Why Brauð & Co matters.
Brauð & Co is an influential artisan bakery where Skólavörðuholt's independent creative culture meets Ágúst Einþórsson's Danish baking education, Reykjavík's revival of traditional sourdough craftsmanship and a distinctive approach to organic ingredients that helped redefine Icelandic neighborhood bakeries.
Set along Frakkastígur near Laugavegur and a short walk from the Skólavörðustígur shopping corridor, the original bakery occupies a compact corner property on Reykjavík's central hillside, surrounded by colorful residential buildings, independent boutiques and narrow streets descending toward Hverfisgata and the historic commercial center. Its exterior is covered in brightly colored street art, transforming an otherwise modest building into one of the capital's most recognizable independent storefronts. Large windows reveal the working bakery, where mixing, shaping and baking take place within sight of customers entering the shop. A compact retail counter displays freshly baked loaves and pastries, with the adjoining production area occupying much of the interior and reinforcing the establishment's emphasis on craftsmanship. The result is a bakery whose striking painted exterior, transparent production process and intimate neighborhood proportions make artisanal bread production a visible part of Reykjavík's street culture.
What defines Brauð & Co.
Brauð & Co is best known for Ágúst Einþórsson's transformation of Danish-inspired sourdough baking into one of Reykjavík's most successful independent bakery concepts, beginning with a small storefront that struggled to produce enough bread to meet demand. Einþórsson began his baking career at Fellabakarí in Egilsstaðir before developing his professional skills through several establishments in Denmark. His time in Copenhagen included operating a café in Nørrebro, where direct contact with customers changed his understanding of how a neighborhood bakery should function. Traditional commercial bakeries had placed production in separate workrooms, creating a physical division between bakers and the people purchasing their products. Einþórsson became interested in a more open approach after encountering a Copenhagen bakery that combined organic flour, naturally fermented bread and direct engagement with customers. He returned to Iceland convinced that Reykjavík's established bread market presented an opportunity for a different kind of business. His reputation had already attracted attention through an unconventional appearance baking at Denmark's Roskilde Festival, where a photograph of him working shirtless with a cigarette became associated with his independent character. Einþórsson spent two years searching for a suitable Reykjavík property before establishing Brauð & Co with business partners Birgir Þór Bieltvedt and Þórir Snær Sigurjónsson. The first bakery opened in March 2016, introducing an unusually informal approach to artisan baking through original recipes, open production and an uncompromising emphasis on freshly prepared products. Demand exceeded expectations almost immediately, with customers forming lines outside and the bakery repeatedly selling its entire daily production before closing time. The cinnamon rolls became particularly successful, reaching sales exceeding 1,000 on individual Saturdays during the business's early development. Einþórsson maintained a deliberately independent approach to recipe development, experimenting with seasonal flavors and unconventional combinations that distinguished the bakery's pastries from traditional Icelandic sweet buns. Rapid commercial success encouraged the founders to expand beyond the original premises, beginning with a second bakery in Fákafen on June 17, 2017. A third location opened at Hlemmur Mathöll during Reykjavík's Culture Night later that summer, followed by a fourth in Melhagi in March 2018. The company continued expanding into Garðabær and other neighborhoods across the capital region, developing a network of bakeries built around the original emphasis on sourdough, laminated pastry and visible craftsmanship. Einþórsson also became an influential mentor to younger bakers, including American pastry chef Nick Heavican, who apprenticed with him in Reykjavík before establishing Nick + Sons Bakery in Brooklyn. Their professional relationship continued after Heavican's departure, extending the original bakery's influence into the development of independent artisan baking in New York. Einþórsson sold his ownership interest to his fellow founders in 2019, subsequently pursuing other culinary ventures, including the Reykjavík bakery and restaurant BakaBaka. Brauð & Co continued expanding under its remaining ownership, eventually operating eight locations across the Reykjavík metropolitan area. A major ownership transition followed in July 2026 when Icelandic retail group Drangar announced an agreement to acquire the business through a combination of cash and company shares, subject to competition approval. The transaction followed a financial year in which Brauð & Co generated revenue exceeding ISK 1.5 billion, demonstrating the commercial scale achieved by a business that began as an independent bakery struggling to satisfy its first customers.
Ágúst Einþórsson's original baking approach places natural fermentation, organic flour and Icelandic dairy products at the center of Brauð & Co's distinctive character, developing bread and pastry through careful control of time, temperature and dough structure. The sourdough process begins with naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria, whose fermentation produces organic acids that contribute depth of flavor and influence the bread's texture. Extended fermentation allows the dough to develop gradually, establishing the relationship between its elastic interior and the substantial crust produced during baking. The bakery uses four principal organic flours, combining Öland and Einkorn varieties imported from Denmark with Manitoba and Italian 00 flour selected for their different baking characteristics. Öland and Einkorn contribute the distinctive flavors associated with older grain varieties, extending the bread's character beyond the neutral sweetness of conventional refined wheat. Manitoba flour provides strong gluten-forming properties that support dough development, particularly in preparations requiring elasticity and sustained fermentation. Italian 00 flour contributes a finely milled alternative suited to preparations demanding a delicate texture and controlled handling. Organic grains, seeds and sugars sourced principally from Denmark and Germany extend the bakery's ingredient standards into its broader repertoire. Icelandic butter introduces another essential element, providing the richness and plasticity required for carefully laminated croissant dough. Repeated folding encloses thin layers of butter between sheets of dough, creating a structure that expands during baking as moisture turns to steam. The finished croissants develop a crisp, deeply browned exterior surrounding a delicate interior of separated layers, with the butter contributing concentrated dairy flavor. Cinnamon rolls adapt that laminated approach to a familiar Scandinavian preparation, combining a rich dough with aromatic spice and a generous sugar filling. The bakery's original interpretation departs from the heavily frosted Icelandic snúður tradition, emphasizing the relationship between caramelized sugar, butter and the bread's natural texture. Seasonal variations incorporate ingredients such as raspberry, blueberry, liquorice, orange and almonds, allowing the same fundamental preparation to develop through contrasting fruit acidity, aromatic sweetness and toasted nut flavors. The bakery's commitment to open production gives these preparations a distinctive immediacy, with customers encountering dough being shaped, trays entering the oven and finished products moving directly to the counter. Freshly baked sourdough develops through a visible sequence of fermentation, shaping and heat, connecting the technical decisions of the baker with the crust, aroma and texture of the finished loaf. The same production principles extend into croissants and cinnamon rolls, whose carefully controlled dough structures create different expressions of the bakery's organic flour and Icelandic butter. Brauð & Co's distinctive achievement lies in translating the technical demands of European artisan baking into an accessible neighborhood format where ingredient quality, fermentation and fresh production remain central to the food itself.
How Brauð & Co fits.
Brauð & Co works as the opening destination for a walking itinerary connecting Reykjavík's early cultural institutions, the transformation of its historic harbor and the development of internationally recognized contemporary Icelandic architecture.
Begin at The House of Collections, the historic cultural institution whose development established Iceland's first purpose-built home for several of the country's most important national collections. The building was constructed between 1906 and 1908 to accommodate the National Library, National Archives, natural history collections and Iceland's growing holdings of historical artifacts. Its inauguration in 1909 provided a permanent setting for institutions that had previously operated within more limited accommodation, establishing an important foundation for the preservation of Icelandic literature, historical documents and cultural heritage. The building subsequently became known as Safnahúsið, reflecting its longstanding association with the country's national collections. A major institutional change occurred in March 2021 when responsibility transferred to the National Gallery of Iceland, allowing the building to develop a new role within the country's principal art museum. Its exhibitions connect Icelandic painting, sculpture and visual culture with the national collections originally assembled during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Continue to Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús, the former harbor warehouse whose conversion into a contemporary art museum connected Reykjavík's maritime history with the development of Icelandic modern art. Architect Sigurður Guðmundsson collaborated with harbor master Þórarinn Kristjánsson on the original building, constructed between 1933 and 1939 on land reclaimed from the waterfront during 1913-1917. Its substantial reinforced-concrete structure reflected the increasing commercial importance of Reykjavík's harbor, and an extension completed during 1957-1958 expanded its original warehouse functions. A major artistic turning point arrived in 1989 when Icelandic artist Erró donated a substantial collection of his works and associated holdings to the City of Reykjavík, creating the foundation for a permanent public presentation of his internationally influential Pop Art. Architects Margrét Harðardóttir and Steve Christer of Studio Granda subsequently transformed the former warehouse into exhibition galleries, preserving the building's industrial character through a renovation completed in 2000. The museum opened that April during Reykjavík's designation as a European Capital of Culture, establishing a permanent setting for Erró's collection alongside changing exhibitions of contemporary Icelandic and international art. Conclude at Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, the waterfront cultural institution whose completion became an important symbol of Iceland's recovery from the financial crisis of 2008. Plans for a dedicated Reykjavík concert hall had circulated since the nineteenth century, and the establishment of the Association for Music Halls in 1983 renewed efforts to create a permanent home for the country's professional musical institutions. A development agreement signed in March 2006 brought the Icelandic state, Reykjavík municipality and the Portus holding company into a project combining concert facilities with a broader waterfront redevelopment. Construction began in January 2007 but stopped during the financial collapse of October 2008, leaving the partially completed structure at the center of a national debate over public investment. Government and municipal authorities subsequently committed to completing the building, and construction resumed in March 2009. Danish architectural firm Henning Larsen Architects collaborated with Icelandic architects Batteríið and artist Ólafur Elíasson on a design whose crystalline glass façade draws upon the geometry of Icelandic basalt formations. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra performed its inaugural concert in Eldborg Hall on May 4, 2011, followed by the building's formal opening on May 13. Harpa received the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the Mies van der Rohe Award, in 2013, recognizing a project that transformed Reykjavík's waterfront through architectural ambition and cultural investment. The progression moves from Iceland's early efforts to preserve its national collections through the conversion of maritime infrastructure into a center for contemporary art and culminates in Harpa's internationally celebrated architecture, connecting Reykjavík's institutional history with the cultural ambitions that reshaped its modern waterfront.
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