The bakers were back in the tent this week for the iconic bread week! We can vividly remember Paul’s lion from series 6, but would anyone make anything to champion that doughy creation? Let’s find out!
Signature challenge: Tear and share
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To kick off the show, the bakers were asked to make a filled tear and share loaf. It could be sweet or savoury, but it needed to be made with yeasted bread dough and then shaped and baked as one loaf.
Paul’s top tip: Tear and share isn’t as simple as you think. I think if the bakers keep it simple; simple flavours and a good simple base dough, they’ll do really well. Make it any more complicated and they’re going to struggle.
The bakers had 3 hours to get stuck in with their creations. There were loads of tempting flavours, varying from the more traditional cheesy varieties, to spicy chilly combinations, and even some sweet baklava and cinnamon roll inspired treats. At the end of the first challenge, things weren’t looking so good for Henry, as Paul hated the flavours he had used. Everyone else seemed to have done really well with their interesting flavours. Michael thoroughly impressed with his tear and share, and earned the first hand shake of the series!
Technical challenge: 8 white burger baps
Image source: The Great British Bake Off
After a fascinating signature, it was time to move on to the technical challenge. Paul and Prue asked the bakers to make 8 white burger baps, as well as 4 veggie burgers to go in half of them.
Paul’s top tip: You’ve got to develop the gluten properly because otherwise it will be very cake-like and not stringy. It needs a good kneading and then to be left to prove for a good half hour to forty-five minutes.
Henry saved himself after the signature by coming out on top in the technical, whereas Amelia was in danger by coming last. At the end of the technical, Paul and Prue thought Alice and Rosie were also in trouble.
Show stopper challenge: Artistically scored loaves
Image source: The Great British Bake Off
To finish, the bakers were asked to create a display of artistically scored decorative loaves. They needed to all make a scene, and had to include two impressively sized loaves, however their success would be dependant on the decoration and scoring.
Prue’s top tip: You want to cut just through the skin of the dough so that when it rises in the oven all the cracks will open up just a bit. You don’t want the heat to open it up like a wound.
Most of the bakers went for big, bold flavours, and gave themselves a lot to do. Just like last week’s show stopper biscuit challenge, Rosie once again created a beautiful selection of loaves that truly were an artistic triumph. Amelia failed to impress by playing it safe, and unfortunately Henry didn’t do all that well with his poor choice of fougasse bread, which as Paul warned him at the start of the challenge didn’t lend itself well to scoring. Luckily for Henry, Amelia was the baker chosen to go home at the end of bread week, and he lives to bake again.
Next week…
Next week is dairy week, which is a first for Bake Off! What challenges will our bakers face next? Let us know your thoughts about this week’s episode over on our Facebook page!