The taste of the beetroot amaretto rolls at the 2019 National Festival of Breads stuck out to Maggie Sleichter, who attended the event in Manhattan, Kansas, with her grandmother. She found the bread fun to make, so she used it as the inspiration, with a zesty flavor twist, for her entry in the 2021 Virtual National Festival of Breads — Strawberry Lemonade Swirls. 

“Strawberry lemonade is a flavor combination that I’ve never tried in bread before,” Sleichter, who lives in Clay Center, Kansas, said. “When I made the beetroot rolls, there was one that — instead of a making it into the wreath — we made it into a spiral shape. Since all the strawberry lemonade-flavored bread that I’ve seen online are loaves, I thought this was going to be a fun challenge.” 

In addition to using frozen strawberries, fresh lemon juice and zest and Truvia sweetener, she used KING ARTHUR® All-Purpose Flour and RED STAR® Quick-Rise Yeast for her recipe, which received top scores for taste and quality. Her swirls have an attractive appearance due to the red strawberry jam swirled in the lemon-flavored dough. Sleichter suggested home bakers make sure to boil the strawberry jam long enough until the mixture is thick and spreadable, and to continue experimenting until the recipe is just right. 

“My biggest tip for recipe success is to try again and again,” she said. “If you’re having a problem with measurement sizes, use something that’s the size you need as a template to cut it out.”