The Great British Baking Show Recap: Buns in the Oven

As a seasoned viewer of baking shows with a heart for the LGBTQIA+ community and an insatiable appetite for pun-filled humor, I must say, this episode of The Great British Bake Off was a delightful feast for my eyes, ears, and taste buds!

Greetings! Here comes Paul Hollywood’s Week of Overconfidence, or more familiarly known as Bread Week. This year, we’re having a Pun-filled Season. There’s nothing the British adore more than mushy peas and their rich history, except for really bad puns. You can see this in full swing at the start when Noel and Allison discuss their upcoming album titled “Bake It Til You Make It,” complete with tracks like “Loaf on Mars,” “Purple Grain,” and “You Knead Me I Don’t Knead You,” by Ed Sheeran Bread.

It seems our hosts are truly excelling today, as they dive into the main event: the challenge of baked goods, a playful relative to the infamous “soggy bottom.” They admire each other’s creations, mention Paul Hollywood’s masterpieces, and Allison expresses excitement about seeing some uniquely shaped ones. Despite having seen numerous buns, I can’t help but notice they all share a certain similarity – round, plump, and tempting to sink your teeth into. Indeed, I too can play this game!

It’s a rare occasion where everything seems to run smoothly and everyone appears to be on point. However, I can’t help but yearn for a touch of chaos, wouldn’t you agree? This sentiment is echoed in Paul’s comments during the judging, as he notes that this week’s Bread Week is one of the strongest in the series history, with his opinion carrying significant weight.

From the moment they first appeared on screen, I’ve been eager to take a peek at Dylan’s creations, and they certainly live up to the hype. He uses a zesty Korean chili paste called gochujang to infuse them with a fiery flavor. As expected, yes, Dylan’s concoctions are indeed spicy. When Paul eventually tasted them, he was overflowing with compliments. He used more words describing Dylan’s creations than he did throughout all of season 14. (I can relate. I could talk about his creations all day too.) “I haven’t been impressed by a flavor in a while,” Paul confessed, and praised the appearance, dimensions, color, and consistency of Dylan’s creations. Yes, Paul. I feel the same way.

It’s no wonder Dylan receives a handshake following everything Paul says, and Georgie moves near too, offering her homemade Italian Chelsea buns with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella. He suggests adding some Parmesan shavings on top, so instead of a handshake, she gets a gentle pat. Oh, that’s just what we needed. We already have the Hollywood Handshake; we were expecting a Prue Pat, but he took that from her as well. Does he really need a co-judge during Bread Week?

While everyone has their own successes, John’s Greek-styled dish fell short due to an overly moist filling that left a hollow center in the roll. Typically, cavities are desirable, but not on ‘The Baking Show’, sweetheart. Gill is thrilled with her black pudding and chorizo buns, which she adorns with “mustard custard.” This reminds me of Colonel Mustard from ‘Clue’ inventing a delightful dessert. Yes, I’ve tasted Sara Lee, but have you tried Colonel Mustard’s Custard? Sumayah, who usually excels in all bakes, creates sunflower-shaped buns that the judges aren’t fond of, but at least they are the uniquely formed and colored buns that Allison was anticipating.

In the popular TV series known as “The Baking Show,” Paul initially instructs the contestants to create a seven-stranded braided bread wreath. Since Britons refer to braids as “plaits,” this is one of the quirks that can be frustrating about living here. Instead of providing a written recipe, Paul demonstrates the process for the bakers. This feels more authentic because if I didn’t know how to do it myself, I would prefer watching a YouTube video instead. These small adjustments keep the show engaging. We don’t want the bakers to construct a life-size cookie model of a royal family member; we just need something unique yet achievable. This approach makes the program even more enjoyable. After Paul’s demonstration, Prue comments, “Paul, it was delightful watching you craft a loaf using plaiting techniques.” It seems she meant “plait” instead of “pinch,” and perhaps she is continuing the play on words.

The majority of individuals manage to braid effectively, yet Dylan struggles, possibly due to his mind being preoccupied with Paul’s actions involving his rolls earlier. Andy mistakenly adds the egg wash intended for browning the bread into his dough mix, necessitating a redo and putting him behind the competition. However, he performs well enough during his second attempt that he ends up among the top three alongside Sumayah and Nelly, who emerges victorious. It’s delightful to watch Nelly as she listens to Paul’s compliments about her wreath; it seems she was on the verge of breaking into a joyous song or expression of affection for her imaginary partner Noel, but maintained her composure. At the bottom we find Dylan, Christiaan, and John, who is having an especially challenging day.

The highlight of this project involves crafting a cornucopia from various types of bread. If you’ve ever made one with construction paper as a kindergarten project for Thanksgiving, you’d know it symbolizes abundance – not horniness, though we might be playing on words here. Interestingly enough, Nelly, who has quite the affection for Noel, seems to be the only one in this scenario who could make a play on that word, but she didn’t.

John is crafting a “Horn of Pride,” and I must share with you the abundance of horns I’ve witnessed at Pride events. However, there’s one issue with Pride that has always bugged me: everything is so vibrantly colorful. It seems like, as a community identifying under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, we were somehow obligated to adopt the rainbow, arguably the most eye-catching, gaudy assortment of colors ever conceived by gay or lesbian individuals.

John steps outside for a brief moment of tears in the backyard, and hey, it’s alright. We’ve all been there before. Afterward, Allison emerges and shares with him that during her time on “Strictly Come Dancing” (the U.K. equivalent of “Dancing with the Stars”), she sensed she was leaving because of her performance and how others had performed. “Alijaz said, ‘She could still fall over,'” she tells John. Hang on, why am I tearing up? Why does this feel like the kindest thing anyone has ever said within (or near) the competition tent? Goodness, this show is just so heartwarming and pure, and it’s hard to believe it took 14 seasons to bring national treasure Allison Hammond onto the judging panel.

As a movie critic, I must admit that the culinary creations in this show are nothing short of intriguing. They seem complex enough to be a challenge, yet achievable – that perfect balance of difficulty and possibility. Sumayah’s masterpiece, adorned with roses and leaves, resembles something straight out of an Instagram feed, albeit with its share of pink rolls that, unfortunately, leave Paul less than impressed.

When Dylan placed his distinctively striped, black-and-white basket on the table, it was clear he was this week’s standout baker. As Noel had mentioned before, it seemed straight out of a Tim Burton film, which made me regret that we couldn’t keep it intact for my growing collection dedicated to Dylan and his remarkable baking skills in the spare room. Tasting his Amaretto donuts left both judges purring like cats, much like the inspiration behind Dylan’s creations. Then they moved on to his maple bacon knots, with Paul describing them as luxurious and indulgent. (Once again, they chose adjectives reminiscent of a luxury toilet paper brand.) Paul complimented Dylan, calling him a “talented little baker,” a comment that I couldn’t help but notice was laced with flirtation.

While not all creators excel equally, Andy’s culinary endeavor inspired by New York is an exception – his cornucopia, however, crumbles during baking in the oven. If he aims for authentic American flavors, size should be considered, as appliances labeled “American-style” in the U.K. are often colossal. Andy presents pizza, focaccia, and pretzels, but Paul and Prue find that while they’re not terrible, they don’t match their described tastes. Even his pretzels, Prue remarks, taste more like a cinnamon loaf. Given the opportunity, Andy can try again, as it is John’s buns that are leaving the competition this round. Tears stream down Andy’s face, but he claims they are tears of pride, feeling accomplished for reaching so far in the contest. I too have wept at Pride events, yet my tears were from anticipation to savor Dylan’s buns.

2024-10-11 20:54

The Great British Baking Show Recap: Buns in the Oven

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