Leave A Bakery ASAP If You See This Red Flag In The Display Case

At its best, a proper bakery display case is full of fresh, colorful baked goods that are hard to resist and even harder to replicate at home. At its worst, however, it's a breeding ground for red flags. While bad reviews and crumbs on every surface should be enough to turn you off from a pastry purveyor, one of the worst red flags that might indicate a bad bakery isn't so obvious. Business Insider interviewed "Ace of Cakes" star Duff Goldman about bakery red flags, and one we found surprising was the presence of wrinkles on baked goods. This might seem minor, but wrinkles could mean you're in for a disappointing, stale dessert.

"The longer they sit, they start to wrinkle," Goldman told the outlet. Wrinkle-prone baked goods include things on the fluffy side, especially soft breads or cakes like panettone. Of course, some baked goods are naturally wrinkly, like crinkle cookies, but in general, Goldman thinks you should be wary of a bakery item with oddly placed folds. He explained the phenomenon, noting that moisture evaporates from baked goods as they sit and start to stale. Once the molecules shrink back down, the surface becomes visibly wrinkly, which can tell you a lot about how it might taste, too.

Spoiler alert: It's not good. A wrinkly baked good might taste "mealy" and "gummy," Goldman said, and overall, it won't taste nearly as delicious as it did when fresh. A bakery should know this, though, so any strange wrinkle should immediately tell you that the establishment isn't to be trusted.

Plenty of red flags indicate a bad bakery, but there are just as many green flags that indicate a good one. If you're trying out a new spot, you should always spring for the basics to test the waters and figure out if the place is worth revisiting. Think beginner bakes that every novice should master, like cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies. A solid bakery should have solid basics. But don't be afraid to think bigger: Items like croissants, pain au chocolat, and French macarons are difficult to make, but a high-quality bakery should know how to do them well.

Beyond nailing the basics, a good bakery should, of course, be squeaky-clean. You shouldn't see crumbs everywhere when you peek in the back, and your hand shouldn't feel sticky after touching a table. Additionally, its display case should be well-maintained; fingerprints shouldn't prohibit you from seeing the beautiful pastries, and you should see staff members cleaning surfaces frequently. Those staff members should also provide great customer service. This goes beyond friendliness — a high-quality bakery should hire staff that knows their stuff. Ask a staff member a question next time you try a new bakery to see if they have in-depth knowledge about its products. If they do, and if all other stars align, you've found a winner.