The Walnut and Raisin Three Flour sourdough is a great contender for your next weekend's sweet (er) sourdough.
Multigrain Three Flour Sourdough
The crack running down the side of this multigrain three-flour sourdough had me smiling when I opened it up.
A cross-section cut of the bread opened up a beautiful bread. There are lots of grains running through this sourdough, and yet again signifies why Purebread bakery is one of the best Taipei bakery choices for your next sourdough craving. Excellent flavours in each bite, this multigrain sourdough is best lightly toasted with some butter and some scrambled eggs on top. Get some delicious sun-dried tomatoes in there somewhere, too, and that is one hell of a weekend breakfast!
Croissant
I should've smashed this right there and then. It took all my willpower to get this home unscathed. It was crispy, it was butter, it was airy, it was everything a good croissant should be.
Look at just how airy it is inside! The lightness of this croissant is special. I can't recommend Purebread's croissant enough.
Dip it in your coffee and allow those unctuous flavours to fill your life with happiness.
Cinnamon Swirl
A cinnamon swirl is a thing of beauty, made especially beautiful by being as flakey and delicately dense as this one. The smell of cinnamon fills the air when you pull this out of the paper bag, and again it took a lot of willpower to not devour this right there on the spot.
A quick cut in half opens up a crunchy, airy, dense, cinnamon and brown sugar center. All flavours come through, and let me tell you that this pairs so wonderfully well with a flat white. I suggest you check out my post all about some of the best cafes in Taipei for where to get a delicious flat white in the city. It's worth the effort to find one to pair with this excellent cinnamon swirl. Dip it in your coffee and allow those unctuous flavours to fill your life with happiness.
Raspberry Crumble Croissant
I love croissants, I love crumble, I love raspberries. There's no reason why I won't love this raspberry crumble croissant from Purebread Bakery. Shock - I loved it. One important thing to note is that a topped croissant is going to be denser than a croissant not topped with anything. Because a croissant fluffs up and gets filled with air, a weight on top will not allow the airiness to develop in quite the same way. Is this a problem? Not for me.
A crunchy crumble adds a texture dimension that I didn't know I was looking for. Crunchiness met crunchiness, and the result was a beautifully crunchy croissant. Fragrant raspberry topped the outside of the croissant, with some delicious raspberry in the centre, too. Everything about this croissant was beautiful.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Purebread Bakery is one of the best bakeries in Taipei. If/When I need my sourdough, I go here.
What is the best dish? Their croissant is delicious, but the sourdough is also great. If I had a gun to my head and needed to choose, I would choose the croissant.
Are there other places like this? Another excellent choice for your sourdough needs is Leaven Workshop in Zhongshan. They don't do croissants there, but they do some amazing loaves of delicious bread.