The Great British Baking Show Recap: Monkey Business

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I’ve never been a big fan of Bread Week, and it bothers me in the same way the Hollywood Handshake does. As someone who bakes bread, it feels like that week is all about Paul Hollywood and getting his approval, even though he’s not the only judge. It would be better if Prue Leith also had a week dedicated to her expertise – maybe a week celebrating South African cuisine, bold jewelry, or even current events – just to make things feel more balanced.

The first task is to make a beautiful monkey bread – that familiar, shareable loaf of pull-apart dough. It’s a fun treat, even if the name comes from a rather unappetizing origin! I enjoy this challenge because it’s simple enough for home bakers to tackle, yet complex enough to be impressive in a competition.

My biggest issue with the competition was the requirement for savory monkey bread. I really don’t want mine tasting like cheese, pears, and walnuts – that’s all anyone seemed to make! I was hoping to see someone from New York create a garlic knot monkey bread inspired by NYC pizzerias – I would have eaten so much of that. Or, I had this funny idea to make a ‘monkey brain’ monkey bread, playing on the game *Clue*, though I know that’s not a common dish in Washington D.C., or really anywhere!

Most of the bakers are handling the challenge well, with the exception of Aaron and Pui Man. Aaron’s attempt, featuring onion, chili, fennel, and yeast extract, is clearly not to Paul’s taste. Despite multiple tries, his bake isn’t rising properly and comes out of the oven flat, unattractive, and undercooked – a complete failure. Prue manages a small compliment, admitting the flavor isn’t terrible, but quickly adds that the texture is so bad it’s inedible. It was a backhanded compliment, to say the least.

Pui Man incorporates authentic Chinese flavors, using ingredients like red bean curd, ginger pesto, and a specific type of morning glory vegetable. While everyone else is well into the second proofing stage of their dough, both Pui Man and Nataliia are still forming theirs. This talk of dough (and morning glories!) brought to mind a funny moment with Alison and Jasmine. Alison showed Jasmine a playful trick with a spoon and napkin to create the illusion of a ghost. Noel joined in, playfully lowering the napkin to his waist level, though the show kept things family-friendly and only featured Alison’s cheerful laughter, not the trick itself.

Pui Man’s bread looks beautiful when it’s fresh from the oven, with lots of different colors, but it’s very fragile and falls apart easily. The judges found it lacked flavor, and suggested it needed more salt, a glaze, and a significant recipe overhaul to improve it.

Tom really impressed with his French baking, making perfect French onion soup and a croque monsieur – a dish that reminded everyone of his friend from his days studying in Paris. Iain’s attempt at an Irish cheese board using bread was also a hit, and looked as good as Tom showing off his physique! Jasmine’s olive and rosemary bread was well-received too, though Paul wished it had included cilantro, a common flavor in Cyprus. But Paul, it’s Bread Week, not a celebration of Cypriot cuisine!

This week’s baking challenge is to create a dozen ring doughnuts – the kind Americans simply call donuts. The bakers were specifically asked for ring doughnuts because many British doughnuts don’t have holes; they’re usually filled with cream or jam, like those Paul asked for back in season three. Even muffins here often have fillings, like blueberry muffins with blueberry syrup inside. Basically, people here love a good filling! (And a word of warning: don’t Google ‘morning glory’.) Nadia even jokingly muses about the appeal of a perfectly formed hole, leading to some rather suggestive, playful banter. This episode is definitely getting a bit cheeky!

Okay, let’s be real, the doughnuts just weren’t hitting the spot this week – maybe the bakers were having trouble with the basics! Poor Pui Man struggled in the technical challenge *again*, landing her at the bottom. Lesley and Nataliia were right there with her, while Aaron managed a slightly better third place. Nadia was the runner-up, but it was Jasmine who really blew everyone away and took home the win!

Honestly, the Showstopper challenge is always amazing, and this week is no different! They’re asking us bakers to create a beautiful, stacked sweet bread – think delicious, decorated breads, not anything savory! We have to design it for a specific celebration and explain the story behind it. It’s a tough challenge, for sure, but it’s really about skill and creativity, not just building something complicated. It’s great to see them focusing on actual baking and artistry!

The competition has brought both revelations and new questions. Jasmine shared that she has alopecia and recently found the courage to go out in public without wigs, embracing her natural appearance. It reminds me of the Marvel character Moondragon, and I think that’s a wonderful thing. She’s also baking a Swedish cinnamon and cardamom cake for a midsummer celebration – apparently, she’s a big fan of Ari Aster’s films and the themes they explore.

Aaron baked a special loaf of bread to honor the lives of his friends, Alicia and Fidel, who recently passed away. It’s sad, of course, but it made me wonder about the circumstances. Did they die at the same time, or was it just a coincidence? Were they close? Was it an accident? He’s decorating the bread with sunflowers and roses, and I can’t help but wonder if those flowers have some meaning connected to Alicia and Fidel. It’s a thoughtful gesture – and a sweet one, no pun intended – and I’m just curious to learn more about them.

The competition is proving difficult for three bakers. Iain is attempting a bread inspired by the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “sown”), the origin of Halloween, but his apple and cinnamon loaf isn’t baking properly and needs extensive decorating in a darkly spooky style. Meanwhile, Toby is making Stollen, a traditional German Christmas bread filled with marzipan – his favorite holiday, aside from the month-long Movember. He’s also facing issues with timing and oven space, struggling to get his loaves baked correctly.

Tom, who’s usually so precise, is having a tough time with his chocolate tree. He’s building it to decorate a tower of cinnamon buns as part of an autumn celebration with his boyfriend-whose name is, fittingly, Perfect. Unfortunately, the tree looks nothing like a tree; Alison described it as just a large log, and honestly, it’s one of the worst things we’ve seen on *GBBO*, even worse than Hassan’s disastrous Swiss roll.

Tom consistently delivers flawless results – his bakes are beautifully presented and look like they belong on Taylor Swift’s *folklore* album. Paul commented that the flavors are bold and, unsurprisingly, perfect. Everyone praised the bakers, including Lesley for her lovely daisy chain design on a Ukrainian Korovai loaf. Nadia’s stunning brioche wedding cake, adorned with red roses that Paul playfully described as ‘kissable,’ also received high marks. Aaron’s bread, with its cascading floral design, was called ‘fabulous’ by Paul and ‘faultless’ by Prue. Even Pui Man’s braided milk bread, decorated with roses and filled with cherries – a filling Paul wouldn’t have chosen himself – was a pleasant surprise.

Jasmine’s creation is up next, and it’s quite a showstopper! While she jokingly described it as a ‘cannibalistic human sacrifice loaf,’ it’s actually a beautifully decorated bake. It’s covered in delicate icing and features icing daisies that look incredibly realistic – so realistic, in fact, that judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith (and even some of the camera crew!) could probably eat them.

This week saw a turnaround for Aaron, who impressed with his bread after facing challenges. Pui Man, who struggled early on, seemed poised for a comeback. However, Nataliia’s attempt at a Korovia didn’t fare well – the judges described it as messy and poorly made, noting it was dense, underbaked, and lacked skill. Iain’s apple bread was a clear failure, with Paul pointing out too late that apples and bread don’t mix well due to their high water content. Toby’s loaf also didn’t turn out as planned, described as uneven and undercooked.

Everyone wondered if someone might be going home, and a collective gasp filled the tent when Alison announced it was Pui Man. Despite a better showstopper than last week, it wasn’t enough to keep her in the competition. It’s a shame she had to leave after doing well, but ultimately, it was time. Out of the nine challenges so far, only two of her bakes really stood out. While those were impressive, it wasn’t a strong enough record compared to bakers like Nataliia, who won Star Baker, or Iain, who’s been consistently good. It felt like Paul Hollywood should have offered her a handshake as a small comfort, especially since it’s his signature week.

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2025-09-19 10:56