Warning: there are spoilers in this blog - who won star baker, who left the show, who received a handshake from Paul, what necklace was Prue wearing, things along those lines.
Am I the only one who didn’t understand the opening this week? Maybe it’s because I didn’t understand what the fish was saying?
Anyway, it’s Bread Week…
Signature Dish: Focaccia Bread
Any flavour and any style, crispy crust and an open and irregular crumb structure: two hours, 45 minutes.
George’s Greek Inspired Focaccia:
Packed and busy. Lovely. Good bake, good blend of flavours, but needed more water to open it up a little bit more.
Maggie’s Classic Focaccia:
Attractive, filling wasn’t pushed down into the tray, stretchy, soft texture, soft on top, but good flavour. A decent focaccia.
Freya’s Mexican Fajita Focaccia:
Smells great, nice texture, well baked.
Rochica’s Roasted Garlic Focaccia with Tomato, Feta & Pesto:
Lovely design, strong garlic taste, okay texture, try to keep flavour throughout the bread.
Amanda’s Chasing Grainbows Focaccia:
Overbaked, filling in lines, Prue recommended scattered so you get a taste of everything in one bite,
Chig’s Spanish Cheesy Meaty Focaccia:
Overbaked, lovely powerful flavours, delicious.
Crystelle’s Feta and Grape Focaccia with Fennel & Walnut:
Open structure, needed to be much thicker. Beautiful taste, great flavour combination, fresh.
Lizzie’s Final Furlong Focaccia:
Nice top, filled the tin nicely, good flavour, nice and soft and crispy on the outside, could have been proved longer, a great focaccia.
Jürgen’s Kipper-caccia Focaccia:
Slightly overbaked, more proving and less baking, quite tight inside needed more mixing, more cake-like than bread-like, Prue wasn’t mad about the flavours, could have been a little bit better!
Giuseppe’s Breakfast in Gaeta Focaccia:
Soft with focaccia structure, beautifully light focaccia, mouthful of everything in every bite. Paul said it was beautiful and he was rewarded with the first Hollywood Handshake of the series!
of the series!!
Technical Challenge set by Paul – A batch of 15 olive and cheese ciabatta breadsticks
Words of advice from Paul – “It’s a fairly complicated recipe, but be careful how you add the filling.”
We can see you Noel!
Position in Technical Challenge:
1st – Giuseppe
2nd – Lizzie
3rd – Amanda
4th – Freya
5th – Jürgen
6th – Chigs
7th – George
8th – Maggie
9th – Crystelle
10th – Rochica
Those in trouble before going into the Showstopper Round:
Jürgen
Maggie
Rochica
Those in line for Star Baker:
Giuseppe
Lizzie
Showstopper Challenge – Themed Display Using Milk Bread
Three dimensional, shape and decoration to reflect chosen theme.
George’s The Very Hungry Koala:
Adorable, bread a bit heavy, milk bread can’t carry weight of an upright sculpture. Clever design.
Lizzie’s Pig Banquet:
Some caught in the oven, clever design. Nice texture, light.
Chigs’ Honey Milk Bread Picnic Basket:
Beautifully done, well proved. Really well made. Hint of flavour. Colours consistent, good design.
Maggie’s Things You’d Find In A Rockpool:
Abstract, rustic, under-proved, no flavour, very cake-like, could be a bit lighter.
Jürgen’s The Baby:
Clever use of flavours in different breads, design is simple, lovely flavour, sweetness level just right, slightly underproved.
Crystelle’s Bready for Sunday Roast:
Very clever, longer in the oven would have created more of a darkness, great flavours, fantastic citrus kick, lovely texture.
Giuseppe’s Your Five-A-Day:
Incredible design, amazing job, beautiful execution, very clever, absolutely delicious and lovely texture.
Amanda’s I Just Fish We Had More Time:
Overall, a really good job, clever and highly effective, delightful, lovely flavour, sweetness just the right side of sweetness. Spot on texture, but a massive air pocket just underneath.
Rochica’s Bird Cage:
Over-proved, tight, sweetness level is right, too dense. Tastes delicious but the texture is not right – not sure it was four hours work.
Freya’s Under The Sea Milk Bread Display:
Amusing, very neat, nice milk bread, light structure, holds its bake, sweetness levels just right, tastes great.
Star Baker and Who’s Going Home:
Giuseppe is the Star Baker… 
and Rochica leaves the show.
Thoughts
I have to agree with the judges on both counts, Giuseppe had an amazing week and Rochica did struggle with bread week. Lizzie pulled herself up in the ranks and I loved George’s Koala bear this week.
Next week is Dessert Week – let’s hope their skills don’t dessert them and they don’t crumble to the pressure!
One last thing, Prue’s necklace, I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere else!
I think David thoroughly deserved this, he was always consistent, being second in the Technicals for an number of times and he is no longer the bridesmaid…
Firstly can I pay tribute to the bakers and Sandi wearing ties in memory of Henry who left last week…. but the bakers didn’t wear them for very long as it was too hot in the tent.
Steph chooses lemon, raspberry and white chocolate, Paul says that the tartlettes aren’t up to her usual standards as they’re not very neat. She is a bit despondent saying that her’s look like boobs…
During the advert break, we discover that there is soon going to be a Junior Bake Off competiton, would Jamie be eligible to enter for this I wonder?
So for this dish, it’s “All about the lamination,” as David put it and we also have a soggy bottom alert!
This always makes me smile because I used to have a small cake business called A Piece Of Cake and I would make celebration cakes. I stopped about two years ago, very occasionally making cakes for friends. Last year I was asked to make a wedding cake for one of my daughter’s best friends and this is happening in the next couple of days. Look out for my blog of how I got on…
seems. Paul and Prue discuss the bake and even manage to get in the “soggy bottom” joke – I bet Mary wishes she had trademarked that! Everybody struggles with this Technical and as Paul and Prue walk into the tent, 
Next on to the technical, which was a little bit different than the usual ones, to make a bap with a burger. Cue some double entendres about baps… Watching the bakers, it did seem a bit of a faff, especially when you can buy four at Sainsbury’s (other supermarkets are available) for 70p. The burgers were veggie burgers but apparently were only worth 10% of the score. Henry won the technical with Amelia’s small buns and oversized burgers coming last.
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