6330 Sw Capitol Hwy • 503.244.7573 • bakerandspicebakery.com
Tucked in a little strip mall off Capitol Hwy, between Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy and Sunset Blvd, lies a cute little bakery known as Baker & Spice. I can’t remember how I first heard about it but Baker & Spice has been on my list of “Bakeries I Must Visit” (and now blog about) for a little while. I don’t often head out to the Multnomah area, but a couple days ago, I met my brother and dad nearby so I super excited to finally check it out!
While it looks like a regular coffee shop from the outside, it was a surprisingly large and wonderful bakery. My favorite part was probably the open kitchen – you could see 4-5 bakers working hard, making cookie dough and baking loaves of bread. There are about 5-6 large tables plus some seating at the bar near the door. There was so many delicious items at the display counter, including some really beautiful cakes (they also sell wholesale cakes!).
While so many things looked great, I knew I wouldn’t be able to pass up this incredible looking pastry called a “Katie Bun” which I liken to a cross between a cinnamon roll and a croissant. It actually is puff pastry filled with cinnamon and raisins and then dusted with powdered sugar. It was fantastic – sugary and crispy on the outside and that soft, cinnamon-y dough like center. According to Julie Richardson, the owner of Baker & Spice, these wonderful breakfast pastries are named after her niece. When Katie was a toddler, she would refer to them as “Juju’s” but Julie didn’t think that was the most appropriate name, so she decided to name them after their biggest fan – Katie.
Delicious Katie Bun
When I asked Julie what her favorite item was on their menu, she said it changes daily but that currently it is their Whole Wheat Croissant. I was definitely tempted to try it when I stopped by Baker & Spice but with my typical chocolate craving, I decided to go with their Chocolate Croissant. It was probably one of the best chocolate croissants I have ever had this side of the Atlantic. When I cut into the croissant, it made a wonderful snapping sound, showing off all of the laminated layers of dough and TONS of delicious dark chocolate. I hate when chocolate croissants have only a sliver of chocolate. Baker & Spice on the other hand did not skimp at all!
Check out all that chocolate!
So hopefully I’ve convinced you to make the trek to the Hillsdale area of SW Portland. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did 🙂
What to Get:
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Katie Bun: This breakfast pastry tasted like an amazing cross between a croissant and a cinnamon roll. It is made with puff pastry, cinnamon, and raisins and then dusted with powdered sugar.
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Chocolate Croissant: One of the best I have had in a really long time – so much delicious dark chocolate sandwiched between buttery and flaky dough.
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Chocolate Crinkle Cookie: This is one of my favorite types of cookies – soft and fudgy chocolate that tastes almost like a brownie, topped with tons of powdered sugar. Make sure you have a glass of milk nearby!
Other Facts:
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Hours: Tues-Fri: 6am – 6pm; Sat: 7am – 6pm; Sun: 7am – 3pm (Closed Mondays)
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Cookbook: Julie wrote a wonderful cookbook “Rustic Fruit Desserts” with Cory Schreiber of Wildwood Restaurant, featuring rustic and delicious cobblers, crumbles and more!
Is there a place to sit and watch them in the open kitchen?
Unfortunately there isn’t currently a great place to sit and watch the bakers in action. The kitchen is right behind the counter so you can definitely see the goings-on when you are ordering. While there are some tables close to the kitchen, I think you might end up being too low to the ground to really see much. Hopefully that doesn’t deter you from checking it out!