Grand Central Bakery Announces Pedigreed Head Baker

Portland’s Grand Central Bakery Hires New Head Baker

– Sean Coyne has joined Grand Central Bakery as head baker for its Portland operation. Coyne comes to Grand Central after more than 15 years in New York, where he was a corporate chef and bakery and restaurant consultant. Formerly the head baker at Per Se, Coyne developed a four-star bread program for Thomas Keller at Per Se, Bouchon Bakery and The French Laundry. He also worked as head baker at Sullivan Street Bakery and Balthazar Bakery. Coyne attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. After stints as a pastry chef and cook – both at Gramercy Tavern with Tom Colicchio – he eventually settled on bread baking as his focus. “I love the physicality of it, the nuance, the result,” he says.

Comparing Portland’s artisan bread to what he’s accustomed to in New York, Coyne had this to say: “The scene is similar. There’s a little bit more of a rustic aspect to some of the New York breads – they’re baked darker and the hydration is higher. Here, there’s more of an emphasis on quality of flour and ingredients and the production method.”

Nice experience, but will it carry to baking on a wide scale? I’ll be interested to see how it works out!