19 Discontinued Breads We're Probably Never Getting Back

Humans have baked bread for around 14,000 years. For centuries, the labor-intensive work of growing and grinding crops to make flour, followed by the daily chore of making bread, resulted in end products we would recognize and happily eat today. Over time, bread has mushroomed into more varieties and flavors than our ancestors could have ever imagined.

The 20th century saw a boom in mass-produced bread that was handily packaged in bags and some even came in a can. They saved people time and money, even if they weren't always as good for us as we'd like to think. Millions of bread lovers find their favorite brands or forms of bread: And devoted followers are usually bummed when their preferred loaf is yanked from shelves. Let's take a look at 19 discontinued breads we're probably never getting back — though some do pop up for a limited time.  

You have to hand it to Canadian company Silver Hills: They pulled no punches when withdrawing one of their extensive bread ranges from sale. Their 2023 decision affected eight products, including Steady Eddie. Described as, "A soft blend of sprouted whole wheat, sprouted whole rye, and sprouted whole lentil flour," this particular bread was sweetened using apples rather than refined sugar, making it a healthier slice.

Although the company didn't say why it was discontinued, Silver Hills assured fans of Steady Eddie they could satisfy their sweet tooth without increasing their sugar intake ... with another product: Squirrelly. It contains the same single gram of sugar per slice, thanks to the key ingredient raisin nectar. The company also flagged up its Little Big Bread and its Organic Multigrain as alternatives for customers who loved Steady Eddie for its smooth texture.

When a discontinued product hits the national news, you know it's a big deal. So it went when Trader Joe's decided to pull San Francisco-style sourdough bread from stores in 2024. Regular shoppers at TJ's know that product lines can ebb and flow depending on the season, supply chains, and how well they sell, but even employees were shocked at the decision to withdraw this well-loved loaf.

Commenting on its popularity, one Redditor wrote: "It's near impossible to keep the shelves stocked." Sadly for devotees across the United States, the crusty, chewy bread's withdrawal was official, with this 2025 review apparently sneaking in under the wire. TJ's replaced the San Francisco-style sourdough with a similar sliced bread also made with sourdough, warning customers that the flavors could vary depending on where they lived and the source of that region's starter.

For versatility and sheer fluffiness, nothing could beat a Costco torta roll. Based on a Mexican snack, the wholesaler's version was quickly beloved by customers, as it was perfect for sandwiches, paninis or when given a French toast twist. Sadly, that relationship was brought to a screeching halt in 2018, when they were ditched in favor of an artisan version. The replacements got a mixed reception from customers.

The torta roll's replacements were smaller and pre-sliced. However, shoppers took to social media to warn that the new version of the fresh-baked bread went hard after a few days if left in their original bag. While some complained about the disappearance of torta rolls from Costco's shelves, one Redditor noted a silver lining: "These rolls freeze extremely well," they posted, adding that reheating in the oven made them "warm and crispy and beautiful."

The story for this legendary, dark-crusted loaf began in 1896, when the Larraburu brothers traveled from the Basque Country in France to San Francisco. They made sourdough bread using a starter they brought with them and, by 1958, when the business became solely owned by Hal Paul Sr., roughly 1,500 pounds of Larraburu Brothers bread was being sold each week. It was a food phenom.

Sadly, an accident in which a delivery truck injured a 6-year-old child resulted in years of legal wrangling that took a toll on the company. Production came to an end in 1976 when the business finally shuttered. Fast forward to 2013 and Julia Lavaroni, Paul Sr.'s grandniece, met chef Benjamin Baker, who claimed to be making sourdough bread using the original Larraburu starter. Anyone looking for a slice of the creamy-yet-sour bread can find it at the Miraval Austin Hilltop Crossings Kitchen.

Pepperidge Farms caused outrage among consumers in 2022 in the Midwest when it discontinued its line of Jewish rye bread. Turns out, it's the key component of a popular local appetizer known as a "hanky pankies." This snack is made of toasted rye bread topped with a delicious blend of meat and cheese, and many people relied on Pepperidge Farms' small square loaves to pull it off.

The bad news broke in September, when Pepperidge Farms confirmed the product had been discontinued. The company explained to customers they try to avoid discontinuing items that people enjoy having in their home as a mainstay. But that occasionally they remove specific products in order to focus on future offerings. 

Fans of Silver Hill's 20 Grain Train were dealt a blow when it was among several lines that were abruptly discontinued in 2023. The company described the hefty, whole grain loaf as an "express line to healthy meals" but was quick to offer customers alternatives. Silver Hills suggested The Big 16 as a replacement for its defunct 20 Grain Train, or the high-fiber, high-protein, Full Seed Ahead variety.

However, it appeared that devotees didn't just have problems getting their hands on their discontinued bread: Sometimes the whole Silver Hills range was tough to find. The company addressed the issue in a 2022 Facebook post, saying: "Unfortunately, our product availability in stores is in the hands of the retailers." They added it was stores who chose which Silver Hills breads to put on their shelves, and urged customers to persuade their local shops to stock the ones they liked best.

In February 2024, Panera Bread unveiled new sandwiches that were part of a menu shake-up that reflected the company's aims to get back to its roots and serve their guests more efficiently. The news was reported in March — but little did anyone realize what was to come.

On 4 April, 2024, in what was called a "bloodbath" on social media, Panera Bread enacted its biggest menu changes for decades, with almost 50 items being cut, including the company's classic sourdough bread. Following intense speculation on social media about which products would be discontinued, a Panera spokesperson told NRN that sourdough bread would remain on the menu as "sourdough on sandwiches and via its iconic sourdough bread bowl." To date — although the company still advertises it on its site — the 16-ounce loaf is unavailable to buy online.

The summer of 2024 will be remembered for many reasons. For some, it will be the time Costco pulled the much-loved Kirkland Signature country French bread from its shelves. For the bargain price of $5.99, buyers got two cross-hatched, crusty loaves, perfect for ripping and dipping in soups and rich, tomato sauces, or carving into chunky, soft sandwiches. People loved them and snapped them up in stores across the United States.

Despite their obvious popularity, nothing could save the twin loaves from receiving Costco's dreaded "death star," the price tag label that notifies customers the item will be discontinued soon. In response, many devotees expressed their disappointment on social media. One Redditor commented: "That's part of my bi-weekly haul. Short list of ingredients. Nice crust. Makes a good sammich or toast. Better than the crap in most of the grocery stores."

For decades, people in and around Shelby, North Carolina, were very familiar with family-run Bost's Bakery, founded by L.C. Best and run by his four sons. As the company's reputation grew, local TV commercials quipped: "If it's fresher than Bost's, it's still in the oven." Bost's red-and-yellow vans were a regular feature, according to The Cliffside Historical Society, delivering bread "like gentle bumblebees nosing around a flowering shrub."

As demand for their bread increased, Bost Bakery set up a 66,000-square foot production site in North Carolina's Thomasville that employed around 2,000 people at its height. However, their success captured the attention of Continental Baking, owners of Wonder Bread, and the family business was quickly snapped up. The Cliffside Historical Society claimed the new owners immediately changed the recipe for Bost's bread, before the Thomasville bakery was shuttered and production ended in the 1980s.

A photo of a list of Panera Bread menu items that would be removed from the menu was posted to Reddit in 2023. It included the classic sourdough bread and the white whole grain loaf, and was dismissed by many commentators as a small market test. One Redditor said: "The chances of it actually succeeding are very very low."

In April 2023, the white whole grain loaf, like the classic sourdough, was eliminated as part of a major shake-up in the company's menu. A press statement was released in 2024, and Panera Bread said the changes "centered completely on our guests and what they love about us," which included a shift in focus to salads, soups, mac and cheese, and sandwiches.

Ghosting is definitely a thing when it comes to online interactions, but if Costco's soft pretzel rolls are anything to go by, food can do it too. For regular shoppers at the much-loved, if unpredictable, warehouse retailer, these flavorful brown rolls with their distinctive, pale cross were perfect for a range of sliders and sandwiches. From around 2017, they were also becoming increasingly rare.

Social media posts from several years ago said Costco staff confirmed at that time that the bread had been discontinued, while others claimed it would shift to becoming a seasonal item. Speculation was stirred up again in 2024 when some pretzel rolls were spotted in the wild, but it appears increasingly likely that Costco fans will have to shop elsewhere for alternatives to this much-loved bread.

When brands have a hit product on their hands, it's understandable they want to extract every bit of value from it. This was the case for Pepperidge Farms, who sought to repeat the success of their goldfish crackers by creating a line of breads in 2011. Shaped like the crackers, the bread came in four varieties: 100% whole wheat, whole grain white, cinnamon, and brown sugar. 

Unfortunately, Goldfish bread didn't have the same mass appeal as the OG cracker. Commenters were split in their opinions about it. Some loved the quirky loaves which made delicious sandwiches, while others described the bread as dry. Goldfish bread stayed on the market for four years, before being quietly pulled from store shelves in 2015. 

Almost 40 years ago, Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery was founded and brought a whole new way to experience bread to consumers in Canada and the United States. Instead of using traditional wheat grains, the company lets them "sprout" or germinate, unlocking more nutrition and reducing their gluten content. The result is a wide range of delicious, healthy breads that North Americans have come to know and love.

Unfortunately, that dedicated following didn't prevent Silver Hills from giving its Farmer Fife brand the chop in 2023, just two years after launching. The company posted on its website: "Although we understand we're saying goodbye to make space for our best sprouted breads to shine, we'll miss our go-to loaves all the same." They suggested replacing the discontinued Farmer Fife loaf with the heritage grain Big Red's Bread, made with whole grain Red Fife wheat.

For lovers of Oroweat's Honey Wheat Berry Bread, baked since 1932, when it was discontinued in 2021, journalist Christine Schoenwald was among those who were left devastated. "I did something I never do — I contacted the company to verify that they weren't going to make that type of bread anymore. I was told my favorite bread was gone forever," she wrote for Medium.

Oroweat's honey wheat berry bread was made using cracked wheat berries, honey and unbleached flour and, like all Oroweat loaves, was baked more slowly and for longer than other breads. Schoenwald described it as "fair and square in its toastability." She added that if she had known it was being discontinued, she would have "treated that bread as if it had been baked for the queen." To date, although fans can find Oroweat Honey Wheat Berry bread online, it's not available to buy. 

For more than a century, the Roman Meal brand baked and sold its whole grain bread across the United States. Fans fondly remembered the long loaves on social media, comparing them to the size of French baguettes, as well as the great grilled cheese or delicious PB&Js they made.

In 2015, Flower Foods, owners of brands such as Nature's Own and Wonder Bread, bought the North American Roman Meal trademark, as the 103-year-old business struggled in an increasingly competitive market. Seven years later, Flower Foods shuttered Holsum Bakery, which had operated in Phoenix for more than 140 years. Roman Meal was among the breads whose production ended following the closure, though the Roman Meal International brand continues to this day selling grain mixes. 

There are many food items customers are happy to see go away but the Kirkland Signature roasted garlic Parmesan bread from Costco was definitely not among them. The crusty, flavorful loaves were a hit with shoppers, and perfect for dipping in tomato sauces or soaking up soups. One Redditor said: "Sometimes you get it hot and just driving home with it smells your car up like [an] air freshener that makes you hungry."

For around five years, card-carrying fans have been calling for it to be a permanent fixture, after several sporadic appearances in Costco stores. A year ago, the roasted garlic bread — which used authentic grated Parmesan — was briefly available, prompting one social media user to snap up all their loaves after learning it was being discontinued again. "For the love of God, please make it permanent. It's the best bread ever," they posted on Reddit.

Canadian bakery Silver Hills has built a loyal fan base selling a range of good-for-you breads made using "sprouted" wheat grains. But when it comes to cutting lines from their range, they are ruthless — in a nice, Canadian way. Described on their site as "charmingly soft and delicately sweet," thanks to the natural date syrup, their Oat So Lovely bread was made with healthy, high-fiber oats.

Silver Hills has never given a reason why the Oat So Lovely bread, along with several others from its line-up, was discontinued in 2023. Instead the company suggested switching to its Soft Wheat for shoppers looking for a similar texture to Oat So Lovely, or its bestselling The Big 16 variety, adding it was easier for customers to get their hands on than the discontinued brand.

For some people, sandwiches are sacred — from the filling to the bread. For years, customers at Subway chose the company's honey oat bread for their snacks: a hearty roll whose sweetness likely would have fallen foul of the law in Ireland. Subway's decision to discontinue the honey oat bread prompted a backlash from fans, disappointed to be losing their sandwich staple.

Usually, that's where the story about a discontinued product ends, but this time, the pressure paid off. In 2024, Subway announced the honey oat bread would be making a comeback — albeit for a limited time — acknowledging the "fan-made petitions, social media tributes and copycat recipes," in a press release. Whether the company decides to make it a permanent fixture on the menu again, only time will tell.

People with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease often have a hard time finding bread products that are not only suitable for them but taste good. La Brea Bakery's gluten free white bread was among the few that ticked both boxes. This reviewer raved about the white loaf and the multigrain variety, writing: "Gluten-free bread should be this easy and delicious," adding they were looking forward to La Brea Bakery expanding their line.

Sadly, it was not to be. The company stopped making gluten-free breads in 2024, according to social media, and La Brea Bakery's current range of breads and rolls does not include any gluten-free options. One Redditor said, "If only it had been better advertised, it would've blown away the competition and dominated the gluten-free bread market."