Babka, Challah, Conchas, Cookies — oh my!

Babka, Challah, Conchas, Cookies — oh my!

Two women wearing aprons in a kitchen, preparing and serving baked goods and desserts at a wooden table.

Our Bakery’s Closed —
But the Door’s Still Open

Hi! We’re Tamar and Elena — longtime friends from Mexico City who share a deep love for dessert. In 2018, missing the flavors of home, we started baking together in our tiny apartment kitchens in Chicago. What began as a side project quickly grew into a full-scale, bake-to-order Mexican Jewish artisanal bakery — blending our Mexican roots with Tamar’s Jewish heritage.

We’ve said goodbye to Chicago and closed the bakery, but Masa Madre is still very much alive — as a space for connection, creativity, classes, and future collaborations.

A person selecting eggs from a basket surrounded by baking ingredients including butter, chocolate chips, flour, cocoa powder, milk, oil, sugar, and a measuring cup on a speckled countertop.

Cooking is better when it’s shared, so let’s make something delicious together.

We’re currently offering private virtual classes — come bake with us!

Customer Love

🩷

Customer Love 🩷

"This is the best bakery to ever exist.
Full stop. Every babka flavor is incredible and unique! Their cookies are the perfect consistency and delicious. I dare you to not eat an entire challah in one sitting. Do yourself a favor and get the tres leches babka."

Dani Zuchovicki

"Insanely delicious. If you have not had a Masa Madre babka, you haven’t lived! Get one, now! Buttery, stretchy, sweet — an absolute slice of heaven. And the Challah is perfect in every way. It’s exactly what Challah should be! "

Annie Hesser

"The babka was quite possibly one of the best I’ve tasted. I had high expectations and they far exceeded them. They were responsive, friendly and the product is the best I’ve had since I was young."

Joe Levi

"Amazingly flavorful babka! The dark chocolate used is wonderfully rich and bitter, pairing incredibly well with the buttery bread. We received it on Friday and it stayed fresh throughout its weekend with us. Sadly, it is now gone..."

Ezio Magarotto

"Masa Madre is easily one of the best bakeries in the city, you can taste the love infused into the delicious sweets. The babka is heavenly, and the challah divine! "

Nicole Garelick

“I am in love with the filled conchas. The high quality of their products are absolutely worth it. Will not be buying anywhere else. "

Maria Alvarado

Follow our journey