She and her bread rose to the challenge.

Dara Reimers of Auburn was named to the U.S. team Tuesday night for the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie – considered the Olympics of Baking.

It’ll be held in Paris next March and April.

On Sunday, Reimers faced two competitors in the artistic design nationals in San Francisco, held during Camp Bread, an event by the Bread Bakers Guild of America.

The kitchen was filled with campers and judges and bakers.

“My adrenaline was really high,” said Reimers, 47, an accountant by day. “New oven, new environment. It was a lot going on.”

She’s been an artisan baker almost 20 years.

It took her 8 hours and 5 minutes to finish the seasonal-inspired design that included trees, snowflakes and lightning bolts, all made from bread. Her score was docked for being five minutes over the 8-hour limit and a little taller than the meter-high cutoff.

“I had to sacrifice one element,” Reimers said. “I have a wheat field, it just got too dark in the oven.”

Early Tuesday afternoon, she said she felt like practice paid off.

“I did what I set out to do,” Reimers said. “It’s been very exciting, it’s just really great to be here around peers. People have been very kind.”

The U.S. sends one three-person team to the Coupe du Monde every three years. Each baker has their own specialty. The U.S. is the reigning champion.

It was her one and only shot at making the team: cutoff for the competition is age 50.

Reimers now faces a year of regular team practices in San Francisco.