Maryland bread baker wins National Festival of Breads baking competition

MANHATTAN, Kan. (June 17, 2017) – Ronna Farley of Rockville, Maryland, is the grand prize winner in the 2017 National Festival of Breads baking competition, sponsored by King Arthur Flour, Red Star Yeast and the Kansas Wheat Commission.

Judges selected Farley’s Seeded Corn and Onion Bubble Loaf from among eight finalist recipes baked at the public competition on June 17 in Manhattan. The National Festival of Breads is the nation’s only amateur bread-baking competition.

Farley’s Seeded Corn and Onion Bubble Loaf was entered in the competition’s “Whole Grain Breads” category.

This was Farley’s second time in the National Festival of Breads as a top eight finalist. Along with her champion recipe, Seeded Corn and Onion Bubble Loaf, she also received an honorable mention in the rolls category for her recipe, Sharp Cheddar Bay Knots.

As the 2017 National Festival of Breads champion, Farley received $2,000 cash, plus a trip to attend a baking class of her choice at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center in Norwich, Vermont. In addition, she will receive a supply (120 envelopes) of Red Star Yeast.

Judges for the event were Betty Kandt, retired FACS teacher, Manhattan, Kansas; Jennifer Latzke, associate editor, High Plains Journal, Dodge City, Kansas; Dr. Jeff Hertzberg, cookbook author and physician, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Jenn Wisdom, HyVee bakery manager, Manhattan, Kansas; Aaron Clanton, American Institute of Baking, Manhattan, Kansas; Torie Cox, food stylist, Time, Inc., Birmingham, Alabama; and Mike Dandrea, USA Pan, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The champion recipe and all eight finalists’ recipes are available at http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com.

In addition to the competition, the National Festival of Breads featured educational baking demonstrations, children’s activities, bread tasting and more. This was the fifth biennial event, and “BBQ Like A Pro” demonstrations and sampling were held in conjunction with the baking contest. The more than 3,000 attendees brought nonperishable food items as admission to the National Festival of Breads, which were donated to the Flint Hills Breadbasket, a community food network in Manhattan to help alleviate hunger and poverty.

The finalists for each category and special award winners included:

Time-Saving & Simple Breads Category: Mexican Street Corn Skillet Bread, Michele Kusma, Columbus, Ohio; and Southwest Focaccia, Jane Fry, Elk Falls, Kansas.

Holiday Breads Category: Toasted Cardamom Nordic Crown, Patrice Hurd, Bemidji, Minnesota; and Orange-Spice Anadama Wreath with Walnuts and Dates, Kellie White, Valley Park, Missouri.

Roll Category: Orange Marmalade Breakfast Crescents, Pam Correll, Brockport, Pennsylvania; and Turmeric-Rosemary & Sweet Potato Rosettes, Tiffany Aaron, Quitman, Arkansas.

Whole Grain Breads Category: Seeded Corn and Onion Bubble Loaf, Ronna Farley, Rockville, Maryland ; and Butternut Romesco Braid, Shauna Havey, Roy, Utah.

Additional information about the 2017 National Festival of Breads, including the finalists’ recipes and a complete list of sponsors, is available at NationalFestivalofBreads.com.

King Arthur Flour is not only the nation’s oldest flour company, it is the single largest educator of home bakers in the world. Founded in 1790 and employee-owned since 1996, the company conducts free baking classes nationwide for both adults and children, and offers a wide variety of hands-on baking classes at its Baking Education Center in Vermont. King Arthur Flour’s fundamental mission is to be an education and product resource for, and inspiration to, bakers worldwide. More information is available at kingarthurflour.com.

For more than a century, home bakers have trusted the high quality and consistent performance of Red Star®, SAF® and bakipan® Yeast, made by Lesaffre, the world leader in yeast technology. Their mission is to take the fear out of baking with yeast. More information is available at redstaryeast.com.

The Kansas Wheat Commission is a farmer-funded and governed promotion organization working to secure the future of Kansas wheat globally and domestically through research, promotion, marketing and education. Kansas wheat farmers support the Kansas Wheat Commission with a voluntary two cent assessment on each bushel of wheat produced in Kansas. For more information, log onto kansaswheat.org.