Founded 1908 · Antigo, Wisconsin
Four ownership families, one unbroken tradition. Gunkel's Bakery has stood on Superior Street for more than 115 years — and the sourdough starter has never missed a day.
Our History
1908
Frederick Gunkel founded the bakery at 231 Superior Street in Antigo, Wisconsin. From the very first day, he established the sourdough starter that still lives in the bakery today — fed every single day for over 115 years without interruption. Frederick built the bakery around the German baking traditions he knew: patient, steam-assisted baking that coaxed maximum flavor and texture out of every loaf.
Second Generation
Frederick's daughter Freida inherited the bakery, bringing it forward with her husband Carl Schuster. The Schusters maintained the recipes and the rhythms Frederick had established, keeping the bakery a cornerstone of Antigo's daily life through mid-century. Under their care, Gunkel's became the place Antigo residents trusted for their everyday bread and special occasion treats.
1965
Phillip Draeger started as an employee at Gunkel's Bakery in 1965. He learned the craft from the inside out — the rhythms of the dough, the timing of the ovens, the particular way a good loaf should sound when you tap its crust. His dedication was evident from the start.
Partnership Era
Phillip partnered with Howard Galarowicz to purchase Gunkel's Bakery from the Schuster family. Together, they ensured the tradition survived the ownership transition intact — the same recipes, the same starter, the same commitment to quality that Frederick Gunkel had instilled generations earlier.
1993
With a vision for the bakery's future, Phillip Draeger built the current structure at 231 Superior Street in 1993. The new building was designed around the work — proper baking space, the right ovens, a layout that allowed small-batch handcraft at meaningful scale. It remains the home of Gunkel's Bakery today.
1995
In 1995, Phillip introduced flax seed goods to the lineup — baked using a traditional German method with steam injected into the ovens. Each loaf takes over four hours from start to finish: mixing, proofing, shaping, steaming, and baking at precise temperatures. The result is a loaf with a crackling crust, a moist crumb, and a nutty depth of flavor that mass-produced bread cannot replicate.
Today
Phillip Draeger's grandson Alex Kubeny has taken over Gunkel's Bakery, becoming the newest steward of a 115-year-old institution. Alex bakes from the same recipes, feeds the same sourdough starter, and uses the same steam-assisted methods that have made Gunkel's Bakery an Antigo landmark. The names change. The bread doesn't.
Specialty Baking
In 1995, Gunkel's became one of the first bakeries in Wisconsin to bake flax seed goods using traditional German steam-baking methods. Steam is injected into the ovens at precise moments during the bake, creating the thick, crackling crust and moist, open crumb that define a true artisan loaf.
Each flax seed loaf takes over four hours from start to finish. There are no shortcuts. The dough is mixed by hand, shaped by hand, proofed slowly, and baked in an oven that generates the steam conditions required for the old-world crust to form.
Flax seeds bring a nutty flavor, a satisfying texture, and a nutritional density that refined-flour breads lack. Our Cranberry Walnut with Flax has become our most-requested loaf — a perfect balance of tart, sweet, and earthy.
231 Superior Street, Antigo, WI. Open Tuesday through Friday 7 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday 7 AM to noon. Cash and checks accepted.