In the Field

A Day In the Life of Zak the Baker | Video

A brightly-hued bakery stands on the corner of 26th Street in the Wynwood Arts District, home to a bustling bread culture and culinary communal hub for Miami, Florida. Zak Stern, founder and owner of Zak the Baker, started the shop in 2012 as an artisan, kosher, retail, and wholesale providing the Miami area with fresh baked bread via their own store, but also distributing through a partnership with Whole Foods Market.

Known for their sourdough and challah, Zak the Baker is a frequent destination for a loaf of classic Jewish rye or an olive za’atar batard, but they also host an impressive pastry program. Flaky croissants, delicate cakes, and scrumptious cookies line their shelves with flavors mirroring regional produce and cultural influence of southern Florida. With pastries like a concha with mamey cream, Stern proudly serves Miami-centric cuisine.

For Stern, an artisan bakery is a home to people dedicated to the learning, continuation, and flourishing of a craft within a community. There’s an inherent connectivity to community at Zak the Baker, heavily influencing how the bakery evolves and meets the needs of those around them. Stern refers to Zak the Baker’s walls as permeable, a space where the community intertwines with their craft, actively participating in their production. Keeping with this integration, Zak the Baker’s production kitchen hums within the center of their shop. From twisting challah, to brushing egg wash onto pastries, the staff moves elegantly alongside the lively shop. Stern credits his success to a mix of humility, incremental growth, independence, and luck; but more than these, he values the passionate team he has built through the years.

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Date Published: 10.18.23

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