The archetypal all-American neighborhood just isn’t complete without a corner bakery. There might be a little hardware store with its flinty, sawdust scent and an ice cream shop that hands out free scoops on Tuesdays, but if Pleasantville hasn’t got a spot that hums in the wee hours with the devoted energy of a night baker and a reliable old bread oven, well, your curb appeal just plummeted. But don’t worry. You hardly need to flash a neighborhood pass to sink your teeth into the moistest apple fritter imaginable, to stand on the other side of the bakery case and chat about the impending rainfall, the merits of real butter or politics. Sarah Jane’s, Dorothy Ann and the Baker’s Wife’s—they’ve all got a smile and something sweet for you, no matter where you’re from.

Rustica
Hands down the best baguettes outside Paris, Rustica needs little introduction. The discovery that they’ve run out of the coveted bread can incite whining amongst grown folks. Whether its the Levain, Rustica, Olive or Fruit and Nut, these sturdy, crusty loaves are extraordinary enough for a gift, yet staples for those in the know. Quite simply, after Rustica, no other bread will do. Other not-to-miss items include the chocolate-chocolate cookies and the truly perfect chocolate chippers. The tiny bakery counter is tucked into the corner at Java Jack’s coffee shop, which doesn’t mind if you wander over with your cookie and order a coffee for dippin’. Closed Mondays. [816 W. 46th St., Mpls.; 612.822.1119]

Keefer Court
Show me another bakery where, in addition to pastries you can also buy a whole roasted duck and I’ll eat my hat. Or, you know, I’ll eat the duck, and then follow it up with a fluffy-as-cotton coconut or buttercream roll—a Western-influenced knockoff of the Swiss Roll commonly found in Chinese bakeries. Other savory options like buns stuffed with barbecue pork or curry beef will help you justify a sampling of the shop’s sweeter side. There you’ll find dozens of delectable, exotic Chinese pastries like wifecakes (a flaky pastry made with almond paste) and pineapple buns (a soft-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside pastry that, ironically, contains no pineapple). [326 Cedar Ave., Mpls.; 612.340.0937]

Salty Tart
If you find the cupcakes—as in caramel-filled cupcakes—at Salty Tart resistible, then you’re probably not a girl, 6 years old, hungry or mentally sound. Other cupcake favorites include raspberry on raspberry or chocolate topped with miniature malted milk balls, each one slathered in buttercream, smooth as satin sheets, but way more sophisticated. Owner Michelle Gayer is one of the most lauded pastry chefs in town, but all the proof you need is in the brioche pudding. Also check out the take-and-bake chocolate chip cookies. Find Salty Tart under a charming striped awning at the north end of the Midtown Global Market. [920 E. Lake St., Mpls.; 612.874.9206]

Yum! Bakery
With a Barefoot Contessa vibe to beat the band, Yum! is made even better with its pitch-perfect salted nut rolls, nut goodie bars and red velvet cupcakes. If something can be better, cuter, classier, Yum! finds a way to make it all happen. Also serving solid breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’s the only bakery that can boast a 40-ounce Miller High Life  (the champagne of beers) served in a champagne bucket. [4000 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park; 952.922.4000]

Sarah Jane’s Bakery
To say that the folks running Sarah Jane’s are salt of the earth is a sorry understatement. For a slice of real Northeast life, you needn’t look further than this bakery, which seems to have not changed even a dusting of flour since it opened in 1979. “Just close your eyes and let her load up the bag,” suggested octogenarian regular Gloria. And that method works as well as any for getting what’s fresh and good today. Just don’t let them get away without adding a rhubarb crispy, or an apple fritter so rich and fine you’ll encounter it in your fantasies. [2853 Johnson St. N.E., Mpls.; 612.789.2827]