A Story from the Mediterranean to the Pacific

How it all began

My love of baking started as a little girl at my grandma Yaffa’s kitchen table, helping her shape cookies, knead dough and bake cakes.

Years later, working in technology, I was trying to bake my mother’s famous chocolate chip cookies and my grandmother’s amazing bakes. But repeated mediocre results made me realize that I’m missing something fundamental: A deep understanding of how and why, when flour, butter and sugar come together, something incredible comes out.

So I signed up for culinary school at the International Culinary Center. The pastry classes were the highlight of the entire program, and I was happiest when watching people (mostly my delighted work colleagues) enjoy what I baked.

"Baking requires a certain amount of patience and a great deal of love."

- ANONYMOUS

Baking something different

I spent over a year working weekends at the wonderful Brickmaiden bakery. When the babkas I introduced were sold out almost every weekend, I realized there’s a broad selection of enriched-dough baked goods that people love but I rarely see in Bay Area bakeries.

That’s when I decided to open my own bakery and spread my love of fluffy dough.

Along with the traditional chocolate, my babkas are filled with the flavors of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. I’m sharing with you all the flavors of my childhood, and know you will love them as much as I do.

The name Saphta

Saphta means grandmother in Hebrew. The correct pronunciation is Savta (סבתא) but in colloquial Hebrew, when you say it quickly, is sounds like Safta or Saphta.

In certain Eastern European languages, babka, a diminutive of baba, also means grandma.

The word evokes warmth, love, wonderful childhood memories and delicious comfort food. Both my grandmothers were amazing cooks and my maternal grandmother was also a superb baker. Naming my bakery after Saphta Yaffa is a tribute to her life and her skill as a baker.