Trying Meghan Markle’s favorite bread + photos

Meghan Markle may now be living in Santa Barbara with her husband, Prince Harry, and son, Prince Archie, but Toronto will likely always hold a special place in her heart.

It’s where she spent years filming USA’s “Suits,” and it’s also where she and Harry started their relationship.

While she lived in Toronto, she often documented her adventures through her now-defunct Instagram account and lifestyle blog, The Tig. 

As a Torontonian with a culinary background, I previously covered a Markle foodie guide to Toronto. Through the process, I discovered that one of the bakeries she frequented is a mere 10-minute walk from my home.

Considering that my love of carbs has only skyrocketed during my pregnancy (another thing I currently have in common with the Duchess of Sussex), I figured it was time I paid a visit to Blackbird Baking Co. in Kensington Market to try some of her favorite loaves in the city. 

Read on for my review of some of the famous bakery’s sourdough loaves.

I called ahead to make sure that the loaves would be available 

I thought the bakery would be tricky to locate, but you can’t miss it.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

Owner Simon Blackwell now has two Blackbird locations in Toronto, but the Kensington spot is arguably the more special one.

It’s the first and original location that opened in 2015, and it’s the one that Markle reportedly frequented when she lived in the city.

To avoid disappointment prior to my visit, I called ahead to ensure that the loaves I wanted would be available to reserve.

On the phone, the staff advised me that the best time to swing by was on weekday mornings, so I walked over at 10:30 a.m. on a Thursday.

The shop was very cute, and the smells were absolutely intoxicating

The cute little shop was situated on Baldwin Street, directly facing Kensington Avenue.

I was greeted by a black brick-lined facade and awning, which was nicely contrasted by the bold, white “Blackbird Baking Co.” sign.

Inside, I was immediately enveloped by the smell of fresh bread.

I tried not to linger too long looking at all of the products for sale.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

There was also quite a lot to take in visually.

Both sides of the exposed brick walls were lined with loads of ready-to-go goodies such as branded apparel, locally sourced coffee, preserves, spreads, flours, maple syrup, and house granola.

Although there were no other customers waiting, I felt a little self-conscious about taking too much time perusing the products since the bakery was operating under COVID-19 safety protocols. So I decided to cut my browsing short and head to the counter. 

There were so many breads and pastries to choose from, but I was on a mission

The pastry case and bread wall were brimming with options.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

I turned to the plexiglass counter and was greeted by a glass case brimming with pastries and a massive bread wall just behind it.

Again, it was stimulation overload and a lot to take in for my first visit.

There were far too many options to process on my first visit.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

I was also slightly annoyed to discover that the pre-reservation order I had made for the loaves was nowhere to be found.

Fortunately, there were plenty of loaves ready to purchase in-person.

The menu sign didn’t give customers a ton of details.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

According to several Markle Toronto foodie guides, the Duchess of Sussex raved about the red-fife sourdough bread.

Some publications cite that she preferred the Kensington sourdough loaf, but other outlets say that her go-to was actually the Baldwin.

Fortunately, both were available that day, so I snagged one of each.

I would’ve been able to order more quickly if there was a succinct menu in the store.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

The Kensington loaf was $5.50 (Canadian dollars) and the Baldwin loaf was $6.00 (Canadian dollars), which I thought was a much better value than the pricey pastries.

My bread was bagged up and ready for home enjoyment.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

The staff asked if I wanted it presliced but I opted not to for fear of them drying out.

Outside, I wrapped the loaves with the paper bags as best as I could to shield them from the cold air and ventured home.

Once I was home, I got a better look at my loaves

In the foreground is the Kensington loaf and in the background is the Baldwin loaf.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

When I had an opportunity to look at the loaves more closely, I realized that the bread wall was a tease compared to what I could taste, touch, and smell in-person.

Both the Baldwin and Kensington sourdoughs (named after the streets the bakery is situated on) were beautiful to behold.

They were golden-brown, crusty, and smelled of rich, sweet toasted wheat.

When I cut the bread, I could tell it was a high-quality loaf.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

Using a sharp, serrated knife, I cut into the loaves. I could hear the sharp crackle of the crust, which gave way to an airy and fluffy interior.

I smelled each one and could detect just a faint whisper of sour tang — which made me salivate and only heightened my anticipation to taste them. 

Each loaf had distinct features 

The Kensington loaf doesn’t use as much red-fife flour.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

Being a bit of a food nerd, I learned from one of the staff over the phone that the Kensington sourdough was made with a higher ratio of white-bread flour and just a little bit of red fife (an ancient heritage grain grown in Canada).

Because of this, she said that “the ‘sour tang’ flavor is much more prominent in the Kensington.”

You could see the small, red flecks in the Baldwin loaf.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

She also explained that the Baldwin was a whole-wheat sourdough that uses more red-fife flour.

“So when you taste this bread, the tanginess is slightly masked and, instead, you’ll get sweeter notes and a heartier texture,” she said. 

She also added that all of the breads go through a long fermentation process (for enriched flavor and texture development) and are baked fresh daily.

It all starts with Murray, the bakery’s famous 9-year-old sourdough yeast starter, which was actually the first Canadian starter to be inducted into Belgium’s Sourdough Library.

“He’s fed twice a day, 365 days a year,” she explained. “We never skip a beat.”

The labor of love made me even more appreciative to be enjoying this bread in the comfort of my home.

I judged the taste and texture of each loaf with and without butter

For my taste test, I cut off a slice from each bread. I then cut each slice in half so I’d end up with four small pieces of bread.

I tasted each loaf with and without added butter.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

I took a piece of both the Kensington and Baldwin, toasted them, and slathered them in quality, creamery butter.

With the remaining two slices of each variety, I left them un-toasted and ate them plain.

The Kensington loaf was everything I want in a sourdough

The Kensington loaf had a sour flavor that was dulled by the butter.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

The plain Kensington slice offered a crunchy crust, a toothsome chew, airy pockets, and a strong sour buzz that echoed and lingered in the back of my throat.

When I tried the Kensington toasted and slathered with butter, I noticed that the sourness was tempered and further mellowed out by the creaminess.

The Baldwin was also delicious, but it had less of a tangy flavor

The Baldwin slice had less of a sour flavor.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

The plain Baldwin slice provided a pleasant crusty crunch, but the bread’s interior offered a bit of a heartier chew.

It was also more naturally sweet and mild in taste due to the addition of extra red-fife flour.

The toasted version of the Baldwin reminded me of whole-grain toast but with a far superior taste and texture and a clean finish.

Additionally, there was little tanginess to be detected with this loaf.

It’s hard to choose a winner, but the Kensington is more of a ‘true’ sourdough

The Kensington loaf has a stronger sourdough flavor.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

In terms of preference, for me, it really depends on if you like the taste of a “true” sourdough.

The Kensington is sophisticated with a strong personality, and the Baldwin is more user-friendly and appealing to the masses.

The Kensington tasted great with Nutella.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

My favorite way to eat this was to slather a lightly toasted Kensington sourdough slice with Nutella.

The sour tang contrasted so perfectly with the sweetness of the spread and its toasted-hazelnut flavor.

I can see why Markle is such a fan of Blackbird’s loaves

I really enjoyed both loaves, and I can’t wait to visit the bakery again.

Tiffany Leigh for Insider

Overall, you cannot go wrong with either of these breads, and I can see why Markle adored this artisan sourdough. You can really taste the bakery talents and techniques with each bite.

I can also imagine either loaf being great for deli sandwiches, grilled cheeses, and garlic bread or simply enjoyed with a big bowl of pasta, gravy, or soup.

I definitely picture myself visiting this bakery again to try the other breads and maybe even order one of its sweet items.