March 17 / 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET  (Members Only)

*FREE*

Join us in a members-only conversation with Daniel Leader, artisan bread baker, author and educator. He is the founder of Bread Alone Bakery, an influential bakery in organic and artisan bread making.

Dan studied philosophy at the University of Wisconsin and went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After working in some of New York City’s top kitchens, he left the restaurant world to learn the art of baking bread.

A pioneer in bread baking, Dan opened his ‘Bread Alone Bakery’ in 1983 in Boiceville, N.Y. He has published several books on baking; his most recent is A Slow Rise: Favorite Recipes from Four Decades of Baking with Heart.

Dan will be talking with our director, Karen Bornarth, about his new book and about the past, present and future of artisan baking.

Day One:  March 23 / 3pm - 7pm ET   

Day Two:  March 24 / 8am - 4pm ET 

Day Three:  March 25 /8am - 4pm ET 

3728 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor, MI

Join us in Michigan this spring for Bread & Butter—three days of essential education in the business of baking. 

March 23-25 at ZingTrain, 3728 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor, MI. 

Designed for early-stage bakery owners and operators—but open to all—this in-depth, interactive conference will cover: 

• Bakery Finances 

• Smart Operational Choices 

• Creating Good Jobs and Building a Strong Team 

• Menu Design, Optimization, and Pricing 

• Choosing your Coffee Partner

You’ll leave with actionable concepts, practical tools, and fresh ideas to implement in your business, setting your bakery on a clear path to thrive. 

The Full Schedule 

Day One: Sunday, March 23 - 3:00 - 7:00 pm 

• Welcome to ZingTrain, our host 

• Zingerman's Bakehouse Tour 

• Keynote Address from Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman's co-founder: Creating a Vision of Greatness 

• Light Dinner 

Day Two: Monday, March 24 - 8:00 am - 4:00 pm 

• Bakery Finance 101, with Amy Emberling and Ron Maurer of Zingerman's 

10 Rules of Finance 

Profit & Loss Statements 

Cash Flow Statements 

Balance Sheets 

Putting Finance 101 to work in your bakery

• Breakfast & Lunch served 

Day Three: Tuesday, March 25 - 8:00 am - 4:00 pm 

• The Good Jobs Strategy:  Smart operations and investments in people make for a strong, profitable business, with Sandhya Mahadevan of the Good Jobs Institute 

• Choosing your Coffee Partner & Crafting the Best Guest Experience, with Evan DeVries of La Colombe

• Dough to Dollars: Menu Design, Optimization & Pricing, with Ederique Goudia of In the Business of Food 

• Breakfast & Lunch Served 

For more information, visit the Bread & Butter webpage. 

Read about our cancellation policy here.

Bread & Butter is sponsored by:

                      

April 7 / 4:00 - 5:15 pm ET

Chaos and the Price of Eggs: Crafting a Financial Strategy in Uncertain Times

The economy is wacky – the stock market is a roller coaster, GDP is faltering, consumer prices are up 2.5% in January 2025. Maybe we’ll have big tariffs to deal with; maybe we won’t.

With all this uncertainty it’s impossible to have a confident picture of the future for near-term business planning. Having a one-year or multi-year financial plan is important – but how does that help you navigate when basics – like the price of eggs -- are being tested daily or weekly? It’s not easy.

But it is possible to make plans and have benchmarks that help you make quick decisions even in a crazy, turbulent economy.

In fact, being agile in how you run your business is the key to doing well during economic downturns and other turbulent times.

In this workshop you will:

• Learn to ground your response to outside economic forces on your company’s financial position
• Understand different types of performance indicators and how to use them in your business.
• Get your specific questions answered in a 30 min Q&A – bring your financial questions to get the most out of this conversation.

This workshop is for bakery owners and operators who want solid financial results no matter what surprises 2025 bring.

With Christine Rico, Founder of CFO on Speeddial and Consulting Chief Financial Officer 

Twenty-five years of experience in business development, financial management, and coaching has equipped Christine with the skills to support business owners with critical financial decisions and building profit. Christine builds profitable companies that do good in the world and also happens to love all things food. Combining her skills and passions, Christine is a CFO who advises food companies on financial strategy and profit optimization while sharing in the delight of setting new food trends. She also helps to convene the annual Food Funded East event in New York City and is an active impact investor through Slow Money NYC and Investors Circle.  When not advising her clients, Christine mentors through FoodFutureCo.

CFO on Speeddial equips business owners and entrepreneurs with the accounting and financial strategies needed to maximize both profit and social impact.

  

April 8 / 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET

From Culture to Compensation:

A Bakery Owner’s Guide to Building a Strong Team. 

Part 1:   What are Your Culture & Core Values?

As a bakery owner or operator, you do a lot of important and impactful things--you create community, generate economic activity, and you nourish people, but perhaps the most important and difficult thing you do is create jobs and manage people.

In the first installment of this three-part series on building, managing, and motivating teams, Nancie Breunig of Companion Baking will explore how your bakery's culture and core values can serve as the foundation for a strong, successful team.

In this session, we will discuss:

• How to define your bakery’s culture
• What strengthens company culture and what weakens it
• How to identify and implement your core values

Your bakery’s culture and core values are the foundation of a thriving team. By understanding what shapes your workplace environment and aligning your core values with daily operations, you can foster a motivated, engaged, and successful staff. Join us for this insightful session  to gain practical strategies for strengthening your team and setting your bakery up for long-term success.

This session is part of a series.  You can purchase each session individually, or buy the bundle and save $5 per session.

With Nancie Breunig, Chief Happiness Officer for Companion Baking

My love of baking started when I was a child baking with my mother & grandmother.  There is magic that happens in the kitchen.  In my early 20’s, I had a career change  and followed my passions to attend The French Culinary Institute in NYC.  The rest really is history.  I have worked the gamut from 5 star to personal chef to corporate, QSR to bakery production. 

I joined Companion Baking in 2016 as an assistant production manager and shortly thereafter became the production manager.  After a few years, I took on the role of culture and development manager and I currently serve as the Chief Happiness Officer for Companion.  While I still have the opportunity to bake, my days now are focused on engagement, training, development & safety. 

Companion Baking, located in St. Louis, MO, was founded in 1993 by Josh Allen.  With a focus on the 4C’s – Companions, Customers, Community and Company – Companion has built a small family-owned business with strong reputation for doing things right.  They specialize in serving multi-unit concepts, retail growers and product development for food service innovators.

April 8, 15 & 22 / 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET

From Culture to Compensation:

A Bakery Owner’s Guide to Building a Strong Team (A 3-Part Virtual Series)

As a bakery owner or operator, you do a lot of important and impactful things--you create community, generate economic activity, and you nourish people, but perhaps the most important and difficult thing you do is create jobs and manage teams.

Join Nancie Breunig of Companion Baking for this three-part series on building, managing, and motivating bakery teams. From defining your bakery’s culture and core values to developing effective training programs and implementing fair reviews and compensation, each session will provide practical strategies to strengthen your team and set your business up for long-term success.

• Part 1 (April 8):  What are Your Culture & Core Values?

Your bakery’s culture and core values are the foundation of a thriving team. By understanding what shapes your workplace environment and aligning your core values with daily operations, you can foster a motivated, engaged, and successful staff. 

• Part 2 (April 15):  Employee Training & Development

Effective training is the key to a skilled, confident, and motivated team. By implementing clear training structures and standardizing processes, you can create a workplace where employees thrive and contribute to your bakery’s long-term success.

• Part 3 (April 22):  The Review Process & Compensation

Fair and thoughtful reviews, compensation, and benefits are essential for retaining a motivated and dedicated team. By understanding different approaches to performance evaluations and compensation structures, you can create a workplace that values and rewards employees effectively

Buy the series and save $5 per session!  Or, these sessions can also be purchased individually:

• Part 1: Culture & Core Values
• Part 2: Training & Development
• Part 3: Reviews & Compensation

With Nancie Breunig, Chief Happiness Officer for Companion Baking

My love of baking started when I was a child baking with my mother & grandmother.  There is magic that happens in the kitchen.  In my early 20’s, I had a career change  and followed my passions to attend The French Culinary Institute in NYC.  The rest really is history.  I have worked the gamut from 5 star to personal chef to corporate, QSR to bakery production. 

I joined Companion Baking in 2016 as an assistant production manager and shortly thereafter became the production manager.  After a few years, I took on the role of culture and development manager and I currently serve as the Chief Happiness Officer for Companion.  While I still have the opportunity to bake, my days now are focused on engagement, training, development & safety. 

Companion Baking, located in St. Louis, MO, was founded in 1993 by Josh Allen.  With a focus on the 4C’s – Companions, Customers, Community and Company – Companion has built a small family-owned business with strong reputation for doing things right.  They specialize in serving multi-unit concepts, retail growers and product development for food service innovators.

April 15 / 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET

From Culture to Compensation:

A Bakery Owner’s Guide to Building a Strong Team

Part 2:   Employee Training & Development: A Recipe for Success

As a bakery owner or operator, you do a lot of important and impactful things--you create community, generate economic activity, and you nourish people, but perhaps the most important and difficult thing you do is create jobs and manage teams.

In the second installment of this three-part series on building, managing, and motivating teams, Nancie Breunig of Companion Baking will show us how to train teams effectively and efficiently and for long-lasting success.

In this interactive session, we will explore:

• Writing training "recipes"
• Learning how to train anyone for anything
• Identifying areas for training in your bakery
• Standardizing training
• Developing a training matrix

Effective training is the key to a skilled, confident, and motivated team. By implementing clear training structures and standardizing processes, you can create a workplace where employees thrive and contribute to your bakery’s long-term success. Gain the tools you need to build a strong foundation for training and development in your bakery.

This session is part of a series.  You can purchase each session individually, or buy the bundle and save $5 per session.

With Nancie Breunig, Chief Happiness Officer for Companion Baking

My love of baking started when I was a child baking with my mother & grandmother.  There is magic that happens in the kitchen.  In my early 20’s, I had a career change  and followed my passions to attend The French Culinary Institute in NYC.  The rest really is history.  I have worked the gamut from 5 star to personal chef to corporate, QSR to bakery production. 

I joined Companion Baking in 2016 as an assistant production manager and shortly thereafter became the production manager.  After a few years, I took on the role of culture and development manager and I currently serve as the Chief Happiness Officer for Companion.  While I still have the opportunity to bake, my days now are focused on engagement, training, development & safety. 

Companion Baking, located in St. Louis, MO, was founded in 1993 by Josh Allen.  With a focus on the 4C’s – Companions, Customers, Community and Company – Companion has built a small family-owned business with strong reputation for doing things right.  They specialize in serving multi-unit concepts, retail growers and product development for food service innovators.

April 22 / 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET

From Culture to Compensation:

A Bakery Owner’s Guide to Building a Strong Team

Part 3:   The Review Process & Compensation

As a bakery owner or operator, you do a lot of important and impactful things--you create community, generate economic activity, and you nourish people, but perhaps the most important and difficult thing you do is create jobs and manage teams.

In the last installment of this three-part series on building, managing, and motivating teams, Nancie Breunig of Companion Baking will show us how to approach employee reviews, compensation and benefits.

We will explore:

• Elements of a review
• Traditonal vs nontraditional compensation
• Identifying and delivering key employee benefits

Fair and thoughtful reviews, compensation, and benefits are essential for retaining a motivated and dedicated team. By understanding different approaches to performance evaluations and compensation structures, you can create a workplace that values and rewards employees effectively. Join us for this insightful session to learn strategies for building a supportive and high-performing bakery team.

This session is part of a series.  You can purchase each session individually, or buy the bundle and save $5 per session.

With Nancie Breunig, Chief Happiness Officer for Companion Baking

My love of baking started when I was a child baking with my mother & grandmother.  There is magic that happens in the kitchen.  In my early 20’s, I had a career change  and followed my passions to attend The French Culinary Institute in NYC.  The rest really is history.  I have worked the gamut from 5 star to personal chef to corporate, QSR to bakery production. 

I joined Companion Baking in 2016 as an assistant production manager and shortly thereafter became the production manager.  After a few years, I took on the role of culture and development manager and I currently serve as the Chief Happiness Officer for Companion.  While I still have the opportunity to bake, my days now are focused on engagement, training, development & safety. 

Companion Baking, located in St. Louis, MO, was founded in 1993 by Josh Allen.  With a focus on the 4C’s – Companions, Customers, Community and Company – Companion has built a small family-owned business with strong reputation for doing things right.  They specialize in serving multi-unit concepts, retail growers and product development for food service innovators.

April 28 / 1:00 - 6:00pm PT

Guittard Chocolate Studio

2809 La Cienega Avenue

Los Angeles, CA

This immersive class with Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread will highlight ingredients like beans, corn, squash and chocolate.  

Mesoamerican farming traditions prioritize building the soil and supporting plants just as much as they focus on the yields of produce. This style of agriculture, known as a Milpa or guild system, takes an integrated approach. Nitrogen-fixing beans are planted alongside resource-hungry corn, with the beans climbing the corn stalks, which act as natural trellises. Broad-leafed squashes provide shade to their agricultural neighbors, which helps to slow evaporation.  

Arturo will explore how these essential ingredients can be adapted to support pastries and bread, similar to how they reinforce one another in the earth. By the end of this class, students will learn about:  

• The importance of nixtamalization for nutrition and texture  
• How to utilize squash and beans in baking  
• How to work with masa harina  

Throughout the class, Arturo will share original recipes such as:  

• Bean and Cheese Bolillo  
• Bean Bun  
• Pan de Pozole  
• Birote with Masa Harina  
• Pumpkin Cornbread  
• Squash Piloncillo Teacake  
• Milk Chocolate Champurrado  
• Roasted Squash Flatbread  

Arturo Enciso is a self-taught baker from Long Beach, California, with over a decade of experience. He has turned his hobby into a vocation with his artisan bakery, Gusto Bread, located on Retro Row in Long Beach (established in August 2020). His bakery exclusively uses sourdough in making both breads and sweet breads, embracing ancient wisdom and high-quality ingredients. Arturo believes that good food and bread foster connections among people and link us to the traditions and knowledge of the past, helping to build community and a brighter future together.

This class is hosted and sponsored by our partners at the Guittard Chocolate Company.

 

May 19 / 11am - 6pm ET Day 1  

May 20 / 9am - 4pm ET Day 2

King Arthur Baking Company,

Norwich, VT

Join us at King Arthur Baking and deepen your understanding of sourdough products and processes. In this course, we will produce a variety of breads and explore foundational factors such as build schedules, hydration, flour selection, and fermentation times. We will examine how temperature influences flavor profiles, dough characteristics and production timelines. Learning to manipulate these and other variables is critical to the baker’s success at any scale. The subject will be explored in its historical context with a focus on how principles affect production in real time.  

 By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Create functional sourdough maintenance schedules, to meet your bakery’s demands. 

• Select appropriate preferments, suitable for best outcomes. 

• Design breads  with an understanding of the dynamic relationship between percentages, prefermented flour, flour types, fermentation times, and temperatures.  

• Manipulate hydration and temperature, as seasons and daily needs dictate. 
  

***For this course, a basic knowledge of baker's percentages and some prior experience with sourdough is recommended. 

Lucas Diggle has been baking professionally since 2002. Prior to joining the Baking School in 2021, he spent ten years in King Arthur’s production bakery. He is one of a small number of bakers certified by the Bread Baker’s Guild of America and was a member of the team that traveled to Paris in 2018 to represent the United States at the Fête du Pain. He lives in Vermont with his wife and four beautiful children.