The Great British Bake Off: Bread
August 23, 2015 4:01 PM - Season 6, Episode 3 - Subscribe
The ten remaining bakers face bread week.
Starting with the signature challenge, the bakers must tackle a Bake Off first and make quick breads - with no proving necessary, the bakers have an hour and a half to get creative with their flavours. Ranging from sweet chocolate loaves to manchego and prosciutto stuffed bread, the finished loaves are a delight, and one even earns a handshake from Paul.
In another Bake Off first, Paul sets baguettes as the technical challenge. A seemingly simple recipe, everyone knows what a baguette looks like... or do they? The pressure of the tent gets to a few of the bakers, and the finished baguettes result in one of Paul's most brutal judgings.
For their show-stopper, the bakers must make edible 3-D bread sculptures. As one baker says, 'it's doughverload', with another making enough bread to start up his own bakery. Mary and Paul have to work their way through a bicycle, a snake, an array of flowers, a lion and even the Brighton Pavilion, all made of bread. The results are impressive - so much so that one baker renders Paul speechless by making the best bread sculpture he's ever seen.
description via bbc iplayer
Starting with the signature challenge, the bakers must tackle a Bake Off first and make quick breads - with no proving necessary, the bakers have an hour and a half to get creative with their flavours. Ranging from sweet chocolate loaves to manchego and prosciutto stuffed bread, the finished loaves are a delight, and one even earns a handshake from Paul.
In another Bake Off first, Paul sets baguettes as the technical challenge. A seemingly simple recipe, everyone knows what a baguette looks like... or do they? The pressure of the tent gets to a few of the bakers, and the finished baguettes result in one of Paul's most brutal judgings.
For their show-stopper, the bakers must make edible 3-D bread sculptures. As one baker says, 'it's doughverload', with another making enough bread to start up his own bakery. Mary and Paul have to work their way through a bicycle, a snake, an array of flowers, a lion and even the Brighton Pavilion, all made of bread. The results are impressive - so much so that one baker renders Paul speechless by making the best bread sculpture he's ever seen.
description via bbc iplayer
I wasn't surprised by this week's bottom contestant (and especially not after Mary Berry spoiled it), but I was surprised to see Ian get Star Baker twice in a row - I thought Flora had it wrapped up.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 4:53 PM on August 23, 2015
posted by everybody had matching towels at 4:53 PM on August 23, 2015
I had only seen one Comic Relief episode of this show before, because I was a fan of a contestant, but when I saw the new season pop up on FanFare I decided to see what it was like in a regular season. And I have to saw, I really like it! As an American, I ca't tell you how refreshing it is to see a cooking show where no one was chosen because they are a bad person who will create interesting drama. It is simply, as they said in this episode, a straightforward quest to find the best amateur bakers in the country.
This episode: man that baguette challenge was sort of mean, wasn't it? I guess it was a test of knowledge and experience and not a test of ability to read a recipe, but man that was brutal.
Also, I've never made a quick bread in my life, but some of these looked amazing.
Dorret's been a marked woman since day 1, so no huge surprise there.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:05 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
This episode: man that baguette challenge was sort of mean, wasn't it? I guess it was a test of knowledge and experience and not a test of ability to read a recipe, but man that was brutal.
Also, I've never made a quick bread in my life, but some of these looked amazing.
Dorret's been a marked woman since day 1, so no huge surprise there.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:05 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Baguettes are somewhat of a platonic ideal for bread bakers. A perfect baguette is really a showcase of many techniques, and some of the most challenging techniques, like shaping and slashing, are most critical. Also, flours vary dramatically, and so too does hydration. I'm a pretty accomplished and experienced bread baker; I avoid baguettes, they are too easy to screw up.
I was very impressed by the cornucopia, it was beautifully constructed, as was the lion, and the bicycle. Braiding that much is no joke.
I can't believe Dorett didn't even practice, that's crazy talk.
posted by smoke at 4:19 AM on August 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
I was very impressed by the cornucopia, it was beautifully constructed, as was the lion, and the bicycle. Braiding that much is no joke.
I can't believe Dorett didn't even practice, that's crazy talk.
posted by smoke at 4:19 AM on August 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
The lion was amazing, but my favorite piece this week was the bike. I mean it was FREE-STANDING!
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:19 AM on August 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:19 AM on August 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I can't believe Dorett didn't even practice, that's crazy talk.
One wonders if she wasn't self-sabotaging after the disaster in week one.
posted by Diablevert at 5:13 PM on September 7, 2015
One wonders if she wasn't self-sabotaging after the disaster in week one.
posted by Diablevert at 5:13 PM on September 7, 2015
as an american, i found the quick bread section so interesting because if you told me to cook quick breads, they'd be sweet, like banana bread. that portion was filled with great ideas as we move into soup season.
posted by nadawi at 8:16 PM on October 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 8:16 PM on October 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
oh! and! i would watch a whole show about wedding bread artists from 7 different places or whatever
posted by nadawi at 8:23 PM on October 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by nadawi at 8:23 PM on October 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is the first episode where I r ally wanted to try to make all the recipes myself, and probably have a realistic chance of success doing so. Paul's lion was fantastic. And I do love the concept of a Bread Unmade Bread. Too bad for Dorrit that it didn't turn out better!
posted by bq at 9:08 AM on February 8, 2016
posted by bq at 9:08 AM on February 8, 2016
I am just loving Nadia's over the top facial expressions. She looks so comically worried. And then so joyous.
posted by janell at 11:01 PM on June 25, 2016
posted by janell at 11:01 PM on June 25, 2016
As for the not practicing: that's another reason I like this show. It's filmed on weekends, and the contestants go back to their regular lives, jobs and all, during the week. Sometimes that means they won't have been able to practice.
posted by ocherdraco at 4:28 AM on September 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by ocherdraco at 4:28 AM on September 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
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posted by everybody had matching towels at 4:10 PM on August 23, 2015