The Los Angeles area, for all of its culinary diversity, has not historically been thought of as a haven for bread lovers. While it’s true that Nancy Silverton’s pioneering La Brea Bakery has produced artisan loaves since 1989, the area, rightly or wrongly, has a deeply entrenched reputation as a place where gluten fears to tread.

“I can remember a time when L.A. was the heart of darkness, the no-carb central,” said Zack Hall, the owner of Clark Street Bread. “But we’re also a city that has great pride in food and restaurants and really cares about high-quality ingredients.”

Clark Street, which Mr. Hall founded in 2014 and operates out of a stall in downtown’s Grand Central Market, is one of several bakeries that have helped greater Los Angeles emerge over the past few years as an unlikely bread paradise. In kitchens from Venice to Pasadena, bakers are milling their own flour, experimenting with wild yeasts, fermentation, and ancient grains, and turning out loaves that rival those in New York or San Francisco. And outsiders have taken note: this summer, San Francisco’s vaunted Tartine Manufactory will open an Arts District outpost.