Zak Stern

Miami, FL – June 4, 2014 – In the midst of the Wynwood Art District’s vibrant murals, trendy galleries, and distinctive restaurants, lies an offbeat spot filled with classic, yet signature offerings. As you stroll down NW 26^th street, you may notice a deliciously fresh and comforting scent engulfing the area. All of those mouth-watering aromas derive from the new kid on the block, Zak the Baker. Upon entering this bread haven, you are immediately swept away by the charm and homey feel of the cafe. The décor is natural and clean, an open setting with custom wooden tables for guests, a small crew behind the counter and some feel-good bluegrass music playing in the background. This cozy joint all came to be thanks to a man on a mission, Zak Stern, who opted to drop out of pharmaceutical school and learn more about the basics of life, specifically, bread making. “I was studying organic chemistry, pharmaceutical kinetics and all these complicated, sophisticated sciences and I didn’t know anything about life,” says Zak.

Although he grew up in a comfortable, affluent home in the suburbs of Miami, settling wasn’t necessarily an option for Zak. “What’s the point of being privileged if you’re just going to waste it on doing boring things.”  Zak exclaims, “ I just realized my life was boring, I wanted to learn something that I actually wanted to learn.” After coming to this realization, Zak decided to delve into the world of agriculture. Zak dropped out of school and set out on a pilgrimage to learn how to make the basics; bread, wine and cheese. He discovered that one thing he could do anywhere was bake bread. With a loan of only one thousand dollars from his parents and traditional baking methods in mind, Zak purchased an oven and the rest is history.

Zak attributes early mornings and dedication to the conception of the perfect bite that everyone yearns for. The process of producing the beloved bread begins somewhere between two and three in the morning. To provide the freshest product for his clients, Zak ships bread hot out of the oven to each local restaurant and retailer. Once the bread is sent out for the day, the creation process starts all over again. Using only four ingredients, flour, water, salt and sourdough, Zak and crew begin to mix up a new day’s batch. After the ingredients are infused together and rise, the shaping process commences. As soon as the bread is shaped, the task of creating each delicious masterpiece is complete for the day, as the bread will be baked the following morning.

With the word spreading and the business growing, Zak set his sights on launching a bakery and cafe of his own. What was once a warehouse, is now a wholesome example of Zak’s success. The newly opened and certified kosher bakery and cafe adds a distinctive twist to your average restaurant as Zak and his crew prepare the bread in plain sight for all patrons to observe. Although the Zak the Baker Cafe has only been open for a month, it is already proving to be a hotspot eatery. During opening week, the cafe only served toast with butter. Now, about four weeks later, the cafe serves a daily soup, salad, four sweet toasts and four savory toasts. What’s very important to the team is that all menu items come equipped with the freshest local and seasonal produce. Sasha Ullman, who works closely with Zak to generate the menu items, finds it important to highlight the highest quality crops of the season. This summer, you can expect the crunchy toast to come equipped with lots of watermelon, okra, squash and eggplant. Ullman also expresses that the concoctions in the cafe have only just begun. “Eventually we will have a full pastry line with real down home classic country pastries like pies, scones, chocolate chunk cookies, and of course babka,” says Ullman.

A simple idea and a passion for bringing real bread to Miami has gone a long way for Zak the Baker. We were able to steal him a way from his bustling day to find out what he is really all about.

 Zak Stern

What was the turning point that took the business to the next level and got your name out there?  

There we’re a few turning points for the bakery. The first one was when I began to bake bread for Michelle Bernstein’s restaurant. It was the M bomb, every time I mentioned that I was baking bread for Michy’s, people would instantly become impressed and my bread suddenly became important. Thanks Michelle! The second turning point for the bakery was the opening of our new Wynwood Bakery & Cafe. Now, the community can share the bread baking experience with us, as opposed to hiding out in a warehouse in Hialeah.

How do you choose which farmers markets and vendors to work with, or do they choose you?  

I’m a baker, not a salesman. My job is to bake damn good bread, not to convince people to buy our bread and pretend that customers are always right. That’s bull, you should hear this ridiculous stuff people tell me about bread! When you desire something, you seek it out. And the discovery is part of the experience.

Who are some of your biggest clients?

Our bread and butter is the post menopausal suburbanite. We developed the Plum Fennel Bread specifically for them to help prevent bone loss!

What sets your bread apart from others in Miami?

The most defining characteristic of our bread is that we use a natural leaven to rise our bread, that means we do not use yeast. It’s hard to find a bakery that is dedicated to the craft of natural leaven bread (sourdough).

Zak Stern

Do you have special techniques or ingredients that you came up with on your own?

No, this stuff is ancient.

Do you come up with new flavors/concepts to keep it fresh?

No, I find the whole flavor/concept thing with bread to be unnecessary. Bread is classic, it’s timeless, you don’t need to add goji berries to it to keep it “fresh.”

What do you think it is that attracts so many vendors and customers?

I think it’s a combination of things, but mainly I believe it’s simply the lack of supply of good bread in Miami. If I opened up my bakery in Asheville or San Francisco I would just be another bearded hippy making good bread.

Tell us about the type of bread you offer?

We make country bread. It’s crusty on the outside and creamy on the inside.

What is your best selling bread?

Our best selling item is probably our Walnut & Cranberry bread. It’s a super American flavor. This bread would never fly in Tuscany!

What are the challenges of operating and owning your own bakery? 

We scrambled the whole way to keep this bakery 100% owned and operated by bakers, however, I would of have definitely made a lot less mistakes if I had a wise food industry partner. That being said, I think the bakery is better off being truly mom and pop with the corporate offices in Little Haiti.

Zak Stern

What gets you through the day when you have been up since 3am or earlier?  

I drink a well timed coffee a day, and the rest is just adrenaline and commitment. I ride on empty for much of the day. They say that sleep deprivation has comparable effects to being drunk, so you could probably say that I’m drunk most of time.

Did you always plan on having your own bakery and cafe? How did this location come about?  

There was never a master plan. When I came back to Miami in 2012 from my travels it was wildly clear that I had an opportunity to supply a demand here in Miami. I’ve been chasing my tail ever since I opened, and I’ve never really had an opportunity to step back an orchestrate a grand composition, it’s all been played by ear. We’re currently working on our second location in Hebron.

Zak Stern

Where else could you see your business thrive?

Anywhere bread is eaten.

Zak Stern

I grew up in the suburbs of South Miami and I didn’t know anything about anything, all I knew was my grams, ounces and what was in a quarter pound.

Zak Stern

 

It’s hard to find a bakery that is dedicated to the craft of natural leaven bread (sourdough).

Zak Stern

 

 Zak Stern

When you desire something, you seek it out. And the discovery is part of the experience.

Zak Stern

 

Sasha Ullman

 Whipped Paradise Farms honey butter on toasted cranberry walnut sourdough with honey drizzle and cinnamon 

House almond butter and jam on toasted cranberry walnut sourdough.

Toast topped with beets and feta yogurt.

Toast topped with tuna, cranberry cilantro and local vegetables.

Amaranth almond pesto, heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella salad, served with toast.