Will You Be America’s Next Top Bread Baker?

Prizes and Rules Now Posted for 2021 National Festival of Breads

The holidays are the perfect time to turn pandemic baking projects into entries for the 2021 National Festival of Breads. The event is going virtual for 2021, further expanding the opportunities to compete in the premiere yeast bread baking contest for youth and adults. Winners will receive cash prizes and baking bundles from the event’s sponsors: Kansas Wheat, King Arthur Baking Company and Red Star Yeast. 

“The National Festival of Breads is the only baking competition of its kind, recognizing the best bakers' skills and creativity,” said Cindy Falk, co-chairperson of the event and nutrition educator for the Kansas Wheat Commission. “This year’s virtual contest builds upon the rich tradition of grassroots support that has made the festival an experience like none other.”

The official rules and regulations for the contest are now 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. 

The contest is split between two divisions - adult and youth - with sub-categories for each, including:

Adult Categories

  • Savory Rolls: herb, garlic, onion, cheese, etc.
  • Sweet Bread/Rolls: tea rings, braided breads, variations of cinnamon rolls, fruit/nut rolls, twists, etc.; with or without icing. 
  • Traditional Breads: white, wheat, whole grain, multi-grain, etc. May be any shape: rectangle, round, braided, etc. A bread great for sandwiches.

Youth Categories

  • Sweet Rolls: variations of cinnamon rolls, fruit/nut rolls, twists, etc.; with or without icing. 
  • Creative Bread Shape: edible yeast bread sculpture, i.e. animals, flowers, team mascot, sports theme, holiday, colored yeast dough, etc.

Entries open at 12:00 AM Central Standard Time (CST) on Jan. 8, 2021 and end at 11:59:59 PM CST on Feb. 22, 2021. Each entry must adhere to specific requirements outlined on the contest’s website. 

Winners will be notified in early May 2021, with online voting for the contest’s “People’s Choice” award beginning on May 14, 2021. Prizes for the contest include:

$2,000 + Baking Bundle: THREE (3) Category Winners will be selected, one from each category (Savory Rolls, Sweet Breads/Rolls and Traditional Breads). Each will receive a $2,000.00 check and a “Baking Bundle” from sponsors, ERV $250.00.

Best of Breads Champion: One (1) Overall “BEST OF BREADS” Champion will be selected from the three Category Winners. The Champion will be determined by the Judges’ score. The Champion will receive a year’s supply of Red Star Yeast (eighteen 3-strip packets of Platinum® Yeast); a year’s supply of King Arthur Flour (twelve coupons for a free 5-pound bag of flour); and a $500.00 King Arthur Baking Company Gift Card that may be used towards a baking class.

Youth $500 + Bundle: TWO (2) Category Winners will be selected, one from each category (Sweet Rolls and Creative Bread Shape). Each will receive a $500.00 check and a “Baking Bundle” from Sponsors, ERV $250.00.

People’s Choice: Winners will be selected from the three (3) ADULT Category Winners and the two (2) YOUTH Category Winners. One (1) YOUTH and (1) ADULT “People’s Choice” award winner will receive bakeware, ERV $100.00.

In addition to these category winner prizes, one entrant will win the grand giveaway of a KitchenAid® Artisan® Series 5-quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer and 10 additional entrants will win various bakeware prizes. 

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

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Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat