What Independent Baking Co. is known for
Kevin Scollo, formerly of New York's Bien Cuit and The NoMad, runs this Athens bakery, milling Georgia-grown wheat for naturally leavened sourdough and croissants. Food & Wine and Southern Living have both named it among the region's best.
Independent Baking Co. operates out of Athens, Georgia's historic Five Points neighborhood, now under owner and baker Kevin Scollo, who succeeded founder Thom Leonard after more than 15 years working at acclaimed kitchens including New York's The NoMad Hotel and Bien Cuit Bakery. Head baker Marcos Munoz brings training from Dominique Ansel Bakery and Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
What distinguishes the bakery is its commitment to milling its own flour on-site, using a Zentrofan stone mill from Germany and a New American Stone Mill from Vermont, running as a separate operation from the retail bakery. Roughly half the wheat comes from Dayspring Farms in nearby Danielsville, Georgia, feeding more than 20 bread varieties -- rye, spelt and multigrain among them -- built on natural sourdough fermentation, alongside croissants, pain au chocolat and seasonal pastries.
The approach has drawn outside recognition: Food & Wine named Independent Baking Co. among "The Best Bread in Every State" in 2022, and Southern Living included it in its 2025 guide to the South's best bakeries.
Best for — House-milled sourdough from an award-listed Athens bakery
Athens, GA, USA
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