S14.E03: Bread Week

[Athena]

Quote

It's Bread Week. The bakes make a classic loaf and head to Devon for the Technical. Whose plaited centrepiece will get the Breadmaster himself, Paul Hollywood, in a twist?

 

UK Original Air Date: October 10, 2023.

US Netflix Date: October 13, 2023.

[xfuse]

I enjoyed this week. I'm not sure the right baker went home. The texture must have been extremely bad for it to happen.

 

[Lois Sandborne]

Did they all get paid per innuendo this week?

I don't think Abby was the right choice to go home either. She was very sweet on Extra Slice though. I'd be surprised if she didn't get a book deal or an offer to present a show featuring local/wild/seasonal ingredients.

Another week, another set of challenges I really liked. Way to go, GBBO.

[Sailorgirl26]

Add me to the table of people who think the wrong baker went home. But, we don't have the tactile understanding, so....

I noticed this week that both Saku and Nicky have the best laughs--Saku at one point gave what I can only describe as a cackle but it was absolutely delightful. 

So glad our beloved GBBO is back to form!!! 

Edited October 13, 2023 by Sailorgirl26

[TVbitch]

I do feel they factored previous performance into the decision on who would go. 

Goodness, Prue with her beaver sauciness with now Paul with his ball talk. They are giving Noel a run for his money. In that regard, glad the new host is having a calming influence on Noel, as I am finding him more enjoyable again.  

[Straycat80]

Poor Abbie got robbed. I felt Dan messed up the most out of him, Abbie, and Rowan. 
I liked this weeks challenges. Those buns with the cream and strawberries looked so yummy!
Add me to the list of people liking that GBBO is back on form and liking the new hostess. 

[caitmcg]

Dan got lucky, that's for sure. I guess one good bake and two really bad ones trumped three mediocre-to-bad ones, in the case of Abbi and Rowan. I certainly thought Dan was going, but if it came down to the other two, I might've thought Rowan over Abbi – at least they really liked all her flavors.

 

[RealityCheck]

I enjoyed the intro to this episode. No Paul, no Prue, no slapstick comedy. Just Noel and Allison quipping. It reminded me of the exchanges between Mel and Sue.

[iMonrey]

I felt so bad for Abbi when she was crying during the technical judging. And again afterwards. And again after she was sent home. On that score, perhaps it was for the best she be the one sent home, as this might just be too emotional for her. I did truly feel bad for her though. 

I thought the showstopper teetered dangerously on the brink of the kinds of massive construction projects I was hoping we were moving away from. But that's probably just because some of the bakers bit off more than they could chew. Rowan, Dan and Abbi were all trying to overcompensate for the previous two rounds I thought. Less is more. Josh's tiger bread was really cute. 

All of the technicals were kind of a disaster. Too bad, because when Prue and Paul were showing us the samples I thought they looked scrumptious. 

[caitmcg]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Rowan, Dan and Abbi were all trying to overcompensate for the previous two rounds I thought. Less is more.

None of them were making changes on the fly, though (the exception being Dan after he screwed up by using all his bread dough before making all his shapes), they were executing the plans and recipes they had developed before entering the tent. So their overambition may have been part of what doomed them, but it was hardly spontaneous. If anything, Dan was probably thrown off his game by how badly the technical went (he was apparently saved by having done pretty well with his signature).

[MsMalin]

I really like Allison, she is a breath of fresh air.

Loving this season so far.

[TomGirl]

I can’t find this episode on Netflix. There’s a GBBO bread week episode but it’s from an older season (with Noel and Sandi).  Any suggestions?

[Eliza422]

12 minutes ago, TomGirl said:

I can’t find this episode on Netflix. There’s a GBBO bread week episode but it’s from an older season (with Noel and Sandi).  Any suggestions?

I just watched it on Netflix, so it’s there - 8 PM central time…

[caitmcg]

23 minutes ago, TomGirl said:

I can’t find this episode on Netflix. There’s a GBBO bread week episode but it’s from an older season (with Noel and Sandi).  Any suggestions?

Look for Collection 11, Episode 3 under the GBBS listing.

[TomGirl]

Found it!  Thanks, guys!

[peeayebee]

I was so worried Dan was going home, but he had a basically good Signature, except for distributing the fillings. I think both Abby and Rowan had very critical comments for all three of their bakes. I would have said Rowan should have gone over Abby.

Very happy for Saku in the Technical challenge. That was wonderful.

Her orange and cinnamon bread made my mouth water, although I think Paul and Prue said the orange flavor wasn't very apparent.

[festivus]

That technical got on my nerves. I believe Paul said almost every one of them was underproofed. Well gee whiz, maybe that means that not enough time was given for the challenge. 

The tiger bread was the best one.

[Quilt Fairy]

I'm really surprised at all the people who made savory breads.  I would have gone for the cranberry/walnut bread in a heartbeat. 

 

[bugsmum]

So sad to see Abbi go!  I thought it might be Rowan, honestly of all three on the bottom I kinda hoped it would be.  
 

I am loving these bakers, loving the reasonably sane challenges, and LOVING Allison.  

[hendersonrocks]

Add me to the list who thought it was Rowan for sure and that Abbi was safe because of her flavors. Dan survived because of his signature and they know he can do better, which I’m not sure Rowan has quite demonstrated.

I adore Tasha. And the rugby baker! He’s so quiet but sweet and just wants to impress Paul. But really - Tasha is amazing; I love her flavors and design and personality and all of her.

ETA: I am just so happy GBBO is back to the show I fell in love with.

Edited October 14, 2023 by hendersonrocks

[andromeda331]

All the breads from the showstopper looked great.Too bad Rowen's was so terrible that tree looked amazing. I do think he should have gone home. Being close to inedibile is pretty bad. 

Has it really been 7 years with Noel on the show? 

[kittykat]

I'm sorry I know Abbi didn't do well throughout all three bakes but how does texture and rudimentary design rank lower than RAW DOUGH!  Absolutely the wrong person went home.  

Overall I liked the challenges and the contestants but that ending was straight up bullshit!

[Sailorgirl26]

10 hours ago, festivus said:

That technical got on my nerves. I believe Paul said almost every one of them was underproofed. Well gee whiz, maybe that means that not enough time was given for the challenge. 

The tiger bread was the best one.

Paul specifically said it took two 45-minute sessions in the proving drawer and the timing allowed for that. Based on what they aired, most bakers did 30 minutes. So I don't think they shorted them on time, I think this was one of the technical components they got wrong. 

[HelloooKitty]

Abbi was robbed. Rowen should’ve gone home. How adorable was the bread cow and his “hor-ins”?!

[iMonrey]

12 hours ago, festivus said:

That technical got on my nerves. I believe Paul said almost every one of them was underproofed. Well gee whiz, maybe that means that not enough time was given for the challenge. 

2 hours ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

Paul specifically said it took two 45-minute sessions in the proving drawer and the timing allowed for that. Based on what they aired, most bakers did 30 minutes. So I don't think they shorted them on time, I think this was one of the technical components they got wrong. 

I often wonder how they arrive at the time limit for these bakes. I assume someone - perhaps Paul and/or Prue - sits down and figures out how long it should take to do it properly. But in the case of the technical, how on earth would anyone know how long to proof, or how long to bake, if they had never made it before? They're all making their best guess, they know there's a time limit, so of course things are going to turn out under-proofed or under-baked. 

It irritates me when they run out of time. Whose fault is that? 

[festivus]

Also, are they factoring in all the dumb banter the contestants have to engage in? It's very much not entertaining for me to watch Paul say every single time that something is underproofed. 

[SemiCharmedLife]

36 minutes ago, festivus said:

Also, are they factoring in all the dumb banter the contestants have to engage in? It's very much not entertaining for me to watch Paul say every single time that something is underproofed. 

I agree.  With the exception of Saku's rolls, everyone else's were under proofed.  We've seen this time and time again, especially in the technical, where the bakers have not practiced within a time limit.  I'm living for the day Noel announces, "The judges have noticed many of you are running behind and we are adding 15 minutes to the clock!"  Please make that happen!

[anniebird]

1 hour ago, festivus said:

Also, are they factoring in all the dumb banter the contestants have to engage in? It's very much not entertaining for me to watch Paul say every single time that something is underproofed. 

They know from the start how much time they have and can figure out how much time to allot for each step. And they do keep working while they're bantering. 

[festivus]

Nope. If 9 out of 10 people are dinged for underproofing, something is wrong with the challenge. IMO. It is not enjoyable for me to watch, I was hoping this season to not see people fail as it is not why I watch this show. 

[dgpolo]

14 hours ago, festivus said:

The tiger bread was the best one.

I wanted to eat that one the most!

4 minutes ago, festivus said:

Nope. If 9 out of 10 people are dinged for underproofing, something is wrong with the challenge.

There was one season where Kate, I think, was sitting on her stool looking at everyone running around doing things and she said something like 'there's x amount of time left, I don't understand why they're all doing this', I think she won the challenge and Sue said to Paul 'And she -was- the most patient'

[Abmis]

16 hours ago, TomGirl said:

I can’t find this episode on Netflix. There’s a GBBO bread week episode but it’s from an older season (with Noel and Sandi).  Any suggestions?

That happened to me on my tablet, but it worked fine on my TV.  I hope you can get it to work. 

[MerBearHou]

I want Josh to get a win.  He is so consistently good. 

[TomGirl]

13 hours ago, hendersonrocks said:

Tasha is amazing; I love her flavors and design and personality and all of her.

And the dimples.  Don’t forget the dimples.

[kittykat]

I think 2 hr 45 min would have been a better allotment than 2.5 and we would have seen more fully proved buns.

Paul said at least 45 min for first proof and 45 for second one.  There's 1 1/2 hrs. Only one hour left.

Depending on speed/skill level it could take anywhere from 8-12 min to knead a pliable dough, longer if it's a wetter dough.  So depending on speed/skill, 50 free min.

Then measuring and shaping of 8 buns.  Again skill and speed could be anywhere from 5-10 leaving 40-45 free min.

Paul said at least 15 min to bake. 25-30 free minutes.

Jam and cream can be made during proving time.

Seems like ample time left, except, the buns need filled now they need to be fully cooled or the cream and jam melt out.  In my experience it takes at least 30 min to fully cool rolls even with fridge help.

All the rolls across the table were underproved but there were no jam or cream leakages which means something had to give and the second proof likely got sacrificed for baking and cooling.  The numbers did not crunch.

[xfuse]

11 hours ago, kittykat said:

I'm sorry I know Abbi didn't do well throughout all three bakes but how does texture and rudimentary design rank lower than RAW DOUGH! 

Raw dough is because time got away from someone. Put it in the oven for whatever minutes and it will be fixed. Texture very rarely can be fixed.

They always seem to put something that can be fixed over not something that was wrong from the start. Abi bread was a fail when she started planning it but Dan was a fail because of that day. Now if she did great or even good in the other two challenges she wouldn't went home. 

[SemiCharmedLife]

1 hour ago, kittykat said:

I think 2 hr 45 min would have been a better allotment than 2.5 and we would have seen more fully proved buns.

Paul said at least 45 min for first proof and 45 for second one.  There's 1 1/2 hrs. Only one hour left.

Depending on speed/skill level it could take anywhere from 8-12 min to knead a pliable dough, longer if it's a wetter dough.  So depending on speed/skill, 50 free min.

Then measuring and shaping of 8 buns.  Again skill and speed could be anywhere from 5-10 leaving 40-45 free min.

Paul said at least 15 min to bake. 25-30 free minutes.

Jam and cream can be made during proving time.

Seems like ample time left, except, the buns need filled now they need to be fully cooled or the cream and jam melt out.  In my experience it takes at least 30 min to fully cool rolls even with fridge help.

All the rolls across the table were underproved but there were no jam or cream leakages which means something had to give and the second proof likely got sacrificed for baking and cooling.  The numbers did not crunch.

I bet the bakers who come up with those perfect samples for Paul and Pru to taste have more than 2.5 hours!

[Quilt Fairy]

3 hours ago, kittykat said:

I think 2 hr 45 min would have been a better allotment than 2.5 and we would have seen more fully proved buns.

I think they did give them 2 hr 45 minutes. 

[blueray]

4 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

I want Josh to get a win.  He is so consistently good. 

I think it's between him and Tasha right now. They both have been consistently near the top.

[Johnny Dollar]

Not only do the backstage bakers making the show samples get more time than the contestants, I bet that they’re taking the best twelve buns from a selection of several dozen 

[Lois Sandborne]

On 10/13/2023 at 7:35 PM, festivus said:

That technical got on my nerves. I believe Paul said almost every one of them was underproofed. Well gee whiz, maybe that means that not enough time was given for the challenge.

On the Bakedown podcast, former contestant Jane noted that they were filming in early April and it seemed pretty chilly in the tent. And cold air can slow down the proving process. So it might've been that they gave them plenty of time, but didn't account for the environment. Shades of Chocolate Week.

And I agree with the thought that some of the bakers got a little over-ambitious too, which probably made them rush some things. No one had a chance of outdoing Paul's iconic bread lion; they should've relaxed a bit more there.

[Pallida]

I think Paul was very intrigued by the flavors that Abby tried to deliver but she consistently didn’t put enough in or didn’t put other things in (salt?) to make the flavor more pronounced. Her concepts were great though! 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

13 hours ago, festivus said:

Also, are they factoring in all the dumb banter the contestants have to engage in? It's very much not entertaining for me to watch Paul say every single time that something is underproofed. 

A prior contestant said that for the signatures and showstoppers they learned to factor in up to 30 minutes for banter and other things that eat time during filming. That kind of time does not seem to be factored in for technicals.  On this one, they did have significant downtime while they waited for proofing. Once the rolls were out of the oven, they needed to get them cooled and do the cream and berries.  At that point, they needed to move quickly since they waited as long as they could so the rolls would be cool.  

11 hours ago, kittykat said:

I think 2 hr 45 min would have been a better allotment than 2.5 and we would have seen more fully proved buns.

Paul said at least 45 min for first proof and 45 for second one.  There's 1 1/2 hrs. Only one hour left.

Depending on speed/skill level it could take anywhere from 8-12 min to knead a pliable dough, longer if it's a wetter dough.  So depending on speed/skill, 50 free min.

Then measuring and shaping of 8 buns.  Again skill and speed could be anywhere from 5-10 leaving 40-45 free min.

Paul said at least 15 min to bake. 25-30 free minutes.

Jam and cream can be made during proving time.

Seems like ample time left, except, the buns need filled now they need to be fully cooled or the cream and jam melt out.  In my experience it takes at least 30 min to fully cool rolls even with fridge help.

All the rolls across the table were underproved but there were no jam or cream leakages which means something had to give and the second proof likely got sacrificed for baking and cooling.  The numbers did not crunch.

That was the math I did too.  I assumed 20 minutes minimum before they get the first proof started since they needed to read through the recipe, measure up their ingredients, knead the dough, and get it in a prepared bowl.  Bakers said anywhere from 30 minutes to 50 minutes for their first proof.  While some said 30 minutes, I think they likely checked the dough at that point.  Most probably skimped on the second proof because many recipes, especially for rolls, have a shorter second proof and they needed to get them baked and cooled prior to filling.  We also need to add in time for shaping the rolls.  Some bakers seemed to have more experience so they new the most efficient method.  Others needed more time to form balls.   

[Rickster]

7 hours ago, Lois Sandborne said:

On the Bakedown podcast, former contestant Jane noted that they were filming in early April and it seemed pretty chilly in the tent. And cold air can slow down the proving process. So it might've been that they gave them plenty of time, but didn't account for the environment. Shades of Chocolate Week.

I’ve noticed Paul and Pru wearing coats in some of their segments, but didn’t notice anything about the temperature in the tent. I assumed (maybe wrongly) that the drawers used for proofing were heated, like the proofing cycle in my oven.

[AZChristian]

3 hours ago, Rickster said:

I’ve noticed Paul and Pru wearing coats in some of their segments, but didn’t notice anything about the temperature in the tent. I assumed (maybe wrongly) that the drawers used for proofing were heated, like the proofing cycle in my oven.

According to my extensive research (about 5 seconds),

"WHAT IS A PROOFING OR PROVING DRAWER? A proving drawer is an oven compartment or separate appliance with a limited temperature range that helps dough rise properly. In culinary terms, “proofing” or “proving” refers to the process of letting dough rise before it is baked."

[iMonrey]

Quote

Also, are they factoring in all the dumb banter the contestants have to engage in? It's very much not entertaining for me to watch Paul say every single time that something is underproofed.

I doubt very much the brief banter the bakers engage in with the hosts robs them of much time. You can knead, mix or measure and talk to someone at the same time. I understand an argument could be made that it's distracting, but it never adds up to much time per baker. 

[pasdetrois]

The banter and the production environment affect concentration and therefore time for some of the bakers. Speaking of production, I'm assuming there are at least 3 - 4 fixed camera set-ups, plus rovers, in order to catch all of the action simultaneously during the bakes, including close-ups.

It takes a crack production team to pull this off. Surely there are snafus and re-shoots occasionally, which would be difficult to overcome given that baked goods wait for no one (can't tell bread to stop proofing). If they have to re-set and re-shoot, that makes for a very long day, or possibly an extra day.

Meanwhile, I'm really enjoying this season so far; I almost skipped it for reasons others have mentioned. I thought Allison might be too big a personality, but she settled right in.

I will dearly miss seeing more of what Abbi could do. Perhaps they are keeping Rowan and his soggy dough because he's a bit of a character?

[phalange]

Poor Abbi, she was so upset. I agree with everyone that I'm not sure the right person went home, since they called Rowan's bread hideous, and Dan ran out of dough and came last in the technical. I guess Abbi messing up in the signature is what doomed her, since it always ends up having more weight than the technical.

So happy for Saku for winning the technical and for Tasha for her second star baker in a row. Tasha's Medusa showstopper really did look amazing and couldn't have been easy since she said she had to make sure the braids for the hands were really thin. I also loved Saku's peacock, Nicky's Highland cow, and Josh's tiger. I was a bit surprised Paul didn't give Tasha a handshake, though "you understand bread" is probably an even higher compliment.

Alison is a great host and she and Noel play off each other well. Her and Nicky saying "horns" over and over made me laugh.

[Suzn]

I was not impressed with Alison initially, but she is growing on me.  She tones Noel down and makes him more bearable and is good with the bakers.

[Ancaster]

On 10/13/2023 at 7:36 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

I'm really surprised at all the people who made savory breads.  I would have gone for the cranberry/walnut bread in a heartbeat. 

 

Savoury breads are more common than sweet in the UK than they are in the US I think.  (Just realized, there are no Irish bakers this year, which always makes me sad.)

On 10/15/2023 at 4:06 AM, Rickster said:

I’ve noticed Paul and Pru wearing coats in some of their segments, but didn’t notice anything about the temperature in the tent. I assumed (maybe wrongly) that the drawers used for proofing were heated, like the proofing cycle in my oven.

As someone mentioned above, proving drawers are heated.

On 10/14/2023 at 8:07 PM, Lois Sandborne said:

 

And I agree with the thought that some of the bakers got a little over-ambitious too, which probably made them rush some things. No one had a chance of outdoing Paul's iconic bread lion; they should've relaxed a bit more there.

Again, they knew how long they had, and if they were over-ambitious, they made what they practiced and were over-ambitious from the get go.  They could always have decided to leave something off, as Dan should have done with his letters.

I have never understood the love for the other Paul's lion - I thought it was clunky and awkward looking.  I much preferred the tiger this week, though I thought it should have been named Noel, because if Josh had done badly, he'd never have made bread again in his life if he'd called it after Paul Hollywood and failed!!

Dan certainly dodged a bullet this week, but I'm glad he did, and I trust the judging on this show that the right person went home.  Maybe I'm naïve, but there's a lot we don't know/see, and we taste nothing.*

 

* No, I don't know how to do the doohickey in naïve, but autocorrect is occasionally my friend.

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Ancaster

[SemiCharmedLife]

I just watched An Extra Slice and loved seeing Abbi's interview.  She looked gorgeous and was so well spoken and charming.  It makes it even harder to lose her.  She received a lot of positive feedback for her creativity and flavors. I know she had more to show us.

It was a tough call.  I think they saved Dan because of his signature and his previous Star Baker history.  Both Rowan and Abbi fell short this week, so it was a bit of a toss up.  Hopefully, we will see more of Abbi and her foraging skills in future baking projects.