Proof Bread is a bakery in Phoenix.
Proof Bread on Main Street in Mesa bakes naturally leavened sourdough and croissants with locally grown and milled flours, the East Valley's destination loaf.
Must order: A croissant and a sourdough loaf milled from local grain.
Tip: The Mesa flagship is the bake-on-site room; weekends draw a line for croissants.
Address: 125 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201, Phoenix
La Sonorense Tortilla Factory on South Central stretches the giant tortillas de agua that define Sonoran cooking, sold warm by the dozen in South Phoenix.
Tip: Buy a stack of the big flour tortillas warm; they are the base for a proper Sonoran burro.
Worth the queue: Large hand-stretched Sonoran flour tortillas
Noble Bread on North 24th Street is the Valley's reference sourdough bakery, ferments organic loaves over 36 hours and supplies the city's better restaurants.
Tip: The attached Noble Eatery serves wood-fired sandwiches on the same bread; loaves sell out by midday.
Worth the queue: 36-hour naturally leavened country loaf
Tammie Coe Cakes & MJ Bread on Roosevelt Street pairs hand-decorated cakes with award-winning MJ Bread loaves, a downtown bakery and coffee bar since 2005.
Tip: The Roosevelt Row room has a full coffee bar; pre-order whole cakes for weekends.
Worth the queue: Hand-decorated cakes and MJ Bread loaves
La Purisima Bakery on Indian School Road is a family-run panaderia, racking conchas, marranitos and pan dulce that Phoenix families buy by the tray.
Tip: Grab a tray and tongs at the door; closed Mondays, and the morning batch is the freshest.
Worth the queue: Conchas and marranitos
Barb's Bakery on North 24th Street is a long-running neighbourhood bakery, turning out cakes, donuts, cupcakes and cookies from a small storefront.
Tip: Closed Sundays and it sells out early; the donuts are the morning order.
Worth the queue: Old-school cakes and donuts
