The bakery industry never stays still. Many of the bakery trends predicting to shape 2026 are led by the desire to minimise labour time, improve consistency and stay up to date with what’s popular. This includes investing in smarter equipment, experimenting with fermented doughs and sourdough and combining familiar bakes with the latest flavours and textures, as well as catering to the health-conscious and vegan demographic.
In this article we take a closer look at the bakery industry trends that we predict we’ll see in 2026.
What’s the key to any successful business? It’s how you use your time. In a busy bakery, time is swallowed up on jobs that don’t really need doing by hand and can be mechanised.
Dividing dough, shaping portions, weighing pieces and checking bake times are all small tasks on their own, but once you start baking on a larger scale, they add up quickly.
One of the clearest bakery industry trends for 2026 is investing in smarter bakery equipment. Ovens with programmable bake cycles take the guesswork out of timings. Mixers that lock in speed and mixing times help keep dough consistent. Automatic dividers make sure every piece comes out the same weight, batch after batch.
The shift isn’t about removing skill from baking. It’s about letting machines handle consistency, speed and precision. Bakers can spend more time on recipe development, quality checks and the finishing touches customers actually notice. For commercial bakeries of any size, that usually means fewer mistakes, less waste and a more reliable end product.
At Creeds Direct, you’ll find bakery ovens, programmable mixers, proofing cabinets and portioning equipment designed to work just as well in small bakeries as they do in larger operations. To better understand how dough moulders can improve consistency and support trending shapes and textures, see our guide on Choosing the Right Dough Moulder for Your Bakery.
Sourdough hasn’t peaked. If anything, customers are more interested in how it’s made and why it tastes different, which is why it will be one of the strongest bakery trends of 2026. That curiosity builds loyalty, because authentic sourdough done correctly takes time and isn’t easy to recreate at home.
People are still happy to pay a bit more for products that are professionally made and offer added health appeal. You see it everywhere – cafés serving smashed avocado and poached eggs on sourdough, bakeries expanding into sourdough focaccia, doughnuts, cookies and even sweet breads. One starter can support a whole range of products across the menu, which fits well with current bakery industry trends around efficiency.
Even major retailers are noticing the trend. Tesco reports that sourdough is now the UK’s fastest-growing bread variety, with sales increasing by more than 40% year-on-year. This adds up to over 14 million extra sourdough products sold in just 12 months.
To keep up with that demand, bakeries need processes that support proper fermentation, not shortcuts. Controlled fermentation, consistent dividing and gentle handling all make a difference to the final result.
At Creeds, we support this with equipment like sourdough dough dividers and fermentation or liquid leaven tanks, helping bakeries scale sourdough production without losing the qualities customers come back for.
Trending of sweet products now travels fast, mostly thanks to social media. What starts in one country can become a global talking point in weeks. One of the anticipated baking trends for 2026 is seeing more of these global flavours being worked into the classic bakes people already love.
A good example is the Dubai chocolate trend that took over 2024 and 2025. Pistachio, tahini and knafeh flavours moved quickly from viral chocolate bars into bakery counters. Croissants, cookies and pastries started picking up those flavours, blending something new with something familiar.
That pattern is set to continue into 2026. Influences from Europe, South America and the Middle East will keep feeding into patisserie and chocolate ranges, but usually through recognisable formats rather than entirely new products.
Plant-based baking is no longer a separate section or a special promotion. Customers expect at least a few reliable options that sit comfortably alongside traditional products.
This does change how bakeries work behind the scenes. Dairy-free creams, plant-based fats and alternative flours behave differently in the mixer and the oven. Having equipment that gives good control and flexibility makes it much easier to switch between recipes without slowing everything down.
Bakeries that consider plant-based products as part of the everyday range tend to see stronger repeat sales.
Texture is becoming just as important as flavour. In many cases, it’s the first thing people notice when they bite into a sweet treat or savoury baked good.
We’re seeing more bakery treats designed around contrast, using texture to make familiar products more interesting. Soft paired with crunchy. Crisp on the outside, gooey in the middle. Light pastry with something dense or chewy running through it.
Croissants are a good example. Bakers are adding crisp nut coatings or crunchy fillings inside layered pastry. Cookies are another one. Thick, soft centres paired with crispy edges.
A lot of this links back to social media. Texture shows up well on camera. Pull-apart centres and cracking shells all make people stop scrolling. But it’s not just about looks. Customers enjoy the experience of eating something that changes as they go.
At Creeds Direct, we work closely with bakeries of all sizes, from independent shops to large commercial bakeries. As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of commercial bakery equipment, we help bakeries prepare for the latest baking trends and the wider bakery industry trends predicted to shape 2026.
Our team has real hands-on experience in baking and production and offers practical advice and ongoing support. Need help choosing the right equipment? Contact our Creeds Direct team or browse our commercial bakery range.
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