Kneading Conference 2024

Farm-to-Table breakfast features pastries and locally sourced yogurt, granola, and fruit.

Learning how to make a good baguette is a window into understanding some of the basic principles of bread-making—hydration, time and temperature.  The lessons learned can be applied to many different styles of bread.  Join Karen Bornarth, Executive Director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America, to explore three different baguette formulas based on three distinct processes: a straight dough, a poolish, and pate fermentee.  We will also incorporate whole grains into our baguettes and try different shaping and scoring practices.

Thursday Options:

1. The Maine Meal:
   • Main Course: Chicken & Veggie OR Just Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad over Fresh Salad Greens
   • Sides: Fresh Sliced Oranges, Cookie
   • Contains wheat, egg, dairy
2. The Bankery:
   • Main Course: Minestrone Soup (Made with local vegetables, Gluten-free and dairy-free)
   • Sides: Biscuit (Crafted with local flour), Cookie (Oatmeal Raisin featuring local oats and flour)
3. The Miller's Table at Maine Grains:
   • Main Course: Crop Rotation Black Bean Burger (Crafted with Maine Grains organic oats, black beans, Cabot cheddar cheese, and chipotle mayo; vegan option available)
   • Sides: Side of sourdough country bread, Cabbage slaw, Morse’s sour pickle, Chocolate Rye cookie
4. Joe's Flatiron Café:
   • Main Course:
     • Butternut Squash & Quinoa Salad (Featuring local produce, served alongside a toasted garlic asiago bagel with hummus)
     • OR
     • Turkey Sandwich (Nestled between the warm embrace of a toasted plain or asiago bagel, features locally sourced Gouda cheese, succulent tomatoes, crisp mixed greens, onions for a zesty kick, all crowned with a crunchy pickle)

Discover the secrets of salt-rising bread, uncovering the magic of microbes and the incredible taste of locally sourced Maine Grains Heritage Flours. From a live demonstration of starter preparation to savoring freshly baked bread, this immersive experience will illustrate the importance of preserving traditional bread-making techniques and using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. This class will include a discussion of how microbes other than yeast contribute to the bread's unique flavor and texture. It will also offer insights on the bread’s history and cultural significance. Join us as we celebrate culinary heritage and empower you to create your own delicious salt-rising bread masterpieces.

Check back soon to learn more about this year's supper!