January 12 / 4-5pm ET

The Bakery Leadership Circle is a program designed to support bakery owners and operators in tackling some of their stickiest business challenges through education and peer consulting activities.

If you would like to learn more about the Bakery Leadership Circle, join us for this information session via zoom.

The tools I learned in the BLC will take me through many journeys ahead.  This program far exceeded any expectations that I had. I felt the value of the program was far beyond the monetary investment and I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a leadership course in the bakery world.  

-Kevin Masse, Small State Provisions

In this cohort-based program, we will meet via Zoom every week from March 1 to June 15 with work and assignments between sessions.  Each session will include a facilitated exercise where members will identify real-life bakery challenges and the group will share insights to spark new ideas and solutions.

Outside of the Zoom sessions, Circle members will have access to a private discussion forum, where they can share ideas, dig deeper into challenges and receive feedback.

By the end of the program, you will develop one or more actionable goals to implement at your bakery. 

Who should participate?

The Circle is for owners and senior-level operators of all types of bakeries that have been in business for at least 3 years and that employ teams of 5 or more employees.

What will you gain from this program?

• Improved business operations and performance
• Leadership skills
• Effective approaches to team management
• Improved job quality
• A supportive peer group
• Clear business goals and a path to achieve them
• Clarity and confidence

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

New Member Orientation

January 13 / 4:00 - 5:15pm ET

We’re thrilled to welcome you to the Bread Bakers Guild of America! Join us for a virtual orientation (via Zoom) to learn more about the resources, connections, and opportunities available to you as a member, including:

• Connect with other Guild members and build your baking community
• Meet the team and Board
• Hear what's happening in education and events
• Tour our website
• Learn how to get the most out of your membership and how to get involved

We will hold these sessions every couple of months, and all members are invited to join us, not just our newest ones.  We hope to see you there!

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Bakery Numbers You Should Know + Get to Know the Bread Bakers Guild of America

January 20 / 5:00 - 6:00pm ET

You don’t need to be an accountant to run a profitable bakery—but you do need to know which numbers matter.  

In this 20-minute learning session led by Scott France, President of Macrina Bakery and Treasurer of the Guild’s Board of Directors, we’ll look at a small set of key metrics every bakery should be tracking, and how they connect to real operational decisions—from production and staffing to pricing and growth.  

Ideal for small– to medium–sized bakery owners and operators, this session is designed for those building systems or refining what’s already in place. You’ll leave with practical takeaways—and a glimpse into the kind of baker-led education the Guild offers.  

After the session, stick around for a brief introduction to the Bread Bakers Guild of America with Executive Director Karen Bornarth and Education & Events Manager Wai Chu. You’ll learn about member benefits and how our education, events, and community support bakers at every stage of their journey. We’ll close with time for questions and conversation.  

Speaker: Scott France

Scott is the President and Co-owner of Macrina Bakery in Seattle.  Macrina delivers fresh breads and pastries to hundreds of customers in the Puget Sound region 364 days a year. They also have five cafes (soon to be six!) all of which help to further their mission: To enrich our communities through the joy of artisan baking. Leslie Mackie, their founder, was a Guild board member from 2010 to 2016 and Scott is happy to continue this legacy of service.  Prior to Macrina, Scott was CFO at Pagliacci Pizza, their sister company. Outside of work, Scott spends most of his time with his wife Renée and their teenage children, Maddy and Ryan.  They love hiking, biking, playing soccer, traveling, watching movies and eating great bread!

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Pizza Fundamentals: Dough, Process, and Style

A Two-Part Lecture Series via Zoom

January 26, 2026 / 4:00-5:00 pm ET

February 2, 2026 / 4:00-5:00pm ET

Making great pizza involves a somewhat different set of skills than bread, and understanding those differences is key to consistent, high-quality results. This two-part series with professional pizza consultant Noel Brohner of Slow Rise Pizza Co. will deepen your understanding of what goes into making great pizza. Noel will share not only the recipes and techniques but also the insights working pizza makers rely on, along with proven methods that can be applied in bakery or restaurant settings.   

Part 1: Understanding the Dough 

January 26 

In the first session, Noel breaks down the ingredients and processes involved in pizza dough production and highlights the technical considerations that distinguish pizza from bread. You’ll take a closer look at the variables that matter most in pizza dough, including: 

• Ingredient selection and flour types 

• Yeast types, preferments, and sourdough 

• Salt, oil, and other inputs that influence fermentation, dough strength, and finally pizza texture and flavor 

• Core process elements: mixing styles, gluten development, fermentation strategies, dough handling, and shaping options 

Part 2: Putting Theory to Practice 

February 2 

The second session focuses on application and evaluation. This class offers practical strategies and real-world troubleshooting approaches that can be put to use immediately. Noel will cover: 

• Best practices across the pizza-making process, from dough handling to topping and baking 

• Equipment considerations, including oven choices, pan types, baking surfaces, peels, and screens 

• Core pizza styles from New York and Neo-Neapolitan to Detroit and Roman and beyond 

• Troubleshooting dough formulas, overcoming fermentation issues, fine-tuning the bake 

• Emerging trends in pizza and so much more… 

Whether you’re looking to add pizza to a bakery program or refine an existing operation, this class offers a clear, practical framework taught by a seasoned professional who has coached chefs and pizza makers in pizzerias and restaurants worldwide. Bring your questions and deepen your understanding of pizza fundamentals.

   Instructor:

Noel Brohner is the founder of Slow Rise Pizza Co. and a professional pizza and bread consultant with over 40 years of experience in pizzerias, restaurants, and hospitality. He works with chefs, pizza makers, artisan bakers, and culinary teams to establish consistent, scalable production processes for new and existing pizza and bread programs. Slow Rise Pizza offers on-site and virtual consulting, staff training, recipe development, kitchen design, and a suite of live and on-demand classes. Noel is known for translating complex recipes and practices into clear, practical protocols. It’s been said that his life revolves around pizza. Not eating pizza — perfecting it. 

Smarter Tools for Better Baking: Dividers

February 24 / 4:00-5:00 pm ET

Hand-dividing dough can be hard on both the baker and the consistency of the final product. As your bakery grows, a dough divider can lighten the load—boosting efficiency while maintaining quality and craftsmanship.  

In this class, we’ll explore the divider options most relevant to small- and medium-sized bakeries, with a focus on hydraulic dividers and divider-rounders. We’ll also touch on larger systems like volumetric dividers and stress-free dividers, and multi-row machines, so you’ll understand the full landscape.  

Alongside features and functionality, we’ll look at how these units fit into your daily workflow and long-term plans, including:   

• Choosing the right divider for your space, doughs, and production needs  

• How dividers handle different dough styles, including higher-hydration doughs  

• How these tools can save labor, improve consistency, and help your bakery scale without compromising quality  

Patricia Juncal Luques of  Erika Baking Equipment will share her expertise and real-world insights to help you pick the equipment that can help you bake smarter, not harder, allowing you more time to focus on your craft. 

Speaker: 

Patricia Juncal Luques is an experienced Pastry Chef and Sales Consultant at Erika Baking Equipment for over 6 years, and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. 

She has experience both as a baker on the production floor and in operational management. This includes working at Keith McNally’s Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria, Crystal Springs Resort, Carlo's Bakery, and The Fresh Market. 

She now leverages her experience and insight to help fellow bakers streamline their production with meaningful equipment solutions. One of her biggest passions is helping clients solve non-conventional production issues with unique adaptations of equipment solutions. 

Good Jobs Make Good Business Sense

March 2 / 4:00-5:30 pm ET

Many food businesses struggle to keep great people—and the constant cycle of recruiting and retraining drains time, profit, and hurts the company’s ability to delight customers.   

Join the Guild and the Good Jobs Institute for a dynamic introduction to the Good Jobs Strategy, a research-backed approach that strengthens business performance by building a strong frontline engine. You’ll learn how other companies have combined targeted employee investments and smart operational choices to build stable, motivated teams who drive lasting customer and business value.   

Led by Sandhya Mahadevan, Director at the Good Jobs Institute, this session will walk you through the elements of the Good Jobs Strategy and case studies of companies who have implemented the strategy to build resilient and profitable operations. 

You'll leave with a clear understanding of why good jobs are central to good business and real-world examples of how forward-thinking leaders are building more stable, profitable, and people-centered operations.   

Sandhya Mahadevan

Director, Good Jobs Institute

Sandhya helps executives at frontline-intensive companies use the Good Jobs Strategy to enhance employee, customer, and business outcomes. Previously at Sol Systems, Sandhya worked with business leaders to implement onsite solar and battery storage projects to meet their carbon management goals. Sandhya holds a BSFS in Science, Technology, and International Affairs from Georgetown University and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.