It’s no secret that I love bread, and there are bread buns and bread stones everywhere. For those of us who love bread, it is basic to have a local bakery that we stop by like a sparrow mill on our way home from work, and we have a radar that instantly reminds us of what bakeries are everywhere we go and what they do best. We have compiled a list of bakeries that are making waves across the country with their signature breads, seasonal breads, and newly created breads with wit. From Seongsimdang, Taegeukdang, and Lee Sungdang, three of Korea’s top bakeries, to Samsong Bakery, which has taken over the country, this book is full of bold statements.
1. Daejeon – Seongsimdang
First up is Seongsimdang, the pride of Daejeon, which has overtaken large franchises to become the No. 1 bakery in the nation among the top three bakeries. Their signature breads are fried soboro, also known as tuso, and chive bread. Every year, the most popular breads from the past year are collected to form the Seongsimdang Hall of Fame, and in 2024, the honor went to classic sweet red bean bread, vegetable croquettes, apple pie, and more, as well as a recent trend among young people.
When other local bakeries with bigger names are choosing to expand, Sacred Heart seems to have chosen to stay true to their special beliefs. The stores are all in Daejeon, and some of the breads are available for home delivery nationwide.
📍 Headquarters: 15 Dajong-ro 480beon-gil, Jung-gu, Daejeon
2. Seoul – Taegeukdang
Opened in 1946 in Jangchung-dong, Taegukdang is the oldest bakery in Seoul. The bakery, which thrives on retro energy, is best known for its Monaca ice cream, but it also makes other breads that cater to so-called adult tastes, such as sarada buns, oranda, and jeonbyeon.
Thanks to its timely retro concept, the bakery also collaborates with various brands, from confectionery to games to fashion, to create new breads, and pays attention to the packaging.
📍 Location: 7, Dongho-ro 24-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
3. Gunsan – Lee Sungdang
Lee Sungdang opened its doors in 1945, a year before Taegeukdang, giving it the title of Korea’s oldest bakery. There are several branches in Seoul for easy access, but if you’re in Gunsan, we recommend visiting the historic main branch.
Lee Sungdang‘s signature breads are the vegetable bread and sweet red bean bread, which have a thin crust and a hearty filling. They also offer cute gift sets, pastry sets for holidays, and stollen during the Christmas season, making it easy to satisfy all bread lovers.
📍 Headquarters: 177 Jungang-ro, Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do
4. Andong – Mammoth Bakery
Andong’s specialties, Hahoe Village and Dosan Seowon and Mammoth Bakery. The delightfully white cream cheese bread is the best seller and the reason why bread pilgrims come here. The second best-seller is the yuzu pound cake with yuzu juice. The bakery’s simple and solid lineup of cream buns, sausage buns, croissants, and more is trustworthy.
📍 Location: 34, Culture Gwangjang-gil, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk
5. Busan – Baekgudang
Baekgudang, whose name means white pigeon, which seems to symbolize Busan with its whole body, is a bakery that represents Busan along with Ops and BNC Confectionery. It opened in 1959 and has been in business for over 60 years, and its signature dish is corn bread kreuzen.
📍 3, Jungangdae-ro 81beon-gil, Jung-gu, Busan
6. Daegu – Samsong Bakery
Samsong Bak ery, which has grown into a franchise company and is now our neighborhood bakery, started in Daegu. The number one credit for growing Samsong Bakery into a company is the whole corn bread with crunchy corn kernels. The sweet cream adds to its addictive flavor, and once you taste it, it takes a while to get out.
📍 Headquarters: 397 Jungang-daero, Jung-gu, Daegu
7. Gwangju – Palace Confectionery
Gwangju is dominated by palace confectionery. Just as Sacred Heart Church never leaves Daejeon, Gwangguk Confectionery has eight stores in Gwangju alone. The Dinosaur Egg Bun, a crispy hard roll filled with egg salad, is perfect for a nostalgic treat, reminiscent of childhood picnic lunches. The butterfly pie, a butterfly-shaped pastry, is also popular.
📍 Location: 93-6, Chungjang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
8. Chuncheon – Daewondang
If you’re bummed about the heavy southern bakery presence on this list, here’s a great place to stop if you’re traveling east. Daewondang’s signature bun is a fresh cream cake with a filling. It’s not overly sweet, so it’s perfect for a quick bite after storing it in the refrigerator.
📍 191, Deunggye-ro, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
9. Jeonju – Pungnyeon Confectionery
There are two types of chocolate pie. The Orion, a symbol of love, and the handmade chocolate pie from PNB Pungnyeon Confectionery in Jeonju. The chocolate pie is largely responsible for the viral popularity of Pungnyeon Confectionery, especially in the era of Facebook card news, but the company ‘ s specialty is senbei, a flat confectionery.
📍 Headquarters: 141, Paldal-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea