TOTT: Zak The Baker Is All About The Dough
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- It's busy as a beehive at Zak The Baker in Wynwood.
"This is sourdough , walnut and cranberry bread which is going to be for tomorrow morning's bakery," said Zak Stern, Owner of Zak The Baker, while showing off some dough to CBS4's Lisa Petrillo.
It's half bakery, half café. In the front of the house loyal customers come by for sandwiches, salads, and soups. In the back, It's all about the dough: kneading, shaping and baking.
"These are the baskets we use to shape the bread. We put them in the basket and then it rises and we bake it in the morning," Zak said.
Zak's loaves are found in restaurants and hotels all over town.
"We're actually in-house producing 24 hours a day. We bake every morning and then we distribute all throughout the area from as far down as Pinecrest to as far north as Fort Lauderdale. We do fine restaurants, hotels, cafes and supermarkets," he explained.
Zak didn't grow up baking bread but when he dropped out of college to travel, he discovered the ancient art of and it became his passion. He stated clearly that he prefers baked buns over fake buns!
"Bread baking, I think, is sexy," Zak explained, "It's sexier than a Ferrari. I think cheese-making is sexy, not a Brazilian butt lift. You know what I mean?"
Everything on premises is made from scratch.
"We have a small tailored menu that showcases our bread, so it's a daily menu that changes. We have salads and hot food, savory toasts, sweet pastries and platters of fish we smoke and cure. It's really quite simple," said Zak.
One year ago, Zak opened up his now Kosher bakery with his wife and one other employee. He now employs a staff of 45 and the action doesn't stop.
Petrillo decided to try some for herself.
First up was the Fish Trio. It's herring, house cured salmon and smoked snapper served on dark sour dough rye.
"The only way to eat this is herring with a piece of bread and then follow it with vodka," Zak told Petrillo
"Yes," he said, "Vodka!"
Petrillo joked, "The fish is super fresh and light. I like it. The dish scared me when I first saw it but I'm getting into it, maybe because of the vodka."
Next was the roasted beets with feta on za'atar toast.
"The beets are cold and the cheese gives it a savory taste and the bread is melt-in-your-mouth sourdough. Who would have thought it," said Petrillo after tasting the dish.
Last on the list was the dessert bread. It's lavender butter on toast with curd lemon and chopped lavender on top!
"The sweet of the lavender butter with the lemon on top is a very nice blend," said Petrillo.
Zak The Taker is open six days a week 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's closed Saturdays. For more info, click here.
