The first brick-and-mortar location of Saltwater Bakeshop, which amassed a dedicated following for its sourdough and pastries at Bay Area farmers markets, has been in the works for years. When it finally opened in San Francisco on Wednesday, orange blossom cardamom buns, ham and cheese croissants and other fan favorites began selling out within the first few hours.
Owner Brittany Dunn Holden originally had a lease in the Richmond District in 2023 and planned to open her first bakery-café there almost two years ago. But after years of permitting delays, she abandoned that space and moved to a new location at 1309 Howard St. in the SoMa neighborhood. For now, Saltwater sells several types of sourdough bread, sandwiches, pastries and drip coffee, with plans to expand the food menu and to offer espresso drinks starting May 30.
Dunn Holden came to San Francisco in 2015 to work at the once wildly popular Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, which was known for popularizing the cruffin (and later closed and filed for bankruptcy). She started her business in 2018 by selling her baked goods at farmers markets, which now include the Ferry Plaza, Clement Street and Fort Mason markets. She eventually expanded her reach to many Bay Area cafés.
Here are four baked goods to try at the new Saltwater Bakeshop.
This savory pinwheel ($7.50) captures the essence of an everything bagel, with layers of croissant dough curling around a chive and dill cream cheese filling. Like the bagel classic, the golden exterior is coated in the same garlicky seasoning, adding extra crunch.
Thin slices of Fra’ Mani rosemary ham and gruyere provide a light base to this savory croissant ($7.50), which is lifted by buoyant pastry layers and sprinkled with za’atar.
While the pistachios on top make you expect a twice-baked croissant, this is more of a traditional chocolate croissant ($7) embedded with a thin layer of pistachio crumble. Neither the chocolate nor the pistachio filling is overly sweet, allowing the delicate buttery flavor of the pastry to come through.
Saltwater bakes several varieties of bread, from a sunflower oat porridge loaf to baguettes. The classic country loaf ($11) has a springy, golden crust and a creamy interior texture with a pleasant tang.