Great British Baking Show: Getting a rise out of Bread Week

From the very beginnings of the Great British Baking Show, Bread Week is almost always the third episode of any new season and is one to watch. Paul Hollywood is considered one of the masters of the art of making bread in all its forms and baking it in front of him has been known to overwhelm many a baker.

This season is no exception as Bread Week has arrived and the remaining 10 bakers are all feeling the pressure. For some, such as Maggie and Rochica, a solid week is the only thing standing between them and going home while the great Jurgen/Giuseppe rivalry continues to heat up. And for one baker, bread will surprisingly allow them a chance to move up our Leaderboard.

For the Signature Challenge, the bakers were instructed to make a focaccia bread, which is a flat Italian bread that is similar to a pizza crust. It should come as no surprise that Giuseppe excelled at this challenge, making a focaccia inspired by his home flavored with olives and oil made by his father-in-law. It was so good that he received the first Hollywood Handshake of the season and a request for the recipe.

Overall most of the bakers did okay. Jurgen, after two weeks of Star Baker, fell to the middle of the pack with a focaccia that while baked well, the flavors didn’t impress. Maggie’s traditional tomato and olive bread had issues with the toppings while Rochica completely overpowered her bread with garlic.

Which baker goes home during Bread Week on the Great British Baking Show?

Then came the Technical Challenge which was to make 15 identical olive and cheese ciabatta breadsticks. For many of the bakers the issue was figuring out how long to proof and then bake the breadsticks. That criticism seemed to come up over and over when Paul and Prue judged the offerings.

Rochica came in last with breadsticks that were barely baked and Crystelle was right behind her, thinking that the recipe called for a long proof and short baking time. Boy was she wrong. In a shocking development, Lizzie came in second making breadsticks that had good color and great flavor. However, Giuseppe ran away with the Technical, making sticks that despite twisting them impressed the judges.

That left the Showstopper Challenge and one last chance for Rochica to redeem herself and stay in the Tent. The bakers had to make a 3D bread display using milk bread, which is sweeter and softer then more traditional breads.

In a bizarre coincidence, three bakers went with an ocean theme for their displays, including Maggie. She used seaweed to flavor her milk bread which she crafted into the shape of an octopus. Amanda went with an octopus as well and unlike Maggie, she used colored doughs to give her display a more impressive look.

Rochica had issues from the start, making a cinnamon birdcage with eggs that when complete, only looked half finished. In addition she over proofed some of her dough while under proofing others and the whole thing was baked much too long.

Giuseppe made a basket of garden fruits and vegetables that wowed everyone. The judges loved his flavors and textures and while it was a simple design it was executed perfectly. It should come as little surprise that he ended up winning Star Baker with no other baker even close.

It should also come as little shock that (Spoiler alert if you haven’t watched the episode!) Rochica went home. Maggie again survived but was very close to being sent home. Unless she can make a comeback for the ages next week her time in the Tent may be over.

After the dust has settled on Bread Week, our Great British Baking Show Leaderboard has a new baker in the top spot while Lizzie, who had a surprising strong week has moved out of the basement and into the middle of the pack.

1. Giuseppe
2. Freya
3. Jurgen
4. George
5. Lizzie
6. Amanda
7. Chigs
8. Crystelle
9. Maggie

Can Lizzie keep up her hot streak? Can Jurgen reclaim the top spot from Giuseppe? Will Maggie be able to make a comeback? We will find out some of the answers when a new episode drops on Netflix next Friday.

What do you think Guilty Eaters? Did Rochica deserve to be sent home? Is Giuseppe the frontrunner to win the whole thing? Leave a comment below and let us know or join the conversation on our Twitter and Facebook pages.