Search for America's top home baker underway

Manhattan, Kan. – Entries for the 2015 National Festival of Breads, sponsored by King Arthur Flour, Red Star Yeast and the Kansas Wheat Commission, are being accepted starting October 1, 2014, through January 16, 2015. The competition seeks the best yeast bread recipes from home bakers throughout the United States.

“King Arthur Flour is proud to sponsor the National Festival of Breads for the third time,” said Tom Payne, marketing director for King Arthur Flour. “This is the only national, serious from-scratch bread-baking competition out there. It is a celebration of home baking skills and is helping to foster and preserve the venerable tradition of baking bread at home from scratch.”

Adult amateur bakers, ages 18 and up, can submit original recipes for ethnic breads, rolls, time-saving and simple breads, and whole grain breads online at nationalfestivalofbreads.com, a newly-redesigned website dedicated to the contest. Youth bakers, ages 12-17, can also submit recipes for yeast breads and quick breads using the same form. Submissions will only be accepted through the online form.

Judges will evaluate all entries and select eight adult finalists, each of whom will receive airfare and accommodations to participate in the national competition on June 13, 2015, in Manhattan, Kansas. In addition, each adult finalist will receive a $500 cash award, participate in a wheat harvest tour to a working Kansas wheat farm, flour mill and grain elevator, and take part in other activities. The Grand Prize Winner will receive $2,000 cash and a trip to attend a baking class of their choice at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center in Norwich, Vermont.

One youth grand prize winner will be selected and will receive a $300 scholarship. Two youth entries will be receive a runner-up prize of a $100 scholarship. More prize packages are detailed in the official contest rules at nationalfestivalofbreads.com.

“Inspiring youth to bake can foster future generations of home bakers,” says Cindy Falk, chairperson of the event and nutrition educator for the Kansas Wheat Commission. “These youth bakers can then pass on their baking skills as a service to local schools, communities and clubs.”

The Festival of Breads was established nearly 24 years ago by the WheatHearts, an auxiliary of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers. In the original “Festival of Breads” baking competition, hundreds of amateur bakers from Kansas submitted their baked products during the biennial competition.

“The National Festival of Breads builds upon a rich tradition of grassroots support and is the nation’s only amateur yeast bread baking competition,” says Falk. “This contest is a way for amateur bakers to be recognized for their baking skills and creativity,” Falk said.

The National Festival of Breads is sponsored by two of the most trusted brands in baking, King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast.

King Arthur Flour is America’s oldest flour company and premier baking resource, offering ingredients, mixes, tools, recipes, educational opportunities, and inspiration to bakers worldwide. For more information, visit kingarthurflour.com.

Red Star Yeast was founded in 1882 and over the years has developed a complete line of yeast products including PLATINUM Superior Baking Yeast, Active Dry Yeast, Quick Rise Yeast and Cake Yeast. Red Star also has many tips and tricks of the trade and the science behind yeast on their website, redstaryeast.com.

The Kansas Wheat Commission is a farmer-funded and governed advocacy 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 2 cent assessment on each bushel of wheat produced in Kansas. For more information, log onto www.kansaswheat.org.

Additional information, past recipes and a summary of the 2009, 2011 and 2013 competitions are available at nationalfestivalofbreads.com.