National Festival of Breads 2019 Finalists Selected

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, 2019, in Manhattan, Kansas.

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 United States, 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, Virginia, with her Loaded Baked Potato Bread; Brenda Watts, from Gaffney, South Carolina, with her Sicilian Star Bread; and Tiffany Aaron, from Quitman, Arkansas, 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, California, with her Blackberry Ginger Speculaas Danish Wreath; Suzy Neal, from Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia, with her Peanut Butter Pretzel Rolls; and Kristin Hoffman, from Chicago, Illinois, with her Tart Cherry, Pecan, and Rosemary Boule.

The Festival

The finalists will travel to Manhattan, Kan., from June 6-8, to bake their creations on June 8, at the National Festival of Breads, sponsored by Red Star Yeast®, King Arthur Flour® and Kansas Wheat. While in Kansas, contestants will participate in a host of additional activities, including a Wheat Harvest Tour with stops at a wheat farm, research facility and flour mill.

With hands-on activities, free food samples, fun kids’ zone and a live baking competition featuring 8 finalists from around the country, the National Festival of Breads is an event the entire family can enjoy!

Expert bakers will be giving demonstrations on the stage in the ballroom. These demonstrations will be led by “Chef Tess” Stephanie Petersen; author and baker Brian Hart Hoffman, sponsored by Red Star Yeast; King Arthur Flour’s Libby Treadway; and Kansas Soybean Commission’s Charlene Patton.

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 have also selected Special Awards and Honorable Mentions. These will be announced at a future date.

To learn more, visit www.NationalFestivalofBreads.com or follow us on Facebook.