Seventeen contestants squared off in the Triangle Amateur Baking Contest Friday evening.
As those watching the competition enjoyed artisanal bread and piping-hot chili, the contestants tested their baking skills in two separate competitions at Ninth Street Bakery. Organized by the owner of the bakery, Ari Berenbaum, participants prepared three loaves in each competition—the multi-ingredient and four ingredient. The entries were evaluated on a 100-point scale based on appearance, crust, crumb and overall quality.
Although prizes were doled out for first, second and third place, most participants were there to enjoy each other’s company and test their own skills. Those not involved in the competition enjoyed light jazz and could sample the loaves for $8 a piece.
“We’ll hopefully bring people out and celebrate good bread,” Berenbaum said of the bakery’s goal for the night.
Christopher Johnston and Matthew Novak emerged as the night’s victors, receiving first place in the multi-ingredient and the four-ingredient categories respectively. Contestants could only bake with water, flour, yeast and salt in the four-ingredient category.
Johnston said he took off a full day of work to prepare the bread for the competition. Others took a relaxed approach.
“I started baking a few weeks ago and this was something to do on a Friday,” said Joel Guerrero, who entered a simple sourdough bread.
Eric Ward, Trinity ‘82, said he has been baking since graduate school but never entered a formal competition before.
“I’ve still got all the jitters,” Ward said before judging began.
Charlotte Agger, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Asa Palley, a Ph.D. candidate in the Fuqua School of Business, entered the competition as a pair. Vying for the “four-ingredient” victory, they submitted non-leavened noni loaves, a traditional staple of Afghan cuisine.
“We bake all the time and we’re here to see the new loaves,” Agger said.
Although everyone could not take home the win, losing did not dampen the spirits of non-placing contestants.
“It was pretty cool to be around a bunch of other bread dorks,” said David Sittser, who earned second and third places in the two contests.
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