Smack dab in the middle of Wynwood, the lively and hip arts district of Miami, is a large, colorful building. On it, in large, bold letters, it says, “Bakery.”
This building is home to Zak the Baker, a kosher bakery and dairy café that’s gained international accolades since it opened its doors over a decade ago. Along with serving up delicious sourdough and challah breads for Shabbat, this independent artisan bakery also sells pastries and special foods for the High Holidays, like a Rosh Hashanah kit with a round challah, apple honey cake, crab apples, and local honey.
The café, open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday (it closes earlier in the winter, when Shabbat comes in sooner), offers a full breakfast and lunch menu. Patrons can try dishes like avocado toasted with crumbled feta cheese, a tuna melt on sourdough country bread, and a mushroom onion quiche. They just better get in line early; the place is usually packed.
Who is Zak the Baker?
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Zak Stern, the founder and namesake of the bakery and café, is originally from Miami. His family was Reform and he’d go to Hebrew school and synagogue on the High Holidays.
Growing up, he thought he wanted to go into medicine, eventually enrolling in a pre-med program for college and going to pharmacy school.
“I withdrew from it after one semester,” he said. “I chose this academic track when I was quite young, and by the time I graduated from pre-med, my mind shifted in a different direction. I was less interested in learning traditional academia, and more interested in hands-on craftsmanship and apprenticeship lifestyle.”
Stern led what he called an “agrarian life,” making wine and working in agriculture in the north of Israel, Sweden, France and Italy. He even apprenticed with an ayurvedic doctor in India. Doing this, he learned that food is medicine as well.
“I was a young man being exposed to all these old and wise ancient concepts,” he said. “They were blowing me away. I was overwhelmed with curiosity and the wisdom of the world.”
Taking an interest in bread
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When going on his journey of self-discovery, Stern found his true calling: breadmaking, which he said is “an example of processed food at its best. In the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s, it got a negative reputation, because the industrialization of food hid the process. But in reality, making some processed foods like cheese and bread is miraculous. With breadmaking, you feel like you are connected to the process.”
Stern enjoyed working with bread because creating it is repetitive and meditative.
“When you make a lot of bread every day, there’s a chance you’ll get into a zone where you’re repeating things over and over again,” he said. “It has the effect of silencing your mind, which I really enjoy. My mind, probably like most people’s minds, can get a little busy.”
At Zak the Baker, Stern and his team work from a sourdough starter that’s 14 years old.
“It’s the life force of the bakery,” he said. “A very large majority of our breads are primarily risen with sourdough. We really rely on that fermented piece of dough to keep the business going.”
Bringing different communities together
Though Stern, a husband and father, doesn’t consider himself to be an observant Jew, his wife is – he even used the hashtag #myreligiouswife for her on social media.
“I married a religious girl and agreed to make the bakery kosher,” he said. “I stumbled into being kosher. It was all written, depending on how you look at the world. It turned out to be a beautiful thing.”
Along with serving Jews who keep kosher, Stern has a diverse group of customers, from the local artists in Wynwood to tourists and the people of many different backgrounds living in Miami.
“We’ve created this place that’s pretty inclusive,” he said. “Regardless of your political beliefs or religiousness, everyone can eat in this place. You see quite observant Jews and non-observant Jews, and non-Jewish people altogether in this one place because it’s good. It’s a nice opportunity to meet people. Typically, we can be a bit tribal, and this gives us an interesting opportunity to mix in a positive way.”
Stern is also committed to showing the world delicious South Florida cuisine, contributing to the unique culinary landscape there.
“Food culture of any region is dictated by what grows and lives there,” he said. “Seafood is the primary protein, and then we have fruits and vegetables, like incredible tropical foods you can’t find in any other part of the United States. We don’t know Miami food right now because it’s a very new city and still growing in its culture in a way that New York and LA and Paris have had many years to do.”
So, what’s Stern’s ultimate goal?
“I want to make one great place,” he said. “I want one bakery with great breads, pastries, savory foods, profitability, and hospitality. Is it a good place to work for? Are we a good business? Are we good for the community? There is so much that goes into the holistic health of an independent, mission-based business like ours. We have so much to do... so much more than meets the eye from the outside.”
Loved this concept - Zaks sounds amazing ! We need healthy bread with healthy ingredients- I am in !
I would like to buy some, how can I order?
A truly special place ! Love it !!