Preston Center Is Getting a New Bakery

In terms of neighbors, Village Baking Co. is a great one to have — perhaps the best — except for all the traffic they'd draw.

The Dallas-founded French bakery, or boulangerie, is officially opening its fifth bakery this Friday, Aug. 22, at Preston Center in North Dallas (8411 Preston Road). This bake shop that channels a French version of a Pottery Barn first caught our attention a decade ago when we tried a kouign-amann, a delicately laminated pastry from Brittany in northwestern France, where particularly happy cows make divine butter.

This bakery has since expanded and has five stores around Dallas, including a corner spot in the Bishop Arts District. Every Village Baking Co. team member is trained in classic French baking tradition, and, per a company statement, many of the recipes and methods employed here are influenced by frequent trips back to Paris. (Also, it looks like they're hiring.)

The menu offers traditional French pastries that go beyond typical cafe fare. Like we said, absolutely get a kouign-amann (start with the plain one, then graduate to chocolate or fruit after, unless you're a purist, then just stick to the plain). There are classic baguettes (the mark of a true baker) and croissants with perfect honeycomb structures for days.

Sure, try all these basics, but also dig into a few of the deeper cuts here, like a canelé de Bordeaux, a dense, small pastry with hints of rum and vanilla bean, just a touch of a soft custard center and a caramelized crust. They're not short on options. The lemon rosemary bread is worth a trip over as well.

Opening Day for the new Preston Center location is on Aug. 22. They'll be giving out a free drip coffee through Sunday, Aug. 24.

Village Baking Co. 8411 Preston Road, Monday - Sunday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.