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.

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 

General Mills

Guittard & Co. 

JAC Machines

Lesaffre 

Revent  

RONDO 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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