Challenge yourself this new year to enter the 2021 National Festival of Breads

Looking for a creative challenge to start 2021? Brush off your mixer, don your apron and develop your own original recipe for the 2021 National Festival of Breads. Entries are accepted January 8 through February 22, and winners will receive cash prizes and baking bundles from sponsors Kansas Wheat, King Arthur Baking Company and Red Star Yeast. 

“The National Festival of Breads celebrates the creativity of America’s home bakers,” said Cindy Falk, co-chairperson of the event and nutrition educator for the Kansas Wheat Commission. “Our goal is to connect these top competitors to the wheat farmers and the industries that put that bag of flour into their pantries.”

The nation’s premiere yeast bread baking contest is the only baking competition of its kind, but virtual entries for 2021 mean expanded opportunities for both adult and youth competitors. The official rules and regulations for the contest are posted at http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com/. 

Entries for the National Festival of Breads must be an original yeast bread recipe, must use a Red Star Yeast product as a leavening agent and 75 percent or more of the total flour in the recipe must be King Arthur unbleached wheat flour. A variety of both branded products are eligible for use in the competition. 

Looking for inspiration for your entry? Check out these stories of past winners of the contest. 

RaChelle Hubsmith, 2019 Champion, Home Baker Division

North Logan, Utah

Winning Recipe: Chai Ube Rosette Rolls

RaChelle Hubsmith’s grandmothers always had homemade bread ready as a snack, a tradition she has carried forward for her own children. Her winning recipe was anything but traditional - using purple sweet potatoes she spotted at a farmer’s market, adding chai (her family’s favorite spice) and rolling dough into a rose-shape using fondant techniques. 

Ronna Farley, 2017 Champion

Rockville, Maryland

Winning Recipe: Seeded Corn and Onion Bubble Loaf

Ronna Farley makes her own creative baking challenges by incorporating ingredients from other countries and cultures that customers purchase at the grocery store where she works as a cashier. Her inspiration for her winning entry came from closer to home - incorporating a family corn pudding recipe into a loaf of bread. 

Lisa Keys, 2015 Champion

Kennett Square, Pennsylvania      

Winning Recipe: Smokehouse Cranberry Cheese Bread

Lisa Keys described herself as a self-taught, trial-and-error cook who loves to experiment with different ingredient combinations. Her winning recipe was a tribute to her mother-in-law’s love of local farm-fresh ingredients and healthy foods by incorporating flavors of smoked cheddar and the soft texture of tofu.

Read the full set of rules to perfect your entry or learn more about the National Festival of Breads at: http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com/. 

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Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat