Standard Baking Co.
Every city and every town needs that one solid community bakery, the place where you can get your fresh baked breads and a morning pastry, a place where you can run into friends and neighbors on a daily basis. And in Portland, Maine, that place is the Standard Baking Company.
Standard Baking has been around since 1995, and there has been a line out the door since the day they opened. Every day, from early morning until the afternoon, this place fills up with locals and tourists alike. Like a lot of places around Portland, they are all about local here. They use local dairies, local farmers, local grains, and local eggs. But the tradition here is actually old world European—French techniques with Maine ingredients.
When you finally make your way through the line and walk up to those pastry cases, your eyes might pop out of your head. Every day they have 12 different varieties of fresh baked breads, cookies, scones, croissants, and pastries. Everything from baguettes to brownies—they’ve got you covered.
The retail space in front is kind of small, but in back they have a massive baking facility where everything is done the old-fashioned, artisan, traditional way. It’s all overseen by Production Manager Jeff Babin, a guy with a serious passion for breads and pastries.
“It’s almost like bringing a piece of Europe to Portland, and we do try to keep that in every pastry or bread we do… You know, it’s nice to have a job where every day is kind of a new day. You’re doing the same things, but it’s a different vibe. You see something from start to finish… a smile on people’s faces walking out the door. It’s always a great experience. Never really grows old.”
This is what Standard is really famous for—their fresh baked French-style baguettes. The dough is made fresh daily, and they use special French deck ovens that properly steam and bake them. The result is a baguette that is crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
“It's a European style, like a French baguette, and we try to stay true to that concept. They're 14 ounce pieces. We also try to keep it well hydrated, so we have the crumb, they call it. And the process is a lengthy one. It's about a 24 hour ordeal where it's mixed, sits in bulk, gets a couple folds, and then tomorrow morning, like at two, we'll cut it up, shape it, and it'll be baked at seven.”
As soon as you crack one open, you can actually smell it—it’s still warm out of the oven. You can make it into a sandwich, French toast, or just go simple with butter. Walking through the streets of Portland with a fresh baguette in hand is living.
If you need something to get you out of bed in the morning, the famous Standard Baking morning bun is the one. What makes it special is that caramelized sugar topping, sometimes with nuts, giving it a crackly, almost toffee-like crust. Give me one of these morning buns and a hot cup of coffee, and you’ve got a happy guy.
I’ve never been a morning person, but this might change that. Good morning, Portland.
If you’re looking for the best croissant in Portland, Maine, look no further than Standard Baking. They do it the authentic French way. The dough is a special laminated dough that takes about 24 hours from start to finish. It has that shiny exterior, crisp layers, and all that buttery flakiness.
“We're looking for a nice, uniform honeycomb inside, which shows how the lamination was done. Flakiness is another sign of great lamination. It should be super flaky.”
And as for the croissant taste test—magnifique. I can’t stop at just one bite. I can’t even stop at just one croissant. It’s perfect.
If there’s one treat I would recommend above all others, it’s the financier. It’s a classic French pastry with a Maine upgrade—kind of like a cross between a cookie, muffin, and brownie. Made with crushed pecans, egg whites, and browned butter, often topped with chocolate chunks, it’s one of the best bites in Maine.
I’ve been to a lot of bakeries in my life, and I’ve never had anything quite like this. It’s worth the drive or even a flight just to try it.
If you’re in Portland, Maine, you’re going to be doing a lot of walking. You might be going from restaurant to restaurant, and you’ll want a snack in between each one—so grab a baguette and some sweet treats from Standard Baking.
