Bake Off Final: My Thoughts and Opinion

Wednesday was a very bittersweet night for me.  As you may have guessed, I am obsessed with Bake Off, it's my absolutely favourite show and I love every iota of it.  I love the witty banter of Mel and Sue, I love Paul's mysterious steel glare and, of course, I love the Queen of Baking, Mary Berry.  In a TV world of drama and sob stories, I love that Bake Off is simple, classic and quintessentially British.  

I am gutted that Bake Off is leaving the BBC.  It is already ruined because 3/4 of the Fab Four will be missing, it will be made even worse by endless ads and product placement and recaps and cliffhangers.  I feel every member of the Fab Four made the right move for themselves - Mel and Sue and Mary did the right thing by staying with BBC; I also think Paul did the right thing staying with Bake Off.  

I am also devastated on a personal level.  The whole purpose of this baking blog was to prepare me to enter the Great British Bake Off.  I had downloaded the entry form two years previously, but did not have any pastry, bread or patisserie experience.  Therefore, the aim of this blog was to expand and refine my baking skills, in preparation for applying for next year's Bake Off.  Unfortunately, my Bake Off dream will never be acheived.  I will not enter any Bake Off that does not include Mary Berry.  Bake Off without Mary Berry is like a cake without eggs - flat and joyless.  

I'm still proud of myself - I've acheived a lot and really pushed myself and expanded into whole areas of baking I'd never experienced before.  I've got all my fingers and toes crossed that Mary, Mel, Sue and the BBC devise a new baking competition - I'll be the first in line if that eventually happens!

Enough moaning - back to the final!

I was in very mixed feelings about the result.  I'm a big Andrew fan - I love his precision, creativity and talent.  However, on the day, I do think Candice deserved to win.  I've never warmed to Candice, disliking her tendency to alway go over the top, always have to give everything a 'twist; and always presenting things in a ridiculous way (the piano and the bird cage spring to mind).  Personal opinion aside, she is an excellent baker and definitely does not deserve the internet backlash she recieved.  Whether you like or dislike someone, cyber bullying is cyber bullying and attacking someone personally is disgusting and childish.  I am impressed with anyone who can bake in a little black dress and wedge heels and not get a speck of flour on them!  Having said that, I adore Andrew and was very disappointed on his behalf.  

All in all, a very emotionally mixed night for me.  I am very sad that something so wonderful has come to an end whilst still in its prime.  I think all that is left for us to do is what I always do - keep baking!

Week Six: Fougasse

I was planning on making a Mojito meringue pie for botanical week, but I just didn't have time!  Ended up making fougasse instead, as it is my neighbour's favourite bread - and I've heard it makes a great cinema snack ;)

I used Paul Hollywood's recipe - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/fresh_herb_fougasse_70351 

Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 
• 10g/¼ fine salt
• 7g sachet instant yeast
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing and drizzling 
• 350ml/12fl oz warm water 
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra to finish 
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
• fine semolina, for dusting 
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• sea salt flakes, crushed, to finish

Method

Step One: Make the Dough

Put the flour salt and yeast in the bowl of your free-standing electric mixer with a dough hook.  Make sure the salt and yeast are on opposite sides of the bowl.  (If you don't have an electric mixer, you can always knead by hand)  Add the olive oil and 3/4 of the water and begin to mix on a low speed.  As the dough comes together, add the rest of the water and continue mixing for about 8 minutes.  Add the herbs (as usual, I did not have all the herbs and couldn't be bothered to go shopping!  I used herbs from my garden)  Mix for a minute or two until the herbs are evenly spread through the dough and the dough is stretchy and elastic.  Oil a large bowl and tip the dough in.  Turn the dough over (so the oiled side is up) and cover the bowl with clingfilm - if the oily side is up, then the clingfilm will not stick to the dough.  Leave to rise until doubled in size - at least an hour.  

Step Two: Shape the Dough

Paul says to dust your work surface with white flour and semolina.  As you've probably guessed, I did not have semolina, so I just used white flour - it was fine.  Tip out the dough and split in half.  Lift each half onto a baking tray and shape into an oval.  Paul suggests using baking paper underneath each 'loaf' but I had run out so I sprayed my trays with olive oil and dusted them lightly with flour.  Use a pizza cutter to cut slashes into the dough - there are lots of different designs.  You can see my one in the picture below.  After you've slashed the dough, stretch it out very slightly, or the holes will close whilst baking.  If you have large plastic proving bags, place your bread inside.  I didn't, so I sprayed cling film with olive oil and laid that on top of my bread.  Prove for another 20 minutes and preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan).

Step Three: Bake the Dough

Make sure the oven is heated to 220C (200C fan).  Spray some olive oil over the top of each loaf and bake for 15-20 minutes.  It will sound hollow if it's ready when you tap it.  Remove from the oven, brush with more olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt.  Eat immediately!

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My score: 5/5 Easy peasy simple pimple!  Absolutely delicious and the easiest bread I have ever made.  Makes soup and bread a meal fit for a Queen.  You do need to be in the house most of the day because of timings and proving etc but it's a lovely recipe to do while you're getting on with other things because it only requires about 20 minutes of actual action.

Julia's Top Tips

• Don't worry if you don't have all the correct ingredients or equipment - improvise!  The must haves are proper strong bread flour and yeast, otherwise it will not work.
• Experiment with different flavours - I think sundried tomato would be gorgeous, or cheese, or maybe even a sweet one like chocolate and caramel!
• A great beginner's bread if you've never made bread before.

Keeeeeeeep baking!

Breadxit

I am absolutely devastated.  As you may have guessed, Bake Off is my favourite programme on TV (is it that obvious??)  I feel very strongly that it is a quintessentially BBC programme and I think it will be ruined by Channel 4, not out of incompetence or malice, but because of a lack of understanding about what makes Bake Off, Bake Off.  I think it will lose it's old fashioned, British charm and become another fast-paced reality show.  

I don't think adverts, product-placement and constant recaps and previews will work, I think they'll be a lot more "sob stories" and fake emotional moments and fake drama.  I love the fact that Mel and Sue intentionally swear when the bakers are too upset so that the footage cannot be used.  I don't think new presenters will protect the contestants as well.  

Above all, I think the hardest thing for Channel 4 will be to preserve the warmth and joy of Bake Off without the Fab Four.  Mel and Sue have already (understandably) bowed out.  No-one can replace their perfect puns and genuine care for the contestants.  They're so sweet and lovely, always helping the bakers emotionally and with their bakes.  I really don't think Mary will move and Bake Off without Mary Berry is like life without sunshine.  I never warmed to Bake Off Creme de la Creme because the presenters and judges were different and it was more like Masterchef then my lovely Bake Off.  

Here are a few websites (mostly news and opinions) that I found very informative:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37353262
http://www.recipesfromanormalmum.com/2016/09/14/coriander-falafel/ (Looks like a falafel recipe, is also Holly's opinion of Breadxit, written very beautifully)
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/sep/13/sue-perkins-and-mel-giedroyc-to-leave-great-british-bake-off  

I really am hoping desperately that Channel 4 somehow manage to keep the Bake Off Magic going - but I'm horribly worried that my beloved show now has a soggy bottom... :(

Week Three: Dampfnudel

Three technical challenges in a row!  I think it's purely because the technical challenge is always shorter, it's easier for me to achieve :)  I have NEVER heard of dampfundel but they sounded delicious and I knew I had to try some sweet German dumplings ;)

Full recipe here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/dampfnudel_36590

Ingredients

For the dampfnudel

            500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting

            100g/3½oz caster sugar

            7g sachet fast-action yeast

            150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk, warmed

            2 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten

            70g/2½oz unsalted butter, melted

            1 lemon, finely grated zest only

            vegetable oil, for greasing

For the plum sauce

            4 ripe plums, roughly chopped and stones removed

            1 medium orange, juice only

            50g/1¾oz demerara sugar

            pinch ground cinnamon

For the vanilla sauce

            150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk

            150ml/5fl oz double cream

            3 large free-range egg yolks

            ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

            2 tsp plain flour

            50g/1¾oz caster sugar

For the poaching liquid

            25g/1oz unsalted butter

            150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk

            25g/1oz caster sugar

Wow!  Complicated!

Method

Step One: Make the Dampfnudel

Much easier than I thought!  A simple enriched dough.  You put the flour in the bowl, add the yeast and sugar to either side, then add the milk, eggs and butter.  Paul says you should use your hands, but I cheated and used the machine!  (Then you can tidy up/chop plums while it's going!)

When the dough is soft and smooth and sticking together, scatter over the lemon zest and knead that in.  Then it needs to be left to prove.  Oil a bowl and some clingfilm, then leave the dough in the bowl, top covered with clingfilm, for about an hour or until doubled in size.  (When I eventually remodel my kitchen I am totally having a proving drawer!) 


Step Two: Make Everything Else!

While the dough is proving, you've got time to make the plum sauce and custard - again, relatively easy.  I've made my own custard a few times - it's definitely worth the fuss, it tastes SO much better than shop bought.

For the plum sauce, tip the plums, orange juice and sugar into a pan and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Whack the heat up to full and boil for 10 mins, squishing the mixture with a masher.  Then stir in the cinnamon and let it cool for a bit.  I whizzed mine in the food processor for a super smooth sauce.

For the custard, heat the milk and cream in a pan until it is just bubbling around the edges. Take it off the heat, then whisk the egg yolks, vanilla, flour and sugar in a bowl.  Then pour the milk and cream on top, whisking continuously - otherwise you'll end up with scrambled eggs! Pour it all back into the pan and cook on a really low heat for a few minutes, stirring the whole time.  Finally, pop it in a jug or bowl with clingfilm on so it doesn't get a skin.

Step Three: Cook the Dampfnudel

First, you need to make the dough into nudels.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and turn inwards til the air is knocked out.  Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls.  (I will admit I was a loser and weighed them - it was the only way to get them equal!)  

Next, make the poaching liquid.  Heat the butter, milk and sugar in a large pan (Paul says a saute pan, I didn't have one so I used my poaching pan).  When the sugar has dissolved, take the pan off the heat, add the balls and let them sit for 15 minutes until (you've guessed it!) doubled in size.  Reduce the heat and cook for another 25-30 minutes.  Then remove the lid and keep cooking for another 5 minutes until their bottoms are carmarelised.  Finally, reheat the sauces and serve!

My score: 5/5 Easy and delicious!  They are time-consuming though, not something to bash out quickly.  I think they'd be delicious at Christmas time, maybe over the holidays when you have a whole day to leave things proving and muck around making sauces.

Julia's Top Tips

• Do use a poaching pan or a saute pan - I used a ceramic dish to start with and it cracked!
• Do use a pan that's big enough - my pan was small so they're all a bit misshapen.
• Do experiment with different sauces - I also made a chocolate ganache sauce with leftover cream and it was DELICIOUS.
• Don't leave your tin in reach of your cat - or this will happen!

Keeeeeeeep baking!