King Arthur Flour and Kansas Wheat Announce Finalists in National Festival of Breads™

Eight Finalists from Around the Nation Will Compete in Wichita in June

April 8, 2009 - Norwich, Vt. - Eight finalists have been selected in the first-ever National Festival of Breads bread-baking competition, organized by King Arthur Flour and Kansas Wheat. More than 500 home bakers from around the country entered the National Festival of Breads, which seeks the best original bread recipes from home bakers throughout the United States.

A panel of ten technical judges and twenty-three test bakers selected finalists in four categories:

Whole Grain Breads

Marjorie Johnson, Robbinsdale, Minnesota – ABC Wheat Bread

Jan Galloway, Columbia, Missouri – Mom’s Best Hearty Wheat Bread

Time-Saving & Easy Breads

Jessie Grearson, Falmouth, Maine – Sweet Life Potato Focaccia

Tanna Richard, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Healthy Homemade Bread

Ethnic Breads

Dianna Wara, Washington, Illinois – Tomato, Basil, Garlic Filled Pane Bianco

Nikki Norman, Milton, Tennessee – Spiced Cranberry Lemon Danish

Rolls

Judy Reynolds, Bloomington, Indiana – Cranberry & Lemonade Cream Rolls

Gloria Piantek, West Lafayette, Indiana – Bacon Onion Baby Brioche

Each finalist receives airfare to and accommodations in Wichita, Kan., to participate in national competition events June 15-17, 2009.

Finalists will bake-test their recipes on site in Wichita on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. Judging will be based on taste, originality, ease of preparation, healthfulness, and appearance. In addition, each finalist will receive a $500 cash award, as well as a Wheat Harvest Tour and a visit to a working Kansas wheat farm, grain elevator, and flour mill.

One Grand Prize Winner chosen in Wichita will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to a baking class of her choice at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center in Norwich, Vt., plus $2,000 cash.

"We were pleased at the number of home bakers who entered from across the United States. We had bakers from nearly every state," says Kansas Wheat Commission Nutrition Educator Cindy Falk, contest coordinator. "There was such a variety of flavors, herbs, and other ingredients; everything from green tea to crystallized ginger and many different types of cheeses and meat fillings."

Special awards were also given for the best recipes using particular ingredients. Each special award winner will receive $500 cash:

Cranberries

– Kristi O’Connor, Ankeny, Iowa – Cranberry Hoska Twists

Cheese

– Nikki Norman, Milton, Tennessee –Spiced Cranberry Lemon Danish

Nuts

– Robin Haas, Cranston, Rhode Island – Whole Wheat Rosemary Walnut Rolls

Raisins

– Ann Walper, Lancaster, Tennessee – Ann’s Raisin Banana Bread

White Whole Wheat Flour

– Marjorie Johnson, Robbinsdale, Minnesota – Lemon Coconut Twists

In addition, four home bakers received honorable mentions:

• Marlys Schuster, Mitchell, South Dakota – Three Flour Bread
• Lois Dowling, Tacoma, Washington – Saffron Orange Challah
• Evelyn Pate, Pike Road, Alabama – Whole Wheat Sausage Pizza Wheels
• Mary Allen, Troy, Ohio – Apricot Almond Twists

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 middle-school students, and offers a wide variety of 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. For more information, visit kingarthurflour.com.

Kansas Wheat, based in Manhattan, Kan., is the cooperative agreement between the Kansas Wheat Commission and the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, with a common vision of "leaders in the adoption of profitable innovations for wheat." Visit kansaswheat.org for more information.