“The National Festival of Breads emphasizes the values of the age-old tradition of home baking, but also the role that bread plays in a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Tom Payne, director of marketing at King Arthur Flour, the competition’s title sponsor. Fleischmann’s Yeast and the Kansas Wheat Commission are co-sponsors of the event.
The Festival of Breads was established nearly 20 years ago by the WheatHearts, an auxiliary of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers. The event originally was for hundreds of amateur bakers from Kansas.
“The Festival of Breads started with Kansas wheat producers and has grown to this national event,” said Cindy Falk, chairperson of the National Festival of Breads and nutrition educator for the Kansas Wheat Commission. “It is a tribute to wheat farmers, millers, home bakers and ingredient companies.”
As part of the event, judges will select eight finalists, each of whom will receive airfare to and accommodations in Wichita, Kas., to participate in national competition events from June 23-25, 2011. Each finalist also 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. One grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to a baking class of his or her choice at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center in Norwich, Vt., a year’s supply of Fleischmann’s Yeast, plus $2,000 cash.
Recipes may be submitted at NationalFestivalofBreads.com until Feb. 7, 2011.
