Masa Madre - Review - Sunnyside - New York - The Infatuation

"The first sign you’ve come to the right place? The croissant-shaped door knob. Grab it, step inside this Sunnyside bakery, and you’ll be greeted with the second sign: woven baskets filled with delicious, reasonably priced pan dulce, as well as impeccably flaky laminated pastries, donuts, and focaccia. Masa Madre means “mother dough”—aka sourdough starter—and you’ll find crusty loaves of bread too. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Pause Unmute But the springy, fluffy conchas, like a mouthful of cumulus clouds, are the reason to cross town for Masa Madre. They’re wonderful even in their purest vanilla form, particularly with a cup of coffee or cinnamon-spiced hot chocolate. The variations are even better, like a key lime version with the sunny brightness of curd inside. And the conchitas—split in half and generously piped with vanilla cream—are so delightful you might start giggling after your first bite. Masa Madra also makes tamales and tortas, and you shouldn’t leave without one of their baton-like banderillas. The shiny, melted-sugar glaze is a perfect foil to the bitter notes in the deep brown puff pastry. The fact that it’s fun to twirl is an added bonus." - Molly Fitzpatrick