YES!

On Saturday, April 10^th 2004 Hungry Ghost Bread opened for business. We hung the YES sign. Yes! Yes, we’re open. Yes, the bread is ready. Anticipating the day, maybe a few friends and family would show up. Well, HA! Many people showed up, a festival erupted. Musicians spontaneously jammed and people enjoy samples of bread, none of which could be baked fast enough.

Hungry Ghost Bread; a little bake shop with a wood fired oven offering sourdough loaves of many varieties depending upon the day as well as sweet and savory pastries. Located in the college town of Northampton, Massachusetts on the fringes of Smith campus, the shop is open seven days per week, 10 am until 7 pm. Outside is a beautiful and abundant three season flowery herb garden and amphitheater. Inside is the behemoth of an oven, the walk in cooler and the shaping table known as the alter. In the back, near the oven’s firebox is the pastry department; one medium sized convection oven, two door reach-in, big mixer, small mixer, two freezers and three prep tables. Somehow three chefs at one time make 250 square feet of space functional.

Mom would have “tisk, tisked” at the “work going on here” condition maintained, most customers don’t notice the soot covered ceiling or flour dusted floor. This is the bakery now, post 2011 expansion. A wall knocked out, building size doubled, Cadillac of wood fired ovens, the Llopis added.  A long way from April 10^th 2004, when all new customers gathered on the grassy knoll in front of the 500 square foot shop. Inside, the original Panyol oven, rounded and earthy like the village oven, would become to the coterie of customers.

What is this place?

It is a simple task to give a physical description of Hungry Ghost Bread Bakery. It’s obvious. Adjectives might describe that which is invisible but for the moments when the infused knowledge of the Ghost shows itself. Customers are in and out. Some stop for a chat knowing the day and the varieties offered. Willing to take a second or even a third favorite and whatever sweet or savory pastry is still available. They know it’s all good.

According to Square, 30% of customers are new on a daily basis. These are the people who come in hopeful to get what someone has told them that they must try. There might be a confused look. It could be positive or “Is this all you got?” to the dozen of a few varieties on one of two bread racks. Although fewer in number it’s the same bread of which there were plenty but are already on someone’s table. But perhaps it is impolite to point that out. So they are asked, what are you looking for, what do you like. Whole wheat? White? They don’t know. If the moment is lucky, a regular is on hand to offer, “Get anything. You can’t go wrong.” Otherwise concise descriptions are given and the loaf is out the door waiting for the knife that will hopefully be sharp. 

So you’re a new customer. Either you have just heard of Hungry Ghost Bread or you’ve been meaning to come for awhile. Maybe its two o’clock or 5:30. You open the door to a small customer space bordered by a counter. Behind that counter there are racks but they’re empty. “Do you have any bread?” Clearly no but what else would you say? There’s a sign you missed at first. It says either more bread @ 3 (pick any time) or SOLD OUT.

Welcome to Hungry Ghost Bread!