Challenge yourself and your bakers to get creative and compete in both sculpted bread and braided bread categories in a special “The Art of Bread Contest,” which will take place during the Midwest Foodservice Expo March13-15 at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Bakers Association is hosting this event, along with several other unique competitions, at the expo.

To register to attend or participate, visit http://www.wirestaurant.org/expo/engage/cake.php

The Art of the Bread Contest is open to beginners/students (up to 3 years of experience) and professionals (3-plus years of experience). Judging for the Art of the Bread Contest will be held at the Midwest Foodservice Expo on Monday, March 13.

Awards may include honorable mention, bronze, silver and gold medals.

The early registration deadline is Wednesday, February 15. The standard registration deadline is Wednesday, March 1. Fees are $30 for early registration (by Feb. 15) and $45 for standard registration (by March 1).

Requirements for each category:

Sculpted Bread

In this open category, competitors must produce a showpiece bread sculpture made entirely of edible ingredients (i.e. dead dough, live dough or decorative items consisting of edible ingredients, but may be considered inedible as part of display). The main focus of this category is on the overall artistic design. The sculpture may include any combination of doughs, flours, and decorative techniques. Taste will not be a factor in judging this category.

The sculpture must not exceed 24” x 24”. It can be presented on materials of your making or be displayed directly on the table provided. Sculptures must not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other intellectual property rights of any person or entity. Please include a short description of your decorative work.

Braided Bread

In this category, competitors will showcase the technique of braiding bread. Each braided loaf must have a minimum of 3-strands and must meet the weight requirement of 1-2 lbs. per loaf. A set of 2 but no more than 4 loaves may be entered. These loaves are designed for display. They must however, also be suitable for eating.

Flavor is up to you – sweet or savory. One of the loaves will be set to the side for tasting during professional judging. Braided breads will be judged on uniformity, crust, structure, eye appeal, and flavor. Please include a short description, including ingredients, of your braided breads.

Judging of the entries will be completed by a team of qualified judges selected by the Wisconsin Bakers Association. The judges’ decisions will be final. The judges will complete a comment sheet for each entry; copies of those sheets will be sent to the entrant after the competition.