Termed “the staff of life” because it’s the basic food group for virtually every human society, bread is in good supply in the Columbia-Pacific region. Upwards of a dozen bakeries tempt shoppers with loaves ranging from doughy French-inspired baguettes to crusty fig-walnut creations. Call me a fanatic, but I can rip apart any one of these breads and, bit by bit, devour virtually the whole shebang in one sitting. Here’s where to find a half-dozen favored loaves.

The Bread Collective

Three stars (out of four)

When Home Spirit Bakery shut down late last summer, area bread lovers uttered a collective groan – no more Columbia Sourdough, Saddle Mountain Seed Bread, olive and feta, Friday challah or everyday Column Baguettes. In the interim, and with little fanfare, a handful of enterprising bakers soon took up the reins left untended when Home Spirit owner Michael Henderson left for Berkeley, Calif., to study for the Episcopalian ministry.

Calling themselves the The Bread Collective, Kris Daehler, Joe Garrison, Sean McMullin, Mary Nally and Iris Sullivan Daire use the Home Spirit ovens but currently wholesale their baked goods. Find their breads and oat cakes at The Astoria Cooperative (1389 Duane St., Astoria, (503) 325-0027), plus a couple loaves daily at Astoria Downtown Market (1020 Commercial St., Astoria, (503) 338-4321). Soon, the collective hopes to find a permanent location to retail their edibles.

Alderbrook Sourdough ($3.75), one of the collective’s signature creations, is about the prettiest loaf imaginable. Etched with a cross-hatched pattern, the bread’s medium-brown crust appears to be embroidered. Concocted only with organic wheat and rye flour, water and a minimum of sea salt, a slice of this brawny, chewy loaf cries out for some assertive condiment. Alone among the loaves I sampled, this bread is stout enough to accommodate the most ambitious sandwich innards, say a thick slab of meatloaf and gobs of melted gruyere. For anyone weaned on soft white bread, the dense texture and downright earthiness of Alderbrook sourdough will be a revelation.

Home Baking Company

2845 Marine Drive, Astoria

(503) 325-4631

Two and a half stars

Six mornings a week, passers-by through Astoria’s Uppertown are enticed by aromas emanating from this 85-year-old bastion of Finnish baked goods – apple rings, cinnamon toast, orange rye bread, humongous butterhorns, seasonal cardamom bread and other sundry yummies. Some patrons have been shopping here for decades. Although none of the Home Baking breads are rustic artisan loaves, they’re essentially speciality breads, such as a small round loaf of pre-sliced Date Nut ($2.10). Sweet enough to stand alone, this bread would taste splendid simply spread with butter, especially if toasted. I gobbled the better part of an ungarnished loaf for lunch. Like me, betcha can’t eat just one slice.

Paciific Way Bakery & Cafe

601 Pacific Way, Gearhart

(503) 738-0245

Three stars

Lisa Allen is this region’s matriarch of artisan bakers. Pacific Way’s co-owner (with her husband John), Allen was fashioning old world-style breads well before most area residents realized anything beyond smooshy grocery store loaves were an option. Her Potato-Dill bread ($3.10), thin-crusted with velvety soft innards and only a hint of dill, is a fine example of the artisan baker’s craft. This bread would make any sandwich superior, no matter the fixings. For a top-notch meal, try a couple toasted slices with melted cheese, grilled onions, sliced roma tomatoes, avocado and tiny Pacific shrimp. While visiting Pacific Way (this time of year, the bakery half of the operation is open only on weekends), also look for smoked sourdough, cheddar-onion and molasses-oatmeal loaves. And don’t miss Clatsop County’s choicest French bread. Sweet treats include cherry-almond scones, blackberry tarts, apple turnovers, even a croissant laced with chocolate.

Corpeny’s

2281 Beach Drive, Seaside

(503) 738-7353

Three stars

This corner breakfast and lunch nook renowned for its oversized omelets and satisfying sandwiches isn’t a must-stop for bread aficianodos (although many fans return religiously for the muffins and scones). Still, baker Suzanne Ziegler’s French bread ($2.75), which sees duty at both a.m. and noontime meals, is a gem of a loaf. Unusual because it’s round (French loaves are generally long and skinny), this bread is seriously crusty; underneath is a soft, but dense, underbelly. French toast, anyone?

Cannon Beach Bakery

240 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach

(503) 436-0399

Two stars

“Three generations of baking excellence,” the busines card states. Yeah, Cannon Beach Bakery has been around a while – heck, I remember buying bag loads of six-cent raisin bran muffins three decades ago – although last year this south-county institution moved a couple blocks north from its long-time location near the Coaster Theatre. Danishes, bear claws, maple bars and numerous other popular pastries are here, but the bakery is best known for its Haystack loaf, described by an employee as old-fashioned white bread. Looking for something different, I opted for the Danish pumpernickel ($1.95 for the smaller nine-inch size), not as dark or dense as the more common German version of this bread, but sporting a more pronounced buttery flavor. Stout and grainy, this bread will stand up to (and is the ideal size for) a smear of anything, such as or cream cheese, salmon pate or hummus.

Bread and Ocean

387 Laneda Ave., Manzanita

(503) 368-5823

Three and a half stars

Manzanita hasn’t been the same since baker, chef (formerly at Manzanita’s Blue Sky Cafe) and south-county foodie extraordinare Julie Barker opened this pint-sized bakery and take-out sandwich shop a year and a half ago. To say customers crave her baked goods is an understatement; patrons literally line up outside the bakery’s entrance on busy weekends. And dedicated locals are said to reconfigure their mornings to score first dibs on Barker’s assortment of breads, an array that includes brioche, cinnamon bread, Stout Beer bread and a hunky loaf of Potato-Rosemary-Leek bread ($4.25). The latter, enclosed by a hefty crust lightly dusted with flour, somehow melds crunchy, crusty and plush in the same loaf. It would match perfectly with roasted eggplant, or even bologna and cheese.