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Four home bakers, four food bloggers are finalists in National Festival of Breads.

March 19, 2019

2 Min Read
loaves of different types of bread
FINALISTS PICKED: Eight bakers, four home bakers and four food bloggers, will compete in the finals of the National Festival of Breads in June in Manhattan.pinapplestudio/gettyimages

A panel of judges has selected the recipes that will be represented in the sixth National Festival of Breads, sponsored by Red Star Yeast, King Arthur Flour and Kansas Wheat. The baking competition will be held June 8 in Manhattan, Kan.

Four home baker finalists and four food blogger finalists have been named for the biennial National Festival of Breads, the nation's only national amateur bread-baking competition. They are from all over the U.S., from the east to west coasts and several states in between.

Home Bakers Division

Finalists in the Home Baker Division include RaChelle Hubsmith from North Logan, Utah, with her Chai Ube Rosette Rolls; Lauren Katz from Ashburn, Va., with her Loaded Baked Potato Bread; Brenda Watts from Gaffney, S.C., with her Sicilian Star Bread; and Tiffany Aaron from Quitman, Ark., with her Mulled Spiced Apple Cider Crisp Loaves.

Food Bloggers Division

Finalists in the Food Bloggers Division include Shauna Havey from Roy, Utah, with her Beetroot Amaretto Rolls; Merry Graham from Newhall, Ca., with her Blackberry Ginger Speculaas Danish Wreath; Suzy Neal from Sautee Nacoochee, Ga., with her Peanut Butter Pretzel Rolls; and Kristin Hoffman, from Chicago with her Tart Cherry, Pecan and Rosemary Boule.

The festival

The eight finalists will travel to Manhattan to bake their creations on June 8 at the festival. While in Kansas, contestants will participate in a host of additional activities, including a Wheat Harvest Tour with stops at a wheat farm, a research facility and a flour mill.

The festival itself will feature hands-on activities, free food samples and a fun kids' zone.

Expert bakers will be giving demonstrations on two stages. These demonstrations will be led by "Chef Tess" Stephanie Petersen, the Home Baking Association's Charlene Patton and Sharon Davis, King Arthur Flour's Libby Treadway, and family and consumer sciences teacher Connie Nieman.

Attendees will get the opportunity to sample the finalists' breads and vote on their favorite in the People's Choice Awards. The judging will also be open to the public for the first time during the 2019 contest.

Two champions, one from each division, will be selected. Each champion will receive a one-year supply of Red Star Yeast and tuition to attend a hands-on baking class at King Arthur Flour Baking School in Vermont or Washington, in addition to a $1,500 check for their travel and lodging expenses.

In addition to the eight finalists, the judges will also select Special Awards and Honorable Mentions. These will be announced at a future date.

Source: Kansas Wheat, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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