Chicago Sunrise

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ursula Siker is a well known baker who has been featured on Zagat and Time Out and is currently based in Chicago. We spent a day with her at Hoosier Mama Pie Company where she serves as co-kitchen manager and doesn’t miss a beat in her Simple shoes.

“I never thought I’d end up becoming a baker. Looking for a way to relieve some stress a few years ago, I started baking one day and posted the photos to Instagram. A few days later, an acquaintance of mine saw the images and asked if I wanted to discuss a potential job at a local shop, Rising Hearts Bakery. During my time there, I had the honor of being named one of the top 10 bread bakers in North America! Fast forward a few years to when I was given the opportunity to move to Chicago, I packed up my car and headed east on a whim in search of something new and exciting. Soon after, I landed here at Hoosier Mama Pie Company.

One of the first things I learned about Chicago is how much people love Malort, a bitter liquor popularized in the city. After much experimentation, I finalized a recipe for what we’re calling the Chicago Sunrise Pie, an all-butter crust, whipped cream and grapefruit custard combined with Malort. Many people ask how I came up with the idea – a bartender friend of mine who wanted me to try Malort equated the taste to grapefruit, so I wanted to make a more palatable version of the liquor for people to actually enjoy.

Being on my feet all day in the bakery means I need to be as comfortable as possible while still looking the part. I made the mistake of wearing boots a few times and immediately regretted it, so now I make sure to have my Satire's on every morning for a productive and busy day at the bakery.”

"NOW I MAKE SURE TO HAVE MY SATIRES ON EVERY MORNING FOR A PRODUCTIVE AND BUSY DAY AT THE BAKERY."