Great British Baking Show season 14 episode 4: The chocolate is melting

The Great British Baking Show was back this week, and this episode was all about chocolate. And of course, because it was Chocolate Week, it had to be the hottest day of the year when they filmed the show. While this caused plenty of issues with the chocolate, it also caused issues with the health of the bakers as well.

But before we get to the health issues, let’s start with the Signature Challenge! The bakers had to make a chocolate torte, which is pretty much a chocolate cake that is very rich and is not made with any type of wheat flour.

They used everything from almonds and hazelnuts to egg whites to replace the flour, and overall, the bakers did okay. Some did very well, while others were a complete mess. But the one who really stood out was Dan. He was a disaster last week but showed how good of a baker he actually is in this first challenge.

On to the Technical! For this challenge, Prue wanted them to make caramelized white chocolate cheesecakes. With the heat they were dealing with, this was not an easy task. Many of them didn’t know what caramelized white chocolate is (I still don’t), and it was a very delicate process of microwaving the white chocolate just enough to get it caramelized but not burnt.

Bakers were melting on Great British Baking Show this week

During the challenge, the heat began to really build up in the tent, and Tasha felt the effects of that. She was getting dizzy and needed to sit down. Eventually, the medics had her bow out of this week’s challenges completely.

I really like how this was handled. They didn’t kick her out of the competition because of her health. They simply allowed her to get the care she needed, and she’ll be back next week.

The challenge continued and unfortunately, the final results were…less than great. There were a few bakers who did quite well, but there were also plenty of cheesecakes that were melted, overbaked, and grainy. Who came out on top? That was Dan!

Finally, the Showstopper! For this challenge, the bakers had to make chocolate boxes that were made out of chocolate and fill them with chocolates of any flavor of their choosing. This was possibly the most stressful challenge I have ever watched on this show. And considering I almost have a panic attack any time they make a Swiss roll, that’s saying something. Watching them put together the boxes and them falling apart was nerve-wracking.

That said, many of these boxes were absolutely beautiful. There were hearts, treasure chests, and even a fairytale carriage. Dan, Matty, Nicky, and Cristy were some of the top bakers in this challenge, and for the first time, Matty got Star Baker!

Who went home? No one! Because Tasha had to leave, the judges decided to let everyone stay one more week. But two people will be going home next week.

And speaking of next week on the Great British Baking Show, it’s going to be Pastry Week, which is never easy. It will be all about how many layers they can get in their pastry dough. It will be interesting to see what the judges want them to make.

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