The Bread Bakers Guild of America upcoming events

Indian Flours and Flatbreads (08/17/2026)

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Indian Flours and Flatbreads

Monday, August 17, 2026 | 4:00pm – 6:00pm ET Via Zoom

In this two-hour virtual class, Chef Richard LaMarita, instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, will explore a variety of Indian flatbreads and the techniques behind making them. Drawing on his expertise in Ayurvedic cooking and his experience at New York's acclaimed Tabla restaurant, Richard will introduce you to the three primary cooking methods used to create Indian flatbreads—griddle-baked, griddle-fried, and deep-fried—and demonstrate three distinctive breads, including naan, chapati, and poori.

He'll also discuss the essential flours and staple ingredients used throughout Indian bread making, explaining how they contribute to the unique character of these breads.

Whether you're a baker looking to expand your repertoire or simply eager to explore one of the world's richest bread traditions, you'll leave with a deeper understanding of Indian flatbreads.

Our Instructor:

Rich LaMarita

Richard LaMarita is a Chef-Instructorat the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City, teaching Health-Centered Culinary Arts career classes and leading recreational classes on Ayurvedic, Asian and vegan cuisines.

Prior to joining ICE, he was a Chef-instructor in the world-renowned plant-based program at the Natural Gourmet Institute, NYC, for 25 years. His specialty, along with vegetarian and vegan cooking, is Indian and Italian. He is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in having completed the Culinary Arts and Culinary Management Program and he has worked with numerous chefs in NYC, including Chef Floyd Cardoz, Dan Kluger and Ben Pollinger at Tabla Restaurant. Rich has been a practitioner and teacher of Ayurveda, a science of life, health and balance, for 35 years. He has studied with Vedic and Ayurvedic master, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and has led seminars on Ayurveda, including Ayurvedic Diet, Cooking, Yoga and Meditation throughout the U.S., and in Europe and Asia.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

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

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