Hungry Ghost Bread

Best Rye Bread Ever!
smell, texture, taste.
well worth the trip for the experience of exceptional bread.

I stopped in here yesterday with my mother, she visits often when she is in the area. We purchased an egg in a biscuit and a loaf of bread. I do not remember what the bread was called but it was delicious. There was so much dimension in the flavor of all the grains they added and i love bread thats soft inside and a bit crusty outside. Worth a visit.

I had to go in here and see what all the fuss was about! 5 stars maybe not… but 4 is not enough. The French bread was magnifique. It was a little larger of a loaf than what I am used to in France but wow — the taste was there. AND it is actually still good to eat a few days later if wrapped with any level of care (not like the knock off higher end breads at the grocery store which is stale in a day or two). I also bought a chocolate cookie. REALLY good. I had an immediate flashback to my Grandmothers cookies that was so unexpected I was «moved». Must have been an old Yankee recipe or style of chocolate chip cookie. I will go back for sure. Yes, this is a hipster kind of place but pretty much most of Northampton is. I leave you with this, «le pain est parfait, bon appetit.»

Go across the street to serios and get some good butter. Then run back to Hungry Ghost and buy a loaf of something holy and eat with abandon. Only then will you understand the «yes“banner fluttering outside.

The batard is life changing. Amazingly earthly crunchy, and flavorful for what is basically flour water and salt. Also enjoyed a biscuit with egg cooked inside. The boules were less successful with me; tried the 8 seed and «Colonel Buck» made with buckwheat and a bran soaker. Interesting, but not the magnificence of the batard.
You must call ahead and reserve your order as they will sell out. Note that the daily specials on the website are out of date. Ask for the current list when you call.

«I’m convinced that the Hungry Ghost is one of the world’s great epicenters.
The bread, the joint, the vibe, the clientele and the staff, all converge in iconoclasm, which feels like home to me. It’s urbane beyond Northampton».
Anonymous Quote

The pizza is very fresh and seems very organic, but after two take out orders, I’d say that there’s nothing distinctive about their pizzas. The choices sound very unusual, but the pizzas taste bland. I found that it was difficult to distinguish between the different toppings.

Yum. YUM. I dare you to find this place, though. I wound my way around downtown traffic, hungry as all get-​out and not having found anything worthwhile on Routes 5/​10, and then spied this tiny place up on a hill on a street corner. I could barely park in the driveway — had to sit while one guy backed out, then maneuver into his spot while the other guy backed out. You want to consider street parking.
All is absolved by going inside. You can buy entire breads, which I imagine were mostly gone by the time I arrived (2 PM on a Sunday). Of the remaining smaller items, there were some good deals and some iffy ones ($ 4 for a tiny fruit tart that’s mostly tart and not fruit?). I picked up a scone slice and a molasses cookie. The scone slice had at least as much fruit scattered inside (raisins, maybe cranberries?) as the tart. Delectable even hours later. The cookie was getting a bit hard by that point, but had very nice flavor to it and was still chewy. Maybe not as gingerbready as I hoped, more of a four star cookie than a five star.
Bottom line: Local bakery, delicious food. Get your grains here.

Just going to echo everyone else’s praises but they seriously deserve it. Beautiful delicious bread, innovative and truly flavorful (rather than cloyingly sweet) pastries, great staff, good mission. Hungry ghost is more than just a bakery! It feels like a small food utopia where the idea of meals being about people and community and nourishment is actually still believed! Sry to sound fanatical but I’m in love. With this bread.

I bought 2 loves of the bread both were over cooked very tough crust and dry inside. This is the 2^nd time I’ve gotten over cooked (burnt) breads
Time too look else where

I just started to write when I noticed a featured review which says, «This is one of the best bakeries I’ve ever been to. It’s as good as it gets.» I agree.

Freakin’ great! This bakery is one of the best kept secrets in ‘Hamp that really makes their product from scratch (scratch not meaning a fifty pound sack of bread mix but REAL ingredients) It’s a no frills place, so don’t go there looking for a ritzy bistro or café. Just a word to the wise-​get while the getting is good. They only make so much product and when it’s gone, it’s gone. The hours are somewhat limited, but the product they bake is soooooo worth it!!!

Friendly service… No. Great bread… Yes. And if you leave without a delicious large cookie, you’ll regret it.

Amazing!
The potato thyme fougasse was the star of our order. However, all their bread was absolutely fantastic. This is what every bakery should strive for — beautiful hand-​crafted bread.

Have been here countless times over the past few years. I’ve had the potato, kamut, country, rye, olive, and some other breads. All very good. Nice cripsy crust and with nice texture in the middle.
I’ve also had the crackers and the savoury pies. very good.
Anytime I’m in Northampton, I stop by to get some bread. You can’t go wrong.
I would love to try the pizza, but unfortuantely I ahven’t been there after 5pm when they start the pizza.
And if you are worried if bread will be there, you can call ahead and they’ll hold one for you.

Very hipster, meh service but hella good food! Got vegan pizza and cookies and wow. I was blown away! Good prices too

This is one of the best bakeries I’ve ever been to. It’s as good as it gets.
I don’t eat bread (carbs, all that) too often but when I do, I like it to be GOOD. and every time I went to Hungry Ghost, I was blown away. Everything they made was delicious. Get… everything!

Wow is all I can say. Some of the best bread in Massachusetts. Wood fired oven. Great staff
Great selection. Get a schedule of the breads so you can come on the days they have your favorite loaf.

Goodness, I used to come here a lot back when I was at Smith.
I always got their French loaf bread which was $ 5 for a huge loaf of bread. It lasted me two days. The bakery is good. But make sure you reserve yours if you think you can’t make it in the morning or all of the bread will be gone by 3 pm.
I’ve tried their pizza once and it was good. I just couldn’t afford to add so much calories to my diet so I stopped consuming pizza but I wish I could have eaten more when I was at Smith.
They also have really good buttermilk biscuits. I wasn’t a big fan of their cookies though.
Definitely one of the best bread bakeries I’ve been to! I’d stop by here everytime I was around Northampton.

If you’re looking for a legit bakery that’s doing great things with flour, water and yeast then a stop into Hungry Ghost is a must.
They use flours local to Massachusetts and the spelt sourdough was a perfect hydration. The Molasses Chew and Oatmeal Raisin cookies were BIG, delicious and cheap!
It’s a bare bones. Cash only, a tiny little area for waiting in line and then you can move along outside to sit on the wall and eat your leavened goodness.