Oren Gabay never envisioned becoming a baker; he always saw himself as a farmer. Growing up in an agricultural family in Moshav Ein Vered, he intended to continue the family nursery and pursued a degree in agriculture. But, he caught the baking bug. Initially, he baked bread for friends. After receiving compliments, he began selling them, ultimately realizing he could no longer avoid opening his own bakery. The bakery is situated in the Moshav, in an old building that had once served as a hatchery and cold storage facility before being abandoned.

While he sells croissants and other pastries, bread remains the focus — specifically, traditional sourdough. Gabay’s skilled hands breathe new life into the dough. He also makes focaccia topped with vegetables from local farms, Jerusalem-style bagels, hearty square pizzas, savory pastries with laminated dough (it would be an injustice to simply call them bourekas), and morning pastries that deserve more than being labeled as yeasted treats.

Bread tray before baking, Photo: Noam Prisman

Food writer Rotem Maimon explains: “In a sea of extravagant and Instagram-worthy confectioneries and bakeries, it seems that Argaz Lehem and its baker are swimming against the current by embracing simplicity. There are no shelves lined with breathtaking masterpieces designed primarily to captivate the eye. On the contrary, like the humble baker at the helm of this modest establishment, the offerings are straightforward: a few pastries, some breads, sandwiches, and cakes — that’s it. There are no elaborate dough designs — after all, you wouldn’t expect a croissant filled with cream in a rustic bakery in Provence. Here, they adhere to the adage: ‘Don’t just look at the pastry; taste it.’

In short, Argaz Lehem is the rural-community bakery you wish you had in your neighborhood. Much like the charming bakeries you stumble upon in the countryside of Europe, everything you taste here is precise, elegant, and soul-nourishing. Modesty radiates from every shelf; what Oren Gabay brings to the table is not something many bakers can offer.”