Panera started as a bakery, and the bread is still the whole point. This guide covers the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures, from the sourdough loaves stacked by the register to the focaccia that shows up inside half the sandwiches. The Panera bread menu with prices and pictures matters because bread at Panera is not one item. It is the base of the soups, the sandwiches, the sides, and the take-home loaves people plan dinners around.
Below, you will find the main bread families, what each loaf typically costs, and photos of the real thing. If you have only ever eaten the free side piece that came with your soup, you have been using about ten percent of this menu.
Quick Answer: The Panera bread menu with prices and pictures includes sourdough, French baguette, focaccia, ciabatta, brioche, tomato basil, and black pepper focaccia, plus bagels and specialty loaves. Whole loaves to take home usually cost about $5 to $8, bagels run about $1.50 to $2.50 each, and prices vary by location.
The Loaves: Sourdough, Baguette and Everyday Breads
The Country Sourdough is the flagship of the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures. It has the crackly crust, the mild tang, and the open crumb that makes it the default bread bowl and the most common take-home loaf. Next to it sits the French baguette, baked long and lean, sold whole or handed out in chunks as the free side with entrees.
White whole grain, sesame semolina when it appears, and the softer sandwich breads fill out the everyday shelf. Loaves are baked in the cafes daily by bakers who start before sunrise, which is why the morning bread tastes different from the loaf you grab at 6 p.m. Our longer Panera bread menu guide lists every loaf the chain has sold in recent years, including retired ones people still ask about.
Bagels and the Bakery Case
Bagels get their own corner of the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures because they sell all day, not just at breakfast. Everything, Asiago Cheese, Cinnamon Crunch, Plain, Sesame, and Cinnamon Swirl & Raisin are the regulars, priced around $1.50 to $2.50 each before spreads.
The case around the bagels holds the sweet side: croissants, muffins, scones, bear claws, and the rotating seasonal pastries. Bundle pricing applies on select days, when a half dozen or baker’s dozen of bagels costs far less per piece. If you are stocking an office kitchen, this is the best value in the whole bakery. Pair a bag with the spreads from the Panera breakfast menu case and you are done shopping.
Bread Prices at a Glance
Here is the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures in table form for the take-home side of the bakery. Cafe prices shift by region, so use these as typical ranges.
| Bread Item | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|
| Country Sourdough loaf (whole, to go) | $5.50 – $7.50 |
| French baguette (whole) | $3.50 – $5.00 |
| Single bagel | $1.50 – $2.50 |
| Half dozen bagels | $8.00 – $11.00 |
| Sourdough bread bowl (with soup) | $8.00 – $10.50 |
| Specialty loaf (seasonal) | $6.00 – $8.50 |
| Croissant or pastry | $3.00 – $4.75 |
Sandwich breads like focaccia and ciabatta are not always sold as standalone loaves. Some cafes will sell them if you ask at the bakery counter, especially early in the day. It never hurts to ask politely. The same goes for yesterday’s loaves: some cafes discount day-old bread at a side rack, and for croutons, stuffing, or French toast, day-old is honestly the better buy anyway.
Specialty and Seasonal Breads
Past the everyday shelf, the bakery runs a rotating cast. Cranberry walnut loaves appear around the holidays. A three-cheese bread shows up for stretches and builds a fan base every time. Tomato basil bread, baked with the flavor right into the crumb, started as a sandwich bread and earned take-home status because people kept asking for it by name.
Seasonal breads are the bakery showing off, frankly. Bakers test new grains, seeded loaves, and sweet breads in limited runs, and the winners sometimes join the regular lineup. If a loaf has a small handwritten-style sign in front of it, it is probably new, limited, or both. Grab it that day. Seasonal items on the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures tend to vanish right when they get popular, and there is no rain check at a bakery.
Bread Bowls, Focaccia and Sandwich Breads
The working breads of the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures are the ones you eat inside other dishes. The sourdough bread bowl carries Broccoli Cheddar and chili-style soups across the country. Black pepper focaccia gives the Frontega its bite, tomato basil bread wraps the Bacon Turkey Bravo, and ciabatta handles the hot melts without going soggy.
Brioche plays the soft role, showing up under breakfast sandwiches and seasonal chicken builds. The Panera soup menu page explains which soups pair with which bowls, because not every soup survives the bread bowl treatment equally well. Creamy soups hold up. Brothy ones soak through faster, which some people genuinely enjoy.
Taking Bread Home: Slicing, Storing and Using It
Whole loaves from the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures can be sliced at the cafe on the bakery slicer, thick or thin, free of charge. At home, keep sourdough on the counter in its paper bag for two days, then slice and freeze the rest. A frozen slice drops straight into the toaster and comes out close to fresh.
Buying bread for home sandwiches is its own small strategy. Ciabatta rolls hold up to saucy fillings. Sliced sourdough handles grilled cheese and patty melts better than any supermarket loaf. Focaccia, when a cafe will sell it, turns a plain turkey sandwich into something closer to the cafe version. Tell the bakery team what you are building and they will point you at the right loaf; bakers enjoy this question more than most.
Day-old sourdough is not a loss. It becomes croutons, bread pudding, French toast, or the base of a very good grilled cheese. Baguette pieces revive with a quick splash of water and five minutes in a hot oven. This is real bread with no preservatives doing the heavy lifting, so plan to eat it within a few days or freeze it with intent.
Coffee and Bakery Drinks
Bread rarely travels alone. The drink station pours hot coffee, cold brew, teas, and lemonades that pair with everything in the case, and plenty of regulars treat a coffee plus a warm pastry as their standard order. You can check current bakery items and seasonal loaves on Panera’s official menu before a trip, since limited loaves sell out early on weekends.
A word on freshness times, since it changes what you should buy. Bagels and pastries hit the case early and are at their best before noon. Loaves for take-home sale are typically ready through the day, but the full range is out by mid-morning. If you are planning a dinner around a specific loaf, calling the cafe ahead is a fair move; the bakery team will often set one aside for pickup later in the day.
One more habit worth copying from the regulars: shop the bakery case in the morning. The full selection is out, bundle deals are stocked, and the bread you take home was baked hours ago, not yesterday afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you buy whole loaves from the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures?
Yes. Sourdough, baguette, and several other loaves are sold whole to take home at most cafes, usually for about $5 to $8 depending on the loaf and your location. Ask at the bakery counter and they will slice it for you.
What is the most popular bread at Panera?
The Country Sourdough, easily. It is the bread bowl bread, the most common take-home loaf, and the base for several sandwiches. The French baguette is second thanks to its role as the free entree side.
Does the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures include gluten-free bread?
Panera kitchens handle wheat all day, so the chain does not sell a certified gluten-free loaf. Some cafes carry packaged gluten-conscious items, but cross-contact is possible. Our gluten-free guide on this site covers how to order carefully.
How long does Panera bread stay fresh?
About two days on the counter for crusty loaves, less for soft breads. Freezing sliced bread extends that to a few months, and toasting brings frozen slices back well.
Are bagels cheaper by the dozen?
Yes, on bundle days the per-bagel price drops a lot, and even at regular bundle pricing a half dozen costs less than six singles. Tuesday deals have been a long-running favorite at many cafes.
Think of the bakery as two menus in one: the bread inside your lunch, and the loaves waiting to go home with you. Use the Panera bread menu with prices and pictures to plan both, and never leave a good sourdough behind just because you came in for soup.