Malby Bakery Opens in New Haven with Creative Pastries & Elevated Classics

Malby, a new bakery in New Haven is churning out superlative sourdough alongside croissants, cookies, and Latin American baked goods.

Owned by married couple Malby Rojas and Karla Tejada Arias, Malby opened in late May and is steadily expanding its offerings. “Every day, we add a little more bread, a little more pastry,” Rojas says.

The neighborhood is already well-acquainted with Rojas’ bread, as she has been baking and delivering loaves from the basement of their home. Now, at her brick-and-mortar location, Rojas sells pastries, breads, and beverages inspired by the couple’s Latin heritage. 

Malby’s cinnamon rolls are kept warm in a case beside the register. Each time this case is opened, a brown sugar aroma floods the room.

One such bread is the cachito, a Venezuelan stuffed bun. Though unassuming on the outside, the cachito contains a tall stack of ham, bacon, and cheese. The savory pork is balanced by a touch of panela (brown cane sugar). The bread, slightly leaner than a brioche but with the same plush texture, served as a perfect pillow for the savory filling.

The guava and cream cheese croissant is an updated take on a pastelito de guayaba, a Caribbean pastry. It’s a favorite pastry of Tejada Arias, who hails from the Dominican Republic.

“It reminds me of home. That’s a very Latin American combination,” she says. “Eating that just brings me back so many memories.”

The guava and cream cheese croissant, a play on a classic Latin pastry, overflows with jam and frosting.

In addition to the guava flavor, new Danishes are created and offered on a weekly basis. Past offerings include fig and ricotta, hummus, and Mexican street corn.

The pain au chocolate flakes apart at the touch and melts in your mouth.

Malby also caters to the area’s large Jewish population, offering challah bread every Friday. After several customers pleaded for bagels, Malby started testing recipes.

“There’s not a lot of bagels on this side of New Haven, and they want a traditional bagel,” Tejada Arias says. “She’s making them the traditional way: boiling, New York style.” 

The everything “con todo” bagel, made with everything seasoning as well as pepitas and Tajín.

Alongside plain and sesame, the Everything con Todo bagel brings Latin influence to the classic. The bagels, chewy with a glossy crust, have an extra layer of savory flavor thanks to pumpkin seeds. Tajin, a Mexican chili lime powder, provides a subtle kick.

Rojas grew up in Venezuela, studying Biology in college before moving to the United States around 10 years ago. Since then, she has worked in restaurants in Miami, Chicago, and Boston. Her background as a biologist informs her approach to baking. “I experiment… this is my little lab,” Rojas says.

  “And we’re the guinea pigs, thankfully,” Tejada Arias adds, laughing.

Malby’s sourdough comes in a variety of flavors, including plain , rye, olive, and multigrain.

Rojas recalls when she first made bread for herself and Tejada Arias.

“It was like a flatbread, with butter and a little bit of flaky salt… I really appreciate warm bread,” she says.

“We never bought bread ever again,” Tejada Arias adds. “It’s been six years that we don’t buy bread from the supermarket.”

The sourdough smells mildly of caramel and popcorn, with a brandished crust that gives way to a pleasantly chewy crumb. The sourdough contains Ground Up Grain flour, which lends a complex flavor unmatched by any supermarket loaf I’ve tasted. 

Sliced in half, the cachito holds a generous mound of ham, bacon, and cheese. 

On the sweet side, those nostalgic for Cinnabons will find something far less cloying (and far more delicious) in Malby’s cinnamon rolls. Gooey brown sugar and white frosting complement — but do not overpower — a fluffy, just-baked dough. 

There’s also braided cardamom bread, a lightly enriched roll with a sparkling sugar crust. Don’t be repelled by the simplicity of this bread; tearing into this feathery loaf, you’ll understand why it’s so beloved.

Cardamom bread, braided and dusted with sparkling sugar.

One of Rojas’ favorite offerings is the baguette, also known as pan canilla. The Latin version of a baguette has a supple crust and a tender chew, lending itself perfectly to cheese and jam.

The bread reminds her of her father, whom she hasn’t seen in 10 years, because he always brought warm bread home to eat with his family. “This bread means a lot to me,” she says.

Family seems to be a running theme at Malby. In between kneading bread or sliding pastries in the oven, bakers stop to pay a visit to 6-month-old baby Leo, Rojas and Tejada Arias’ son, who watches over the bakery gleefully from his carrier. Perhaps he’s happy to be paid so much attention, or like me, maybe he’s simply overjoyed by the bakery’s riot of aromas.

Walking out of the bakery, a house-made apple cider punch in hand, I brushed croissant shards off my shirt. I wondered whether I’d dig into the cinnamon roll before getting home. Spoiler: I did. 

Name: Malby Bakery

Web Site: www.malbyspastries.com/

Location: 912 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT