Sam Coates-Finke

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Sam Coates-Finke_Young Baker at Work_Challah dough_2019_Abundance Farm, Northampton, MA Challahs being egg-washed before baking in the clay oven.

Sam Coates-Finke is a baker, an oven builder, and a teacher based in Western Massachusetts. He runs Backyard Bread, is co-manager of the Abundance Farm Bakery, and teaches at the Jewish Community of Amherst. In each role, he gathers people around food and fire. Sometimes that looks like a dozen toddlers asking for cleaning “tasks” at the Wood-Fired Bakery, or strangers working together to move pizza in and out of the stone oven, or adults swapping stories of bread from their childhood as they push, fold, push, fold the dough. 

www.backyardbread.com

Sam Coates-Finke_Sea Clay Oven_Scavenged clay, wood, brick, and cattail_2019_Eastport, ME.jpg

Sam Coates-Finke_Sea Clay Oven_Scavenged clay, wood, brick, and cattail_2019_Eastport, ME Brown clay dug from house foundation, blue clay scooped from sea floor when the Bay of Fundy receded. We met many people, spent no money during the four day build.