43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off^® Contest Judging

All recipes in the Bake-Off^® Contest are judged for appropriate use of eligible products, taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal.

1. Entries

All entries are sent to an independent judging agency. Only those entries sent online through the Bake-Off^® Contest web site are accepted.

2. Initial Screening

The agency screens all recipes to make sure all rules are met. Each eligible recipe is assigned a code number, and the entrant's name and address are removed. All coded recipes are sent to home economists who read each one for appropriate use of eligible products, taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal. The best recipes are then sent for kitchen testing.

3. Testing and Tasting

Test kitchen home economists prepare the selected recipes to ensure that they work consistently in home kitchens and are delicious recipes. Meanwhile, another team pores over a library of food publications and other recipe sources, making sure recipes have not been previously published or chosen as winners in cooking contests.

4. Notifying the Finalists

Once the 100 best recipes are selected, only then are the contestants notified. For the 100 finalists, this means a trip to the competition finals and the chance to vie for prizes and national recognition.

5. The Contenders Gather

Finalists are supplied with enough ingredients to make their recipes three times: once for photography, and once for the judges, with the third if needed. In a well-guarded room away from the contest area, judges chosen for their knowledge of good food sample each recipe. The identity of the finalists is unknown to the judges, who make their selections in jury-room secrecy.

6. And the Winner is...

At the final event, finalists wait in suspense for the announcement that names winners of cash and prizes, including the $1 million grand prize!