The Baker’s Window

Almond croissant and the chocolate ganache are soooooooooooooo goooodddddd!

These people are frauds – there’s nothing more that can be said.
The Baker’s Window used to be run by an amazing husband-​wife duo that were true artisans of their trade, cranking out incredible, incredible loaves of bread all to the tune of wonderful, wonderful jazz music.
Then, the landlord raised rent and decided to take over the business.
I was in there a couple days ago and was distraught to see no bread… so I got a lavender shortbread cookie.
It was meh – too crumbly, little lavender flavor. Oh, and for $ 2? Outrageously overpriced.
This is not the Baker’s Window of old, but rather a fraudulent operation trying to pass itself off as quality. Hint: it’s not. Disappointing, at best. Hey, owner: at least come up with your own name.

I loved the comfort of the Baker’s Window – as soon as I walked in, I noticed the metal racks of baking supplies and tools, just like in anyone’s home kitchen. I’m also really proud of their «Suspended» program. A $ 2.11 donation puts a blue marble (good for one cup of coffee) in a little bowl by the register, and a $ 3.11 donation puts a green marble in (good for one pastry or bread item). Then anyone can use one blue or green marble and treat themselves if they can’t afford it. The best part? The baristas never mention it. There’s no pressuring customers for donations, and there’s no assuming who can and can’t afford something. Such a great program.
Also, this place is ABSURDLY delicious. There has to be something illegal about how good the chocolate croissants are, because it is not fair. It is not fair that I didn’t even care about spending $ 3 on a (not very big) pastry. It is not fair that I devoured the entire thing in about five seconds because it was so good. It is not fair that I wanted another one immediately afterward, like a two-​year-​old who can’t remember anything that happened more than five minutes ago. It is not fair that I will probably be coming back to the Baker’s Window many, many times and spending way too much money.
It is so not fair, but it is SO GOOD. So good. Go there now.

Baker’s is easy to miss amongst the hustle and bustle of State street, but my friend and I wandered in on St. Patty’s day because the cupcake display in the window caught my eye.
I was looking to satisfy my sweet tooth after lunch, and the Irish bomb cupcakes looked like the perfect solution. The frosting on the cupcake was killer. At first glance, the cupcakes weren’t all that impressive, but WOW — the frosting really was phenomenal. I could eat tubs of that stuff, although I wonder if that would be enough coffee liqueur to keep me… amped up for a while. Do you think if I begged enough, they would make the Irish bomb cupcake a permanent addition to their daily bakery batch?
If you are looking for some cheap bakery goodness, check out their shelf of day-​old breads. Between $ 1 – 2 a pop. Really can’t be beat! I sprinkled some water on the baguette I bought, popped it in the oven, and it tasted — and smelled — freshly baked. Yummmm. (:

Good and Expensive is the first description I can think of regarding the baked goods. The good news is there is a small selection each day so if you wanted to try everything you wouldn’t go broke. I went in a couple times on Fridays and they had pre-​made sandwiches — -the pesto on the sandwich was stupendous. I think the sandwich is the best thing there.
Great stuff.

I heard this place was great and found myself downtown so I stopped in for a Ham and Swiss Croissant it was good but not blow your sox off good. Then I heard that the couple who started it had been forced out and it was being run by the owner of the property with the same name so maybe it’s not as good now.

New owners, and I went yesterday, so an update.
I got an oatmeal/​choc chip cookie, and a plain croissant. Both were very very good. The croissants now are smaller than with the previous owner (or at least they were yesterday), but they are also less costly. The cookie and croissant combined were less than $ 5, and very very good. Still much better than anything in a coffee shop on State Street.
BTW — they say everything is organic. (La dee frickin’ da is my response). But if that’s important to you, now you know!

So great. Amazing.
Buttery and flaky chocolate croissants.
I have yet to try other things, but I will need to try everything
multiple times…

Pardon my language, but I fucking love this bakery so very much.
I’m a sweets fiend and this is where I get my fix!
I love this bakery so much, I’m going to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.
Everything here has been amazing! My first visit here was a total accident. It was a cold February day and we stumbled upon the front window of the store and knew we had to go in! Our first purchase was a pear danish with cheese baked on top. Holy. Fricking. Baby. Jesus. I wanted to go back and buy another one, but I didn’t want to be a piggy.
Next visit was a fresh fruit bread pudding! Real cranberries, nothing frozen or dehydrated here, baked into a luscious pudding that melted in your mouth!
On our last visit just a couple of weeks ago, we got a variety of treats. A pear and chocolate galette, chocolate croissants, and a blueberry and strawberry danish. Everything was spot on.
Thankfully my boyfriends folks live in Madison so I have an excuse to come here on a monthly basis! This bakery is top notch and I highly recommend it!

Delicious seasonal rhubarb pie with plenty of flaky, buttery crust and bursting with tons of fresh fruit flavor. They hadn’t done such a good job of filling out their counter space, so the variety was somewhat limited when I visited at 1pm on a weekday. Prices are moderate (around $ 5 for a large slice of pie), and the food is on par with high-​end bakeries in cities larger than Madison. Baker’s Window is a good choice if you’re looking for great food made from ingredients that are locally sourced.

Amazing almond croissant, I don’t want to tell you about it, because they already run out early.

I love Baker’s window! The selection keeps on growing and every time I’ve stopped in I’ve been delighted to find several new items to try. I have a weakness for scones, so it’s hard not to go for the door county cherry almond scone, which is delicious and the best scone I’ve had in Madison. I’ve managed to stop myself from getting the scone on a couple of occasions to try the croissants and the lavender-​lemon tart. Both were outstanding! I’ve got my eye on a piece of pie for the next time I stop in. The owners and staff are also very friendly and inviting. Overall I can’t say enough about the Baker’s window!

This bakery is a treasure. Croissants are delicious. And the vegetable tart is suberb.

The pear danish transported me on a mini-​vacation to Paris. I can’t wait to try everything else.

It’s hard to rate a bakery with five out of five, but Baker’s Window deserves every good piece of praise. They are hard working and their products are phenomenal!
Bön appétit and thank you.

Went with a couple friends – we sat at one of the few tables situated in the building lobby area right outside the shop. Two of us were seduced by the enormous chocolate croissants – and we were not disappointed! My friend declared that they were as good as the ones she remembers eating in France. Lots of melty chocolate inside endless layers of flaky, buttery pastry. Yum.
One friend tried the cherry almond scone, and the tiny bite I tried blew the usual coffee-​shop scones out of the water. The texture was lovely (not dry and floury like many scones) and the flavors were just right. Paired with a cup of their coffee – perfect breakfast.
Next time I go, I’m trying their sourdough. The loaves and baguettes behind the counter looked fresh and crusty and delicious.
They also just expanded their hours – now open at 7am.

The sourdough bread is amazing. A really, really good loaf. I’ll be returning to try the delicious looking pastries soon.