Recipe Title: Blueberry Blossom Tree Braids

As a high school senior, Madee McKee helped create the “Sweet and Simple” coffee shop as part of an internship class in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department. The shop featured coffee, pastries, breakfast creations and breads — all to go. 

As she developed recipes for teens, she modified a traditional white bread recipe using a technique she learned in a Baking and Pastry Internship Class. Add a few extra ingredients, and the result was Blueberry Blossom Tree Braids — her entry in the 2021 Virtual National Festival of Breads. The creative sculpture and well-written instructions earned her a spot in the June 9 event as the winner of the Creative Bread Shape category of the Youth Division. 

“With the addition of buttermilk, honey and dark expresso to the ingredient list, it gave my recipe that morning twist of sweet coffee to start my day,” McKee, who lives in Wamego, Kansas, said. “Enjoy!” 

The dough recipe includes KING ARTHUR® All-Purpose Flour and RED STAR® Platinum Yeast. The dough is separated into 18 even rolls, each of which is rolled into a log and twisted together to form a blossom. Each blossom features a dollop of blueberry jam in the center, which the evaluators said gave the design even more visual impact and made the bread even tastier. 

McKee will join one other youth and three adult finalists on June 9 for the biennial National Festival of Breads. The virtual festival will premiere on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NationalFestivalOfBreads. Like the National Festival of Breads Facebook page or sign up for the festival’s newsletter to stay up-to-date on event details, connect with other attendees, and get notified when the event goes live on June 9, 2021.

Then join the event premiere to see all of the finalists' recipes, hear from the finalists and sponsors, and find out who will be crowned the “Best of Breads” Champion in America’s bread baking championship. 

Learn more at www.NationalFestivalofBreads.com.