It’s Pauls week, and he’s taking no prisoners, what with irregular baguettes, unpractised bakes and Mary was left with being the good cop this week.
Signature – Quick Bread
A first for the bake off, but then again isn’t everything we see on it? The definition of this bread is a very speedy bread made without yeast. Instead it uses baking powder or bicarbonate for soda as a raising agent.
Key points:
- Crumbly texture of the soda bread depends on the ratio of bicarb to buttermilk correct. Not enough will create a densely packed loaf, too much and it won’t hold it’s shape.
- The dough doesn’t need to be kneaded, over-worked dough will lead to a tough chewy texture not the crumbliness that is iconic with soda breads
- Cut the bread with a cross, almost to the bottom, which will help distribute the heat in the middle of the loaf.
Dispersal of the filling it needs to be even, but Dorret blended her’s too much, leaving the flavour but making the texture too tight. Tamal on the other hand had big lumps that could be seen in the final loaf. Ugne was pushing the limit by using both Bicarb and baking powder, it could have been a disaster, but it worked well in the end, without a hint of bitterness. Once again Ian has added the home grown element with his wild garlic, in words of Mel “delish”
Technical – French Baguette
Granted Paul is the bread man and he knows his rolls, but nothing could seemed to please him much with this bake. It’s all about the crust in the outside and the open irregular, chewy texture of the dough similar to a ciabatta
Key points:
- Pouring water into a tray in the oven when putting the dough will help to create the steam needed to create the crust.
- Proving is important, and using the plastic tub helped to create the irregular structure, its the same method that was used for last years ciabatta.
There was a lot more failed bakes this week than successful ones. Most of them needed more time in the oven, they were underproved and soft, especially Paul who came last. Flora was ahead of the game in this challenge, having made them before and she came 2nd once again in the technical, she’s certainly a confident little baker.
Showstopper – 3D Bread.
Alvin’s was by the most impressive, he may have gone overboard but he did it with style. Everything kept it’s shape, even the horn, that held a variety of rolls, loaves and plaits. Paul adventurous lion showed that he knew how his bread worked, and he was able to produce a lion, complete with mane claws and flaring nostrils. It was a shame that Sandy’s bread sculpture wasn’t as moving as it’s inspiration of the Tower of London Poppies. I take my hat off to Flora and her corseted dress, I thought the bodice looked beautiful. Along with Ian’s flowerpot, Nadiya snake and Tamals ‘bread-cycle’ it was a great composition. From the start of the show it seemed that Dorret could not please both the judges, and finishing off with an unpractised bake was certainly the last straw.
I’m not sure of the structure of this weeks bake yet, but I have a giant pot of basil growing in the kitchen so I might take some inspiration from the bakers in the show and do a pesto dough. Once again, everything will happen on Saturday, so not so much practise for me, instead there will be plenty of research and wine consumed through-out!
Oneliner of the week comes from the host Sue: “If you don’t know what a baguette is, it’s over, get out of the tent now!”