Charleston restaurants have a longstanding reputation as some of the best in the country, but bakeries were not traditionally a part of that conversation. That is no longer the case.
“Charleston has always been known for its fine dining restaurants and celebration of Southern cuisine, but not necessarily for pastries and bread,” said Hannah Welton, who co-owns Welton’s Tiny Bakeshop with husband Zachary. “We hope that with a growing number of great bakeries and bakers, we can change the narrative.”
And the story of Charleston bakers is indeed changing. From those producing at home to brick-and-mortar options, there has never been a better time to love carbs in the Lowcountry.
A tiny bakeshop draws huge crowds
The Weltons first worked together in the kitchen at Husk Charleston before their cooking journey took them to the Yucatán and back again to the Lowcountry. In 2021, they started hosting mobile, wood-fired pizza pop-ups before opening the downtown bakeshop in 2022.
Out of the 1,000 square foot space, the shop is producing items that are taking Charleston by storm. From hot honey danishes to focaccia with seasonal vegetables to a muffuletta that gives New Orleans a run for its money, you can’t go wrong when eating at Welton’s. Its success is not just about the food they make, but the community they have created.
“We have always seen ourselves as a neighborhood bakery,” Hannah said. “Our location on upper King draws an intimate community of locals and those visiting Charleston with intention. From our bakery team to our purveyors and our guests, we put compassion and community first.”
The Weltons recently started a Substack account in anticipation of a cookbook. It gives people insights into how they create recipes and follow passions in the kitchen.
“One of the best parts of our job is getting to develop recipes,” Hannah said, “We see something we like, love, or we are unfamiliar with; we bring it in and try it as a team — then deep dive into making each ingredient taste like the best version of itself.”
Later this year, Welton’s will expand into an adjacent building to allow the team to offer even more. The new space will have seating and an expanded coffee program, and will occasionally offer pizza, bringing Welton’s full circle back to how it started.
- Welton’s is located at 682 King St. Follow @weltonstinybakeshop on Instagram
Bread born in the Carolinas
Brandon McDaniel has been a part of the Charleston food scene since 2010, and he founded Brandon’s Bread in 2022. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of Charleston, he worked in Charleston kitchens like High Cotton, Peninsula Grill and Edmund’s Oast. And he learned whole hog BBQ from Rodney Scott. After a stint in Las Vegas at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro, Brandon and his wife Kate moved back to Charleston during the pandemic.
“In 2010, there was Butcher & Bee and EVO and you could go and get good croissants and bread,” he said. “And then those things kind of disappeared and those businesses changed. And there was a huge void for a long time, at least for bread,” he said. “But now there are more people realizing there is a void to be filled. I think people are putting in the effort and the culture is growing, and I think it’s going to grow to a great place and find its groove.”
Once back in the Lowcounty, Brandon leaned on his knowledge of artisan breads — he had taken an elective on artisan breads at Trident — and started making bread exclusively for Chubby Fish while working there. His next step was to form his company, and he started selling at farmers markets and other restaurants in town.
Brandon’s Bread focuses on naturally leavened, sourdough breads made with grains that are grown and milled across the Carolinas. McDaniel’s philosophy when it comes to sourcing is to “use what’s closest to you.” Hard winter wheats come from North Carolina, while everything else is local to Charleston like Carolina Gold rice, benne seeds and Jimmy Red grits.
Regular offerings include everything from a benne loaf to Carolina Gold rice loaf to a baguette. You also might see brioche, milk bread and fruit and nut loaves like cherry hazelnut or peach and pecan.
Another thing that sets his breads apart is that there is a long fermentation process, which both creates a more robust flavor and breaks down gluten, which makes his loaves an option for those with gluten sensitives.
McDaniel currently bakes out of a commissary kitchen in Hanahan but has a retail spot coming on upper King next year that will be a neighborhood retail bakery with some light café-style offerings. Until then, you can find him at the Sea Island Farmers Market on Saturdays and the Sunday Brunch Farmers Market at the Pour House each weekend.
- More: Follow @brandons__bread
The cottage food law allows for experimentation
South Carolina has a Home-based Food Production Law, informally known as the cottage food law, which allows people to produce and sell certain foods made in a home kitchen directly to retailers or to consumers. Products must be labeled properly, listing the name and address of the home kitchen, and the law allows for items like breads, cookies and some cakes.
This is a great option for bakers who are just starting out as it gives time and space for recipe and business development before investing in a commissary kitchen or full retail location. One baker who operates under the cottage food law is Riz Del Rosario of Ladson’s Butter Half Bakery, which produces artisan baked goods and Filipino fusion snacks. She started Butter Half in 2024 after she had a baby and was craving foods from her native Philippines.
With Butter Half, Del Rosario aims to introduce people to flavors they haven’t had before and to preserve the traditions of her culture.
“I’m an immigrant and I try to, as much as I can, weave in — especially if I meet younger Filipino people — let me tell you a little bit about this,” she said. “It is a story that needs to be told.”
Her first baked good was a ube cinnamon roll that she sold at the Feminist Magic Market in Park Circle. It sold out in 30 minutes. Ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines, has a vibrant purple color and a sweet, earthy, rich flavor. The ube cinnamon roll is a constant on her menus and you can also find everything from banana pudding cookies to cinnamon espresso morning buns to sticky mango rice krispy treats.
- To see where Del Rosario is popping up, follow @butterhalfbakerychs
The amazing versatility of croissant dough
Allison Anspach opened Grit Bakery on Meeting Street earlier this year and is turning out some of the tastiest breads and pastries in town. She started her baking journey at a vegan bakery in New Orleans and fell in love with working with dough during culinary school in San Diego. She recently relocated with her husband to Charleston and realized her dream of owning a bakery.
Anspach immediately recognized that one of the silver linings of having a variety of bakeries in town is the choice that comes with it.
“I don’t want to go to the same bakery every day,” she said. “Some days I want to go to Welton’s and sometimes I want to go to the farmer’s market to get Tiller bread. There are so many food-oriented people here and I just see it more as we can all support one another and be this Mecca where people come to get great baked goods.”
Baguettes and sourdough are available daily with a specialty sourdough available on weekends. Anspach uses croissant dough not just for her plain, chocolate and ham-and-cheese croissants, but also for danishes and bread pudding. It makes you wonder why croissant dough isn’t used for everything in life.
Daily sandwiches are also offered, and a recent salami, provolone and pickled jalapeno on baguette was a standout. Salted chocolate chip cookies are a mainstay on the menu, and you will find specialty cookies like a lemon zest and grit.
Grit Bakery is at 601 Meeting St. More: Follow @gritbakery
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