The Bread Bakers Guild of America upcoming events

BreadTalks: Baking with Ancient Grains with Maria Speck (10/19/2026)

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMT

BreadTalks: Baking with Ancient Grains with Maria Speck in Conversation with Blair Marvin

Monday, October 19, 2026 | 5:00pm–6:00pm ET | Via Zoom

Ancient grains offer bakers new flavors, textures, and possibilities—but working with unfamiliar grains can also present challenges. How can you incorporate them consistently into your baking?

In her new book, Baking with Ancient Grains: Mediterranean-Inspired Recipes for Living Well, Maria Speck explores the range of possibilities these grains offer, from sourdough breads and flatbreads to savory pastries, cakes, cookies, and tarts. Her approach is rooted in wholesome flours, heart-healthy olive oil, and little to no added sugar, while celebrating the distinctive flavors, textures, colors, and aromas that whole and ancient grains can bring to the table. Maria’s work is rooted in her German and Greek upbringing, both countries with centuries-old grain traditions. She shares what makes each grain unique and how bakers can harness its characteristics to create flavorful, satisfying baked goods.

Maria will be joined by Blair Marvin, co-owner of Elmore Mountain Bread in Vermont. Blair has built a bakery around locally sourced, freshly milled grains. Her experience offers a real-world perspective on the challenges—and possibilities—of making these grains work in a professional bakery.

Ready to bring ancient grains into your own baking? Join us for a conversation about choosing and working with different grains and turning their unique qualities into baked goods worth putting on the menu.

Praise for Baking with Ancient Grains:

“Maria Speck has done it again in her new book. A new, broad collection of outstanding and delicious recipes using traditional and underutilized grains. From small bites to sweets, cakes, snacks, and wonderful breads—they all await you. Your baking and your health will never be the same after using Maria’s new book.”—Daniel Leader, James Beard Award–winning coauthor of Bread Alone, Local Breads, Living Bread, and A Slow Rise; founder, Bread Alone Bakery

“Maria Speck continues to raise the bar on baking with whole grains! Baking with Ancient Grains is essential for anyone seeking to innovate in their baking repertoire. The blend of cultural influences and dedication to quality invites the baking community to embark on a journey of discovery, embracing both the past and the possibilities of the future.”—Stephanie Swane, publisher, Modernist Cuisine’s The Cooking Lab

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Maria Speck

Veteran food writer and cookbook author Maria Speck is the author of the upcoming Baking with Ancient Grains, as well as Simply Ancient Grains and Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. Her work has received multiple awards, including a Julia Child cookbook award by the IACP and an M.F.K. Fisher cookbook award. The New York Times named her first book a notable cookbook, and Cooking Light included it as one of 100 best cookbooks of the past 25 years.

Raised in Greece and Germany, Maria has a lifelong passion for whole grains. She has contributed to numerous publications in both the US and Germany, including the Washington Post, Gourmet, Eating Well, Saveur, Gastronomica and Modernist Bread. The publisher of Modernist Cuisine, Stephanie Swane, included Maria among 20 Top Women Visionaries in bread and pizza in America. Follow her on Instagram @MariaSpeck and for more visit www.MariaSpeck.com.

Blair Marvin

Blair Marvin is the co-owner and head baker of Elmore Mountain Bread in Vermont. For more than two decades, she has been baking naturally leavened, wood-fired breads with a deep connection to local grains, farmers, and the agricultural community around her. Along with her husband, Andrew Heyn, Blair also co-founded New American Stone Mills, which grew out of their shared commitment to fresh-milled, locally grown grain and regional food systems. Blair is a passionate baker, teacher, and longtime member of the regional grain community, with a commitment to strengthening the connections between farmers, millers, bakers, and eaters.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Guildhall Gathering in Panama City, Panama (10/19/2026)

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Guildhall Gathering at Gamboa Baking Co. (Panama City, Panama)

October 19 I 7:00 - 9:00PM EST

Our first-ever international Guildhall Gathering is taking us all the way to Panama City, Panama!

Join us at Gamboa Baking Co. for an evening of wood-fired pizza, drinks, and conversation. Owner and baker Brian Winzenried will open the doors to his bakery for a tour and then fire up his signature tiled domed oven, turning out pizzas fresh from the flames. We'll also be joined by Guild Board Member, baker, and teacher Edna Cochez.

Guildhall Gatherings are all about community—a place to kick back over a beer, swap stories from the bench, and meet others who care deeply about the craft. Whether or not you're a Guild member, you’re invited to make new connections and experience the spirit of the Guild.

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Guildhall Gathering en Gamboa Baking Co. (Panamá City, Panamá)

19 de octubre I 7:00 - 9:00PM EST

Acompáñanos en Gamboa Baking Co. para una reunión muy especial de panaderos o panaderos en potencia, donde probaremos pizza al horno de leña, y habrá bebidas y buena conversación. El propietario y panadero Brian Winzenried abrirá las puertas de su panadería para ofrecernos un recorrido de sus instalaciones y luego encenderá su característico horno de pizza, donde preparará pizzas recién salidas del fuego. También contaremos con la presencia de Edna Cochez, miembro de la Junta Directiva del Guild, panadera y docente.

Los Encuentros Guildhall se centran en la comunidad: un espacio para relajarse, compartir una cerveza, intercambiar historias y experiencias del oficio, y conocer a otras personas apasionadas por la panadería artesanal. Seas o no miembro del Guild, estás invitado a establecer nuevas conexiones y vivir el espíritu del Guild.

Brian Winzenried is a classically trained baker with a career that began at the French Culinary Institute and continued through several bakeries in New York City. Brian later returned to take over a family bakery in Madison, Wisconsin, where he spent 12 years as owner and head baker, carrying on a tradition of craftsmanship while developing my own style and approach.

In 2024, his passion for baking brought him to Panama, where he opened Gamboa Baking Co. There, he has brought together his New York experience, family baking traditions, and a love of European-style baking and Neapolitan pizza. It’s an exciting new chapter in his journey, combining the techniques and traditions he learned throughout his career with the vibrant setting of Central America.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Baking Careers Beyond the Bench (11/02/2026)

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Baking Careers Beyond the Bench

Monday, November 2, 2026 | 5:00pm–6:30pm ET | Via Zoom

Are you a production baker wondering what else is out there? Or a student trying to map out where your baking career can take you besides the bench?

Join us for Baking Careers Beyond the Bench, a free virtual event connecting you with employers from across the baking industry, ingredient and equipment suppliers, commercial and wholesale bakeries, and industry affiliates.

We’ll be joined by baking professionals just like you, who started on the bench themselves before moving into roles in sales, R&D, technical service, quality assurance, equipment engineering, and more.

Each company representative will give a short introduction to their business, followed by breakout rooms where you can learn more about and talk directly with people who've made the transition you're curious about.

You'll come away with a better sense of:

What roles exist beyond production and ownership
What day-to-day work looks like in areas like sales, R&D, and quality assurance

How people got from the bench to where they are now

Which companies are hiring, and what they're looking for

Come and meet representatives from (companies subject to change):

AB Mauri

Bridor

Central Milling

Erika Baking Equipment

This program is a joint virtual event by the Bread Bakers Guild of America and the Retail Bakers of America. Free to everyone, limited space available.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Building Blocks: Ancient Grains with Nicky Giusto (11/03/2026)

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Building Blocks: Ancient Grains with Nicky Giusto

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 | 5:00pm–6:00pm ET | Via Zoom

Registration temporarily paused: We’re reviewing the class date and may need to reschedule. Registration is temporarily on hold while we confirm the details. Please check back for updates.

Ancient grains offer bakers unique flavors, textures, and baking possibilities. But different grains can behave very differently, and understanding those differences can help bakers make more informed choices about how they work with them.

In this class, miller and baker Nicky Giusto of Central Milling explores ancient and heritage grains, from spelt and einkorn to buckwheat and beyond. Nicky will discuss how different grains are sourced and milled, and how factors such as protein, gluten development, extraction, and other flour qualities affect their performance in the bakery.

By the end of this session, you will:

Understand the key differences among a range of ancient and heritage grains

Identify the qualities that distinguish different ancient grain flours

Understand how milling affects the characteristics and performance of these flours

Explore how protein, gluten development, extraction, and other factors affect baking performance

Identify appropriate applications for different ancientgrain flours

Whether you're already incorporating ancient grains into your baking or simply want to better understand these versatile ingredients, this session will give you a deeper foundation for evaluating, selecting, and working with ancient grain flours.

This class is free for Guild Members.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

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 has coached Team USA at a recent competition, in addition to starting the Artisan Baking Center in Petaluma, CA.

Presented in partnership with Central Milling.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

BreadTalks: Breaducation with Andrew Janjigian (11/09/2026)

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

BreadTalks: Breaducation with Andrew Janjigian and Dayna Evans

Monday, November 9, 2026 | 5:00pm–6:00pm ET | Via Zoom

In his new book, Breaducation, Andrew Janjigian takes a deep dive into the science and fundamentals behind great bread—from ingredients and dough chemistry to fermentation, time, temperature, and the many variables that shape a finished loaf. Drawing on more than two decades of baking, rigorous testing, and lessons learned from other bakers, Andrew distills that experience into a thoughtful exploration of the processes that lead to better baking.

For this BreadTalks conversation, Andrew will be joined by Dayna Evans of Downtime Bakery to talk about the process of writing a book as extensive, detailed, and rigorously tested as Breaducation; what tips, tricks, and best practices rose to the surface for Janjigian as he explored bread baking as an ever-evolving craft; and what he hopes Guild members will get out of a cookbook as thorough and expansive as his.

Praise for Breaducation:

"Andrew Janjigian leaves no loaf unturned in his adventure into what we all love so dearly—bread. As comprehensive as it is approachable, this book will make you a better, more thoughtful baker.”—Maurizio Leo, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Loaf

“In Breaducation, Andrew has written a generous, practical, and deeply informed book that helps bread bakers build confidence, refine their process, and make better bread with intention.”—Aran Goyoaga, three-time James Beard finalist, author of The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, and creator of Cannelle et Vanille

“The most clear-headed, authoritative, science-driven, and practical guide to bread baking I’ve seen.”—J. Kenji López-Alt, author of The Food Lab and The Wok

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Andrew Janjigian is the head baker at Wordloaf, the IACP-nominated “breaducational” newsletter focused on all things bread, baking, flour, and grains. Before launching Wordloaf, Janjigian was a test cook and senior editor at America’s Test Kitchen’s Cook’s Illustrated magazine, where he worked for eleven years. He developed more than a hundred recipes, including more than two dozen of the company’s most popular bread and pizza formulas. Since leaving ATK, he continues to develop recipes and write about food and baking for venues including Serious Eats, Chef Steps, King Arthur Baking Company, Epicurious, Edible Boston, Anova, and Ooni.

Photo of Andrew by Melissa Rivard

Dayna Evans is the co-owner and head baker of Downtime Bakery, a bakery and cafe based in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. The bakery, which she opened with her husband, Sam Carmichael, in 2024, specializes in naturally leavened breads made with organic and locally milled grains, as well as pastries and baked goods made with seasonal, local produce. She is working on her first book.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Artisan and Automation: the Craft & the Machine (11/10/2026)

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Artisan and Automation: The Craft & the Machine

Tuesday, November 10|9:30–4:30 PM CT| Buffalo Grove, IL

What happens when artisan baking meets automation? Can equipment improve consistency and efficiency without sacrificing the qualities that make artisan bread special?

In this hands-on, full-day session, we’ll explore those questions alongside the Glimek team at Coop Equipment Distributors. The day will include:

Hands-On Production: Start the day by working with a dough formula developed by the Glimek team and running the full line.

Explore the Equipment: After lunch, get hands-on with the equipment, learn about operation, cleaning, and maintenance, and connect with the Glimek team from Sweden.

Open Dialogue: Close the day with a facilitated discussion about automation, artisan quality, and the role of the baker.

Participants will take away:

A clear view of where automation extends artisan quality and improves efficiency.

Deeper dough fluency: how a formula behaves by hand versus on a line.

Real confidence on a live Glimek line—running, cleaning, and maintaining it.

OUR SPEAKERS

Niklas Alricsson, Chief Commercial Officer, Sveba Dahlen
Niklas leads Sveba Dahlen's commercial organization, overseeing global sales and the distributor partnerships that bring Sveba Dahlen ovens and Glimek dough lines to bakeries worldwide.

Magnus Soeson, Area Sales Manager, Sveba Dahlen
Magnus manages sales across the Americas, Africa, Scandinavia, and much of Europe, including France, Benelux, and Poland. He is the direct link between the factory and regional partners for Sveba Dahlen and Glimek equipment.

Åsa Ericsson, Marketing Manager, Sveba Dahlen
Åsa heads marketing for Sveba Dahlen and is a frequent voice for the brand in the trade press. Her focus is premium positioning, energy efficiency, total cost of ownership, and labor-saving automation.

Kara Schlagheck, CEO, Coop Equipment Distributors
Kara leads Coop with nearly 20 years of experience in distribution and supply chain. She strengthens client relationships through proactive, solutions-focused support, grounded in integrity and a commitment to excellence.

Sara Rasavongxay, COO, Coop Equipment Distributors
Sara oversees Coop's operations, drawing on 20 years in supply chain management. Her focus is customer strategy and demand planning, and she is a collaborative leader at the core of the Coop team.

Jennifer Anzaldi, Director of Business Development, North America, Coop Equipment Distributors
Jennifer drives Coop's growth across North America, with expertise in client relations, distribution, and business development. Her solutions-focused approach makes her a strong advocate for Coop's customers.

Presented in partnership with Glimek and Coop Equipment Distributors .

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Hey Honey! A Virtual Class and IRL Tasting (12/01/2026)

Tue, 01 Dec 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Hey Honey!

December 1, 2026 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm ET | Via Zoom

Honey is a baker’s best friend—adding depth of flavor, boosting functionality in doughs and batters, and offering a natural story your customers connect with.

Join Keith Seiz from the National Honey Board to explore honey in all its forms. We’ll cover:

Varietals and flavor profiles

The bees and process behind honey production

Practical applications for baking

Participants will receive a honey tasting kit to sample during the session (must register by Wednesday, November 18, 2026 to receive the kit). You’re welcome to join even without the kit.

This session is presented in partnership with the National Honey Board.

The National Honey Board (NHB) is an industry-funded agriculture research and promotion group, operating under USDA oversight, that works to increase the awareness and use of honey. Through research, marketing, and education, the NHB highlights honey’s benefits, supports bee health, and provides resources for both consumers and food professionals.

About the presenter:

For the last nine years, Keith Seiz has traveled the country helping food and beverage manufacturers use more honey in their products. It’s his passion, and one that has him working with companies ranging from retail bakers to craft breweries. Before working for the National Honey Board, Keith served as editor and associate publisher of a trade publication that covered the wholesale baking industry.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

BagelUp Industry Pro Tour and Class (12/08/2026)

Tue, 08 Dec 2026 15:00:00 GMT

BagelUp Industry Pro Tour and Class

December 8 / 10am - 4pm ET

Join us in New York City for an immersive journey into the craft, culture, and business of bagels. This unique program connects professionals and passionate enthusiasts with the people and places that define the city’s bagel scene—and reveal its exciting career and profit potential.

Guided by Sam Silverman, founder of BagelUp and NYC’s “Bagel Ambassador,” who will provide expert insights into the city’s dynamic bagel scene. You’ll visit two iconic bagel shops in Brooklyn and hear directly from shop owners and operators, about the history, cultural significance, and lasting appeal of bagels, and what it takes to thrive in today’s market.

The day concludes with a hands-on class at Bagel Market, led by award-winning baker Reva Castillenti. Learn to refine your bagel-making skills by comparing dough formulas, mastering the rope-and-loop shaping method, and picking up pro tips to take your bagel game to the next level.

The Bagel Lineup (locations subject to change):

1. Russ & Daughters (Brooklyn Navy Yard)

2. Apollo Bagels (Williamsburg)

3. Bagel Market (Midtown Manhattan)

Presented in partnership with the King Arthur Baking Company

Getting There and Back: The tour will meet at Russ & Daughters, located inside Building 77 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Please allow extra travel time both to reach the Navy Yard and to locate the meeting point. The tour will end in Midtown Manhattan. If you need to return to Brooklyn afterward, plan to take public transportation, a taxi, or a rideshare.

Speakers:

Sam Silverman, known as New York’s “Bagel Ambassador,” is the Founder & CEO of BagelUp, the company behind NYC Bagel Tours, the New York BagelFest, and a growing portfolio of bagel-centric experiences.

Sam is dedicated to celebrating and elevating bagel culture through immersive classes, guided tastings, and large-scale events, most notably, the annual New York BagelFest at Citi Field, which now draws over 2,000 attendees and dozens of vendors from around the world. In 2023, he was named one of Brooklyn Magazine’s “50 Most Fascinating People” for building a national platform around this iconic food.

Before founding BagelUp, Sam held roles in business operations at Bridgewater Associates and Walmart, where he led complex projects and helped scale strategic initiatives, experience that shaped his unique ability to blend hospitality, storytelling, logistics, and community building.

Reva Castillenti is an award winning baker and service industry professional with over 12 years experience working in New York City kitchens.

Reva started her career as a sculptor, but eventually found her true passion in the art of bread-baking. Castillenti cut her teeth at bakeries such as Bakeri and Meyers Bageri, before opening her own micro-bakery Bread & Roses. Bread & Roses received accolades from US Bread Awards in 2018 and 2019 placing in the top 10 for all categories entered, and top 2 for Bagels both years. She has been featured in Time Out New York “New York pastry chefs are creating underground dessert pop-ups” in 2020 and Eater (Portland, Or) “A New Underground Bakery in Portland Teaches You How to Make New York-Style Bagels”.

Reva discovered her passion for teaching while leading bread-making workshops at The Brooklyn Kitchen and has since taught thousands of students how to bake their own bread. She is the owner and operator of Small Good Bakery, a consulting firm that helps new and established businesses with recipe development, equipment sourcing, staff training, and operational systems.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community