S04.E06: Sweet Dough

[Athena]

It is week six in the tent and time for sweet dough week - but will it prove bittersweet for the bakers?

 

They kick off with a signature tea loaf. Most of the bakers choose to make something connected to home, so Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are presented with everything from locally sourced loaves from Yorkshire and Oxford to Devonshire-inspired panettone and Welsh bara brith. Meanwhile we explore the history of the Sally Lunn, and the story of the torta negra - the well-travelled tea loaf that creates a taste of Wales in the middle of Patagonia.

 

The bakers face Paul's most twisted Technical Challenge yet and a Showstopper that draws on all of Europe for inspiration, creating 36 sweet European buns - from Swedish cinnamon buns to German schnecken and French brioches. Over halfway through and the stakes are high... but will their dough rise too?

[Frost]

I'm glad I wasn't the taster this week.  None of the buns appealed to me - especially the ones with raisins and sultanas.  All their efforts would have been completely wasted.  Poor Howard!  Nothing seemed to go right for him.

 

I was wondering about the rain.  Isn't baking pretty fussy?  I would think being in a tent when it's pouring could really change the humidity and cause problems.

[Rinaldo]

I was wondering about the rain.  Isn't baking pretty fussy? 

Some areas certainly can be -- sugar work, puff pastry, etc. This aspect of the show amuses me particularly, because fairness and predictability would surely dictate taping the show in controlled conditions, like an air-conditioned TV studio (like the ones all the US cooking competitions take place in). But the home-baker "village fête" image is apparently even more important to them, so a tent open to the outdoors it is. There'll always be an England (and I say this with love, as the world's most ardent Anglophile).

[Merneith]

Actually, a lot of tv shows aren't air conditioned, because it's hard on the sound department.

 

Dear Howard. He was a little snail, wasn't he? I'm glad he had fun at it.

 

I hope Glenn pulls it together. I really like him. Kimberly worries me because she's so inconsistent.

[Mrs. P.]

I watch these bakers with great admiration. I don't know how they turn out these complicated bakes in such short times. I really like all of them, but I know I'm going to be just gutted when Glenn is eliminated. He is such a seemingly sweet guy, with a great self-deprecating sense of humor. And I love his facial expressions. I'll miss him.

Certainly I don't know who wins - I'm not spoiled. But I think it's clear that there are other bakers in the competition who are more likely to win. That's my rationale for missing Glenn in advance!

[GaT]

I never heard of the thing they made for the technical bake, but they reminded me of Entenmann’s coffee rings.

 

Does everybody know all those bun names? Is this common English knowledge, or just something bakers know?  I was excited when I knew what a hot cross bun was, all those German, Swedish or Czech bun names went right over my head. Howard’s peachy buns really looked like peaches, too bad they didn’t taste like peach. Ruby did her apology thing again, I’m glad Mary called her out on it because it’s getting on my nerves.

 

It was obvious either Howard or Glenn was going home, & unless someone really screws up, it’s probably going to be Glenn next week.

[shandy]

Though I love Glenn he went a little serial killer on Kimberly when under pressure. She handled it so well. Christine and Kimberly have such class – they deal with adversity with common sense and little self pity. Christine is like a seasoned bond girl, still full of naughtiness rocking her rugby jersey this week. I loved the way she had the worst signature, but didn't cry for herself, just dusted down and powered on - those Norwegian school buns looked amazing. 

 

Mary turning on the full schoolmarm to Ruby telling the judges what to expect was exactly what she needs at this point in the competition when there's little to separate the few who will be left. 

 

Beca, I quite like thick ‘icing’ too - I was glad she made the celtic bread, tho I was thinking the Argentine version sounded a whole lot better - rum and molasses yes lady, I'm with you there.  I'm also not a huge fan of what Europeans call mixed fruit, but it is heritage, and dried raisins and peel and fruit mincemeat saw people through the northern winter - we've lost that connection now with year round produce. 

 

Poor Howard, those peachy buns (I laughed I'm sorry) quivered beautifully but think the hemp bread may have shown you the door. I loved Mary pointed ignoring Sue's excited flapping about Hemp being possibly naughty. Glenn dodged a major bullet but for how long ...

[Irlandesa]

I know someone will say Ruby lacks in self-confidence, but I like the change of pace of someone having humility for a change (and I don't think she's faking it but she doesn't give up but powers through her doubts and I give her points for that). 

I think most of the bakers are humble.  What Ruby expresses goes into annoying self-deprecation territory and when she does it in front of the judges, it's as if she's begging them to tell her she's good.  Today was the first time it annoyed me and it did very much annoy me. 

 

Does everybody know all those bun names? Is this common English knowledge, or just something bakers know?  I was excited when I knew what a hot cross bun was, all those German, Swedish or Czech bun names went right over my head.

I Googled them as they appeared on my screen and it almost seemed as if it was "cinnamon roll" in various languages based on the ingredients offered.

[Omega Mu]

"I'm not at all familiar with hemp.  Is it a type of grass?"

"Yes, it is actually."

[Zahdii]

This episode is up:  http://video.pbs.org/video/2365541719/

[DeLurker]

I watch these bakers with great admiration. I don't know how they turn out these complicated bakes in such short times. I really like all of them, but I know I'm going to be just gutted when Glenn is eliminated. He is such a seemingly sweet guy, with a great self-deprecating sense of humor. And I love his facial expressions. I'll miss him.

Certainly I don't know who wins - I'm not spoiled. But I think it's clear that there are other bakers in the competition who are more likely to win. That's my rationale for missing Glenn in advance!

Even if Glenn made it to the finals, he would be leaving my tv too soon.  I adore him.  I was sad to see Howard go to, although given this is a baking competition it was the right call.

 

I could do without Paul's attempts at innuendo about the buns he likes.  He comes across as being the skeevy guy who is only on decent behavior because Mary is right there.

[shok]

It really feels to me like Ruby is being treated with kid gloves by the show as if she is such a special fragile snowflake who will crumple into tears if the judges say anything negative to her. Even the editors favour her in putting the show together and we get constant shots of her and her worried, fretting, lip chewing, vulnerable little face. It's probably not fair of me but the favouritism makes me not like her nearly as much as someone like Kimberley who's a real trouper and seems very competent but doesn't get much in the way of compliments from the judges or even much air time from the editors. I hope Kimberley can hang in there to the end and get a chance to go for the win.

[DeLurker]

Ruby's hair hanging in front of her face while cooking bothered me this ep.  I hadn't noticed it previously, but that just means I might not have noticed and not that it did not happen.

[Frost]

All the hanging hair bothered me this week, more so than previously.  Not just Ruby's.  I think only one woman had her hair in a pony tail.  I kept imagining hair in all those baked goods.  Yuck.  Obviously hair nets wouldn't look good on TV but can't they tell people they need to put their hair back in some way?

[Qoass]

Yeah, if Ruby feels compelled to apologize for something, she can start with that haircut...

[Calicocat]

Since this show is about baking, I don't see what difference Ruby's personality or haircut has to do with it.  It's so easy to be judgmental, but we don't know anything about Ruby, or what her life experiences have been.

 

 

The show is supposed to be entertaining though.  All the contestants' personalities factor into the entertainment.  Rooting for your favorite(s) is a big reason to watch the show.  Listening to a contestant constantly apologize and belittle herself, for whatever reason, isn't entertaining, IMO.  It drags the show down.  I feel embarrassed for her.  I feel embarrassed for Mary and Paul.  It's so awkward.  Ruby isn't give me any reason to root for her or want to see her on my TV screen.  I want to hit the mute button when she appears.

 

I don't know how many people auditioned for the show but Ruby beat them and earned a place in the tent, she's survived past the halfway point, and now she's earned star baker.  If she doesn't feel she's that good, why audition for a spot in the first place?  Am I supposed to feel sorry for her despite her achievements?  

 

In fairness to Ruby, my gripe is more with the producers.  They should be editing her sequences better.  They should have taken her aside and told her to stop doing it.  It shouldn't have been left to Mary to publicly call her on it.

[DeLurker]

Since this show is about baking, I don't see what difference Ruby's personality or haircut has to do with it.  It's so easy to be judgmental, but we don't know anything about Ruby, or what her life experiences have been. 

I was taking issue with her hair being down in front of her face as she was cooking - more a hygeine issue.  I think she's lovely - hair included.

[Mabinogia]

The beauty of this show, for me, is that they are all such lovely people that I want he best baker to win and will be happy with any of the bakers left. None of them made it this far by bringing the drama or by being the "villain" like you see on many competition shows. I love how supportive they are to one another, the cheer the winner and sympathize with the loser and I really do believe they feel bad when one is cut.

 

I will miss Howard though I agree with the decision and am happy Glen survives another week. My heart was breaking at him thinking he was gone.

[walnutqueen]

I watch this show for the sheer joy of watching BAKING.  The personalities and lack of drama are just icing on the cake for me.  ;-)

[Calicocat]

the whole argument that because other people didn't make it on to the show, Ruby should change her personality for the sake of looking better on camera doesn't hold water for me.

 

 

I didn't say she should change her personality because other people didn't make it onto the show.  I pointed out the show is entertainment, and, IMO, Ruby isn't entertaining.  Mileage varies.

 

She made it on the show because she can bake. That was the requirement and she made it. Whether there were ten people or ten thousand people trying to get on the show makes no never mind...she got on as a result of her ability.

 

 

As I said, she earned her spot in the tent.  Although I'd argue that the fact that she beat out people to do so only highlights how much ability she has.

 

And she may have reason (family, cultural, societal) reasons that she can't feel as confident in her skills as those watching her do, or simply doesn't enjoy boasting when she knows that she could have done better.

 

Refraining from either preemptively apologizing or saying that she's glad the judges like her bakes better than she does is not the same as boasting.  I don't believe that people who lack confidence volunteer to be on television competitions.  She may not be comfortable being confident but that's a different issue.  In any event, her personal issues don't interest me.  I want to enjoy the show, and Ruby makes it difficult to do so.  YMMV.

 

 

[KLovestoShop]

As a baker, ambient temperature doesn't mean as much as relative humidity.  Yeast doesn't work the same in different humidity and meringues REALLY are nasty if it's the least bit humid.  The thing that temps would cause things to not work at well is if you have to have things at "room temperature".  Room temps, when you work outside, vary wildly, and I think the bakers do fight that when working outside.   When some of the buns didn't proof properly, I wondered about the bad weather and how it affected the buns.  

 

I pretty much knew the different buns, especially the brioche and schneken, and there are variations based on region.  From my experience, real French Brioche doesn't contain fruit, but are rich tasting on their own, and are popular with just butter or honey.  I sure didn't like some of the fruits they put in brioche because that bun can stand on it's own in taste.   When I saw that Becca put prunes in her brioche, I nearly freaked. Schneken is German for snail and is supposed to look like a snail and usually contains raisins.  Sometimes it's confused with Jewish rugelach, which is made with cream cheese rather than sour cream.   The kanelbullen is Swedish but Glenn's just didn't work out and I wondered if the weather had a part in that.  I gave Christine props for doing the skolabrod as it's not an easy bun to do.  As a Hungarian/American, we do kolaches all the time.  It's not a difficult bun to bake.

 

I, too, am tired with Ruby and her "it's not good" business.  She's a good enough baker without having to basically beg for forgiveness, when none is needed.  

Edited October 12, 2015 by KLovestoShop

[Sandiscot]

I think it's a British thing, apologising when you really don't need to. Also, Ruby's a bit younger than the others and so a bit less mature perhaps. 

 

I found Howard annoying and I will not miss him. I think he has been lucky that, a couple of times, there was somebody worse than him.

 

I love all those tea breads. 

[MortysCleaningLady]

All those breads looked darned tasty!  And I'm so sorry to lose Howard -- he reminded me of a cross between Mr. Rogers and my 6th grade science teacher.  He really was able to think outside the box with those flavor profiles.

[limecoke]

I had a hard time watching this week because everything looked so good.  Other than anything with prune, raisins, and possibly hemp, I would have tasted them all.  I find all of these people very likable so I can enjoy while I watch and not be overly concerned about who stays and who goes.    It's fun to be able to root for all of them.

 

 

 

Ruby's hair hanging in front of her face while cooking bothered me this ep.I hadn't noticed it previously, but that just means I might not have noticed and not that it did not happen.

Re Ruby's hair: I think she's had it "up" in some form in all the previous episodes but her hair is so curly and alive, short of using a hair net, I don't think it's easy to contain.  Having said that, I think every man or woman with long hair who competes on a cooking show should contain their hair in some way, whether it's just some sort of pony, bun or a net.  I can even forgive the horrid manbun if it's in the interest of hygiene.  It's my personal pet peeve on any cooking show...US, British, Australian...all of them.  I always think of the Elaine Benes comment on the Seinfeld about the chocolate babka, "You sold us a hair with a cake around it."  I've been served food with a hair in it and it's disgusting.

Edited October 12, 2015 by limecoke

[ennui]

All the hanging hair bothered me this week, more so than previously.  Not just Ruby's.  I think only one woman had her hair in a pony tail.  I kept imagining hair in all those baked goods.  Yuck.  Obviously hair nets wouldn't look good on TV but can't they tell people they need to put their hair back in some way?

People baking at home don't wear hairnets. For me, that's the culture of the show -- these people like to bake. At home. And, we could all be making these same things, if we were so inclined.

 

I liked the idea of prunes soaking in rum. I might try that, for some prune recipes I make around the holidays. It sounds a lot easier than stewing them.

[LittleIggy]

I'm sorry to see Howard go, but, then again, I would have hated to see Glenn go. I think Ruby got a haircut (very cute) and can't keep it all pulled back. On the last US Masterchef, there was a guy, a rock musician, who always wore sleeveless shirts. Every time I saw his hairy pits over food, I wanted to puke! :-O

[DeLurker]

 

People baking at home don't wear hairnets.

I have to have my hair in a ponytail and off my face whenever I am cooking.  It is so automatic for me that I probably even pull my hair in a ponytail if I am heating up something in the microwave!  I'm sure that need is more of a personal neurosis though...

[meep.meep]

I'm sure that the producers' desire to have the contests look as attractive as possible leads to their hair not being properly constrained.  In a commercial kitchen they would be wearing hairnets or hats.

 

Ruby has some of the loveliest hair I've ever seen.  Of course mine is stick straight so that probably weighs in.

 

So, in American terms, this was coffee cake week?

[limecoke]

People baking at home don't wear hairnets. For me, that's the culture of the show -- these people like to bake. At home.

True, but they are not cooking at home and they are serving to four other people.  If a stray hair of mine falls in the food in my own home, well, it's MY hair and I know it's clean.  When presenting food to another person it's rather important to keep your hair out of it.  I don't think this is a small thing. However, it's a TV show and I'm sure everyone wants to look as attractive as possible.  Please, ladies, a ponytail at the very least and I don't think that's too much to ask.

 

Ruby has some of the loveliest hair I've ever seen.  Of course mine is stick straight so that probably weighs in.

Me too.  My sad mane gives new meaning to "straight." I stare at her hair with admiration and deep-seated envy. 

 

So, in American terms, this was coffee cake week?

I thought the same thing.  Probably a combo of coffee cake, sweet roll and sticky bun week.  

Edited October 13, 2015 by limecoke

[jenh526]

I missed this one on Sunday and now I can't find it on On Demand although the other episodes are there. Strange.

[QuelleC]

I pull my hair back when I cook and it still ends in food and I find it disgusting because half the time I'm pulling it out of my mouth.  And it's only polite to tie your hair back when cooking for someone else. Hanging hair has always bothered me on these shows.  Christine's isn't too long but it should be pulled back.  Frances does it. 

Edited October 14, 2015 by QuelleC

[Christina]

There was a contestant on MasterChef Australia who was always on the verge of tears. It was very uncomfortable to watch her constant anxiety. Ruby had that affect on me the first time I watched this season, but not as much this time.

 

They all seemed to have hair flowing this episode, which I find icky. But what really squicked me out was the kneading with rings on. It's gross and they kept showing it. I know many women don't like to take the wedding rings off, but Christine was wearing more than one. It's such a thing of mine that I wouldn't eat bread my aunt made because I knew she never removed her rings. Blech.

[TaraS1]

I really, really need Ruby to stop that, "I'm so sorry, I must let you know in advance that my bake is terrible.  Woe is me.  What's that...you say you love it?!  I'm so very surprised and delighted!" thing.  It comes across as very phony, which is very unattractive.  I need all my bakers to be lovely and behave accordingly.

 

I'm sad to see Howard go because I found his polite frustration adorable.  I especially loved his, "Oh how annoying!" last week when Paul & Mary didn't like his showstopper.

 

And I can't believe that Sue is actually growing on me, but she is.  I thought it was so sweet the way she comforted Glenn when his buns fell apart.  I'd still like her to stop saying, "Baaaaaaaaaaake!", though.

[Qoass]

 

I'd still like her to stop saying, "Baaaaaaaaaaake!", though.

 

That's my favorite thing... no, really.

[DeLurker]

I missed this one on Sunday and now I can't find it on On Demand although the other episodes are there. Strange.

I just checked my On Demand (comcast) and it is not there either.  But this show is kind of spotty on when it shows up - sometimes it is the next day, sometimes it is not for a week.

[adhoc]

Just watched this online.  (It comes on Saturday nights at 8pm in St. Louis, MO on the PBS TV station, but I don't want to wait the whole week to see it.)

 

Like some of you, it really annoyed me that Ruby once again apologized for her crappy bakes, which, oh, well look at that, they're actually quite delicious!

 

I get that she is young, maybe not so confident when seeing the older more experienced contestants, and yes, maybe too much of a perfectionist, But still--just keep your mouth shut!!  It actually ruined this episode for me a bit, because she keeps doing it.

 

I'm at the point where as soon as Ruby apologized for her horrible horrible bake, I figured she'd be star baker.  Anyway, I hope that Mary and Paul addressing the issue means that we won't have to see Ruby pulling this apology stuff anymore.

 

Meanwhile, I very much enjoy Glenn--both his sense of humor and the way he expresses himself. :-)

[TaraS1]

I wish Paul and Mary would put a stop to that from Ruby, as well, adhoc.  Paul has no problem being harsh with the bakers, so I was kind of disappointed that he didn't let her have it, at least a little bit, over that behavior.  Especially since it's not the first time she's done it.

[Aquarius]

Awww.  I was sad to see Howard go, although I sort of thought he was going to go this week.  Those little peachy buns were so cute, too bad they didn't taste like peaches.

 

I was glad to see Glenn stay, though.  I love him and want him to stay as long as possible.  I don't think he has a snowball's chance in hell of winning, though.  His survivor's guilt this week at Howard's going home instead of him seemed very sincere and was touching.  It's part of what I love about this show - the contestants all seem like such decent people who, while each hoping to win, are still pulling for each other. 

 

During the judging, they always show the reaction shots of the other contestants, and they all seem distressed and upset when one of the others is getting bad feedback.  I was always suspect of this as a trick of editing.  But this week, during the judging (I can't remember who was being judged), they showed Beca with her hands sort of criss-crossed on her face in agitation.  Then they showed a shot of the person taking their tray of buns away from the judging table, and Beca was in the wide shot in the same position.   So now I think it's not a trick of editing - those reaction shots they show are true.  Makes me love them all the more.

 

I laughed at a couple of things during the episode, damned if I can remember what.  One thing I laughed at was the conversation about hemp - I don't know if Mary was putting on but I really got the idea she had no idea what that conversation was about.  And then when Howard presented the loaf, she said so dryly, "It looks as if it's quite healthy for me."  I just love the British art of understatement.

 

Ruby does wear on me a little with the "Oh, I know this is so bad" - "Well, it's quite delicious" - "Oh really?  I'm just so surprised."  I don't think she's surprised.  I don't think she's fishing for compliments, but I don't think she believes the work is as bad as she's letting on.  I'm glad Mary called her on it during the judging, and then again later. 

 

I don't know how many people auditioned for the show but Ruby beat them and earned a place in the tent, she's survived past the halfway point, and now she's earned star baker.

 

Star baker for the second time, actually.

 

Hanging hair has always bothered me on these shows.  Christine's isn't too long but it should be pulled back.  Frances does it. 

 

I don't think I've ever seen Frances' hair pulled back.  Beca pulls hers back and Kimberley usually wears a headband.  But I think Frances has always had hers down.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Aquarius

[meep.meep]

Awww.  I was sad to see Howard go, although I sort of thought he was going to go this week.  Those little peachy buns were so cute, too bad they didn't taste like peaches.

 

I was glad to see Glenn stay, though.  I love him and want him to stay as long as possible.  I don't think he has a snowball's chance in hell of winning, though.  His survivor's guilt this week at Howard's going home instead of him seemed very sincere and was touching.  It's part of what I love about this show - the contestants all seem like such decent people who, while each hoping to win, are still pulling for each other. 

 

.....

 

I laughed at a couple of things during the episode, damned if I can remember what.  One thing I laughed at was the conversation about hemp - I don't know if Mary was putting on but I really got the idea she had no idea what that conversation was about.  And then when Howard presented the loaf, she said so dryly, "It looks as if it's quite healthy for me."  I just love the British art of understatement.

 

 

I'd forgotten about Mary's "quite healthy" line.  Truly funny.

 

I too want to see Glenn stay.  Drinking a cup of tea and trying to not obsess at how his bake is going.  There was one episode where he did really well in the first two events, and then it was obvious that his show stopper was not all that and he had this great line about watching Star Baker float away.

 

The peachy buns were so pretty!  I never would have figured they were Howards.

[Rinaldo]

I recall Mary's line as being "It looks as though it's going to be rather good for me."

 

I love everything Glenn does, all the time.

[springbarb]

I love Glenn. I doubt he'll survive much longer, but I enjoy him so much.

 

Ruby's "My bake is so awful!" attitude has been grating, to the point where I don't really like her anymore; I have my fingers crossed that the comments this week will get her to stop and I can start liking her again.

 

Kimberley is my favorite, and I hope she gets back to more solid footing soon.

[emma675]

I wasn't drooling over the bakes this week, but I despise raisins and prunes and dates, etc., so none of these really appealed to me.

 

I'm officially over Ruby. I think she's a fabulous baker, but her personality just annoys the hell out of me. I find people like her who are always apologizing, beating themselves up, "woe is me", are actually usually just fishing for attention and compliments. I hate that. Just shut up and bake. You're good at it.

[Zahdii]

The next episode is now available online:

 

Season 2, Episode 7: Pastry

     With only six bakers left, the stakes are getting higher, and this week they face pastry.

 

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365541725/

[jenh526]

Everyone was so funny in this episode. I loved Beca imitating Paul about her proving process. The part with Mary not knowing what hemp was and the others gently teasing her was cute. I'll miss Howard - he seems like a sweet soul. 

[theatremouse]

I'm officially over Ruby. I think she's a fabulous baker, but her personality just annoys the hell out of me. I find people like her who are always apologizing, beating themselves up, "woe is me", are actually usually just fishing for attention and compliments. I hate that. Just shut up and bake. You're good at it.

It's getting old to me as well, but I don't think she's fishing for compliments. I think rather she's so afraid of criticism, or of failing, that she's trying to deflect (not even necessarily consciously) but I think she's the type of person who has it in her head that if ANYTHING is wrong and she were to be called out on it, she can somehow diffuse the situation by admitting that well at least she knew it was wrong. I think to her it's as if making a mistake but remaining silent implies somehow that she were ignorant of her own mistake (which somehow makes it worse than just the mistake on its own) so she's begging off pre-emptively: sure I made a mistake but at least you know I know better kind of thing.

The hilarious bit to me though is if she keeps insisting it's rubbish and they say "actually this is great" it has the opposite effect: it makes her look like she doesn't know what she's talking about that she consistently thinks she's botched it when she hasn't, and/or what everyone else is saying, makes her look begging for approval and disingenuous.

[shandy]

I've been reading some of Ruby Tandoh's journalism and it's clear she's been on quite the journey of personal discovery since the bake off and refreshingly honest about her struggles with all kinds of issues. I have revised my view of her accordingly - as a popular reality show isn't the best place to be in the middle of an existential  crisis, and despite this, she had all that success, both with the show and with her studies. Thankfully the show is made in advance, so the social media peanut gallery didn't affect things too much.

[kscoaster]

Regarding Ruby, I think one of things that's absolutely killing her is not being able to check her bakes before judging.  It's like not being able to run spellcheck against a school paper.  I saw the season a while ago, and - yes - the self-doubt is rather hard to take at times. But I'll take her genuine neuroses over 10,000 I'm-not-here-to-make-friends jackasses from most reality TV competitions.

[editorgrrl]

The story of the torta negra—the well-travelled tea loaf that creates a taste of Wales in the middle of Patagonia.

On episode 5 of Indian Summers (set in 1932 India), they had bara brith. My first thought was, "that Welsh fruit bread Beca made!"

I end up Googling so many terms (for example, the meal was called tiffin), that it was fun to already be familiar with something.

[Lady Iris]

On ‎10‎/‎12‎/‎2015 at 5:53 PM, MortysCleaningLady said:

All those breads looked darned tasty!  And I'm so sorry to lose Howard -- he reminded me of a cross between Mr. Rogers and my 6th grade science teacher.  He really was able to think outside the box with those flavor profiles.

He totally reminds me of Mr. Rogers!!! Lol, obvs I'm very late to this party but I've been catching up on PBS.

On ‎10‎/‎18‎/‎2015 at 3:35 PM, emma675 said:

I'm officially over Ruby. I think she's a fabulous baker, but her personality just annoys the hell out of me. I find people like her who are always apologizing, beating themselves up, "woe is me", are actually usually just fishing for attention and compliments. I hate that. Just shut up and bake. You're good at it.

She making it painful for me to watch. She's a lovely gal but her constant worry and put down upon disposition are make me so uncomfortable when she's on. On a completely shallow note, she has the most gorgeous green eyes I've ever seen.

[Crs97]

I love weighing in 5 years later!  Regarding Ruby, the thing that annoys me is that her smile resembles a smirk.  She goes up all forlorn, they tell her the bake is great, and she smirks.  Even when they were announcing star baker by teasing her about confidence, she smirked.  I doubt she can help it, but it makes her look so disingenuous.  I find myself actively rooting against her, which is sad because I am sure she is probably a lovely young woman.

I love Glen.  I don't understand Paul's contempt for him.