The Bread Bakers Guild of America upcoming events

Guild Office Hours: Yeast and Fermentation (09/08/2026)

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Guild Office Hours: Yeast and Fermentation

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 | 4:00pm–5:00pm ET

Want to improve your bread through better fermentation? Looking to better understand how yeast impacts your process?

Understanding how yeast works, and how to manage fermentation effectively, can help you produce more consistent and flavorful breads.

Join baking experts from Lesaffre for an interactive session exploring the role of yeast in fermentation and how it impacts every stage of the baking process. Peter Abrams and Sherrill Cropper will discuss different types of baker's yeast, how yeast is produced, and how factors such as time and temperature influence fermentation outcomes.

You’ll learn:

How baker's yeast is produced

Differences between fresh and dry yeast varieties, including specialty yeasts such as osmotolerant yeast

Practical tips for improving dough performance

Fermentation's role in flavor, dough performance, and production efficiency

Bring your questions and fermentation challenges for an extended Q&A with the speakers.

Presented in partnership with Lesaffre.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Peter Abrams is a Bakery Training and Business Development Specialist at Lesaffre, based in Piscataway NJ. Peter has been working in the baking and pastry field for over 25 years, including over a decade in artisan bread manufacturing. At Lesaffre Peter spends most of his time helping customers on their product development projects and making new and innovative products with Lesaffre ingredients.

Sherrill Cropper is the New Product Development Lab Manager for Lesaffre Corporation and Red Star Yeast Co. based in Milwaukee, WI. Sherrill has been working in the Research and Technical Services group for 11years where she develops ingredients and provides technical support to her team and customers. Sherrill received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Food Science from The Ohio State University and her Ph.D. in Grain Science from Kansas State University.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Building a Packaged Food Brand: An Introduction to CPG (09/28/2026)

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Building a Packaged Food Brand: An Introduction to CPG

Monday, September 28, 2026 | 5:00pm – 6:15pm ET Via Zoom

Ever wondered what it takes to bring a consumer packaged goods (CPG) product to market? Whether you're launching a specialty cookie, snack mix, or another shelf-stable product, building a successful CPG brand can create new revenue streams, expand your customer base, and open doors to new sales channels.

Join Laurie Ellen Pellicano as she shares how she transformed her handcrafted shortbread and savory snacks into a successful CPG business. Drawing from her own experience, including her background in high-volume bakery production, food styling and recipe development, she'll discuss the key decisions involved in developing a market-ready product, building a recognizable brand, and choosing the right path to market.

You'll hear about how to:

Develop a packaged product for the consumer marketplace

Navigate labeling, packaging, and regulatory requirements

Evaluate sales channels, from direct-to-consumer to wholesale

Think through production choices and what scaling has meant for a small-batch business

Whether you're launching your first packaged product or considering adding a CPG line to your bakery, you'll leave with practical insights for bringing your ideas to market and building new revenue streams. Bring your questions for Laurie Ellen.

About Your Instructor

Laurie Ellen Pellicano is the founder of Laurie Ellen, a small-batch shortbread and savory snacks company based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. With nearly 20 years of professional baking experience, including a former role as head pastry chef at Tartine in San Francisco, she brings a career baker's perspective to building a product business from the ground up. Laurie Ellen has won three Good Food Awards and been featured in New York Magazine, The Strategist, Vogue, and Wirecutter, which called the brand's Everything Cheddar Crackers "the perfect savory snack." Laurie's recipes and writing have appeared in the New York Times, Epicurious, and Food & Wine, and she was recognized as a Zagat 30 Under 30 honoree.

Photos of Laurie Ellen by Aya Brackett

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

Ancient Grains, Modern Baking (09/29/2026)

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Ancient Grains, Modern Baking

Tuesday, September 29, 10am - 4pm

Artisan Baking Center, Petaluma, CA

Join us for a unique in-person baking demonstration that explores how bakers are using ancient grains to create breads and pastries that showcase their distinctive flavors and character.

The day begins with an introduction to ancient grains led by Nicky Giusto of Central Milling, who will discuss the characteristics and functionality of each grain, and share insights into incorporating them successfully into baking formulas.

From there, Nicky and bakers Lauren Haas and Allison White will each present an original formula and demonstration centered on a different ancient grain, including einkorn, spelt, and buckwheat.

A light lunch will be provided, but you can also bring your own.

This program is presented in partnership with Central Milling

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

Nicky Giusto is a fourth generation baker and miller and is carrying on the Giusto legacy with great aplomb. Nicky competed at the Coupe du Monde and was the coach of Team USA at the most recent competition. He works for Central Milling, developing bread programs and teaching bakers of all levels, in addition to starting the Artisan Baking Center in Petaluma, CA.

Lauren V. Haas is a pastry chef and Professor at The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone. Her experience includes The White House, as well as faculty and department chair positions at Johnson & Wales University and service as Lead Chef for the Chocolate Academy centers in North America.

She has been recognized by Bake Magazine as a leading educator in the U.S., and by Dessert Professional as one of the Top Pastry Chefs in America.

She holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Food Systems and, in 2023, received the La Liste Game Changer Award, an international recognition honoring individuals shaping the future of gastronomy.

Learn more at www.lauren-haas.com and @laurenvhaas.

Allison White, owner of Matriarch Bread in Morgan Hill CA, has been running her cottage bakery for 4 years. She focuses on using a variety of local freshly milled whole grains to create delicious and wholesome bread for her community. With a background in food science and fitness, her unique approach to bread baking has allowed her to carve out a niche product that keeps her customers returning weekly.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

BreadTalks: American Bread with Andrew Coe (10/06/2026)

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT

BreadTalks: American Bread with Andrew Coe

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 4:00pm–5:00pm ET

Join award-winning author and culinary historian Andrew Coe for a conversation about his new book, American Bread: A History (University of California Press), a fascinating journey through the breads that have nourished Americans for generations. From early corn breads and immigrant baking traditions to sliced white sandwich bread and today’s sourdough revival, Andrew uses iconic loaves to tell the story of how bread has shaped American life.

Andrew will be joined by Amy Halloran, writer and author of The New Bread Basket (Chelsea Green Publishing), for an engaging conversation about the evolution of American bread culture and the rise of today’s artisan baking movement.

Whether you are a professional baker, bread enthusiast, or simply curious about the history behind the loaves we love, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the role bread has played in American history and culture.

Praise for American Bread:

"I love this book! A must-have for every enthusiastic baker." -Daniel Leader

“A fascinating study of the pursuit of daily bread and the human spirit, transporting the reader through American history, one loaf at a time.” -Amy Scherber

“An essential reference.” -Apollonia Poilâne

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS:

Andrew Coe is a writer and independent scholar specializing in culinary history. His new book, "American Bread: A History," will be published in October 2026. He and his wife, Jane Ziegelman, are co-authors of "A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression," which won a James Beard award. His ground-breaking "Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States" was a finalist for a James Beard award and named one of the best food books of the year by the Financial Times. He has written books, articles, and blog posts on everything from the ancient history of foie gras to the secret criminal past of chocolate egg creams to where to buy the tastiest bread in New York City. He has appeared in documentaries such as the National Geographic Channel's "Eat: The Story of Food" and "The Search for General Tso." He and his wife live Brooklyn with their two children.

Amy Halloran lives in Troy, New York, where she is writer in residence at the Hart Cluett Museum. Her book, The New Bread Basket profiles people who are reviving regional grain production. Her fiction has been published by Gargoyle and McSweeney’s. She is studying the twinned histories of the modern American loaf and the modern American woman, and working on a book about the myths and other ingredients that baked her, and her forebears.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Hearthside Chat: Family Businesses (10/13/2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Hearthside Chat: Family Businesses

Tuesday, October 13 | 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET | Via Zoom

What does it take for a family business to thrive across generations?

Join Amy Guittard of Guittard, Niki Russ Federman of Russ & Daughters, and Wilson Tang of Nom Wah Tea Parlor for a candid conversation about what it means to honor tradition while meeting the needs of a changing world.

From growing up in the business to stepping into leadership, our panelists will share stories of preserving what makes their businesses special while adapting to new opportunities, evolving customer expectations, and an ever-changing operating environment.

Moderating the conversation is Guild Board member Apollonia Poilâne of Paris's renowned Poilâne bakery, who shares her own perspective as a leader of one of the world's most celebrated family bakeries.

This is a rare opportunity to hear from the people shaping the future of these iconic family businesses.

ABOUT THE PANEL

Amy Guittard, Chief Marketing Officer at Guittard Chocolate Company, is the great-great-granddaughter of the company's founder and a fifth-generation member of the family business. She serves on the Chocolate Council for the National Confectioners Association; works closely with the World Cocoa Foundation; and regularly travels to origin to meet with farmers, buyers, and traders. Her mission is to translate the craft, science, and human stories behind chocolate for culinary professionals and chocolate lovers everywhere. She lives in San Francisco, California.

Niki Russ Federman is the fourth-generation co-owner of Russ & Daughters and co-author of the 2026 James Beard Award nominated cookbook Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing. At the age of 27, Niki chose to return to the shop in which she grew up. Together with her cousin, Josh, she has grown Russ & Daughters into what it is today, while preserving its cultural and culinary legacy. Russ Federman has been featured in The Sturgeon Queens, the award-winning documentary about Russ & Daughters; television shows such as Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations; and publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Food & Wine, Zagat, Vogue, and W Magazine. She was inducted into the Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame and has an encyclopedic entry in the Jewish Women’s Archive.

Photo of Niki Russ Ferderman by Dani Case.

Wilson Tang is the Owner and CEO of Nom Wah Tea Parlor, New York City’s oldest dim sum restaurant, which has been a Chinatown institution since 1920. The son of Chinese immigrants who worked in the restaurant and bakery industry, Wilson grew up helping in his family’s businesses before earning his degree from Pace University and pursuing a career in finance. In 2011, he left finance to take over Nom Wah from his uncle. Since then, Wilson has helped preserve and build upon the restaurant’s rich history while expanding the Nom Wah legacy to locations in Manhattan, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and China. He is also the co-author of The Nom Wah Cookbook, which celebrates the restaurant’s history and beloved recipes.

IN CONVERSATION WITH:

Apollonia Poilâne has been described as a “fierce defender of a magical tradition and also a brave innovator for a new era.” The precocious inheritor & leader of Paris’s most iconoclastic and celebrated bread bakery, Apollonia Poilâne stands at the helm of baking tradition that has been chartering new frontiers for three generations and is a singular authority in the world of bread.