I’m so excited Kim-Joy’s books just arrived. One for me and one as a gift for a friend. Can’t wait to dive in and see if I can make pretty, tasty treats 🤗

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7putnkUIZU

Tried my hand at a GBBO recipe, it’s not exactly the same but I followed it closely enough. Accompanied with gravy since it was a little dry I was scared of a “soggy bottom” 😂

I watch re runs of bake off every night and all of a sudden it is gone from my netflix. I live in the US! Is it just me?

Well, I got my rejection email. For those interested in auditioning in the future, here a little insight to the process.

Step one: online application. It's something like 70+ questions, many of them essay style. It is VERY extensive and will take longer than you expect. The application also requires a photo of yourself, multiple photos of your best bakes and a 2-minute "Getting to know you" video.

Step two: phone interview. You chat with a casting assistant to give personal information and to assess your skill level.

Step three: tasting audition. Three items, including one technical recipe, which they provide a few days prior. You bring your bakes to an office and two Culinary Producers evaluate them. They are VERY thorough. The past couple years, tasting auditions have only been held in New York, Chicago, Nashville, San Francisco and L.A. If you don't live in one of those cities, you must arrange for your own travel.

Step four: Zoom video interview. You meet with an assistant producer and chat more about yourself and your baking. The zoom, as well as previous photos/videos you've provided are edited to make a casting video to present to the producers.

Step five: In-person technical bake in a professional kitchen. At this point, you're flown to L.A. and will spend two days baking, I believe on camera. It sounded like a trial run of the show, but I don't really know for sure since this is where I got cut and everyone who attends has to sign an NDA.

Step six: The final cast is selected and flown to the UK to film. Filming lasts 4 weeks. You are put up in an extended stay motel, with it's own kitchenette, so you can practice on your days off.

My personal thoughts: I have auditioned for a few other reality shows before, but never went through such an extensive process - it's no joke. They are looking for pastry chef level bakers who are charming and witty. I know professional bakers who don't have the kind of expertise in all the areas they are seeking. Typically, someone specializes in a couple areas like cakes/bread/pastry. For example, I would obviously eat any loaf of bread Paul Hollywood made and he can likely bake a decent cake but I bet he doesnt have the world's most impressive piping skills. They want someone who can do it all. Additionally, you must have a very flexible schedule and the means to travel and pay for practice ingredients. I was only notified a few days before each step, so you might run into trouble if you have to request time off of work far in advance. I don't know many people who are able to leave the country for a month as well, yet they have thousands who apply. Competition is steep!

Overall, auditioning for this show is no small endeavor. Having partially gone through the process twice, I have extreme respect for those who actually get cast - even those who get cut the first week must be incredibly skilled and likeable. I felt pretty confident with what I presented this year but obviously wasn't good enough.

To anyone who's auditioned for UK or Canada, was the process the same?

Hello! I am a big fan of Kouign Amann and I just thought to find the bake-off episode that features it but the episode guide does not seem to match with the episodes or seasons on American Netflix. on YouTube there are just a bunch of people attempting the challenge. Please help! I am lost. Thanks in advance.

Hi I just applied to the GABS literally on the last day 😅 April 15th. How long does it take for people to hear back if they got to the next round?

For me, it’s “By day, he’s a civil servant for the department of education. By night, a DJ on Sheffield club scene.”

I’m doing a series rewatch, and this gem from S6E1 just slays me every time, and I quote it way more often than is warranted.

Any one off lines that have stuck in your mind over the years?

Is it me... or was there a little Peter crush on Lottie? When she was eliminated, he went in for a full body hug and told her "I'll miss you" and she wistfully told him she would miss him too and they made a date for drinks later. Peter never did that with anyone else. Anyone who wanted to hug him at the end of the showstopper or at any other time, had to go in first and Peter always held back. When Lottie was eliminated, Peter went in first and a hug so real, it muffled his microphone. When she left, he looked honestly despondent like his best friend was leaving.

A year ago, Peter asked Lottie to have a numeracy natter on YouTube and they both smiled a little too affectionately and Peter literally blushed his way through it. It's rather cute, a teensy bit cringey and so adorbs.

I think there was a bit of a flirtation there...

See the Natter here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtvLN6joLwU

Well, just as the title says.

View Poll

Finally getting to stream season 14, and really enjoying Alison’s energy and camaraderie with Noel as a host. Side note: how amazing areTasha & Nicki!? Nicki in particular has stolen my heart. No spoilers, please… she probably won’t win, but she has my heart for personality.

Now that we're waiting for Class of 2024, I'm just wondering which bakeoff series is your favourite? I really liked 2021: >!Friendly rivalry between Giuseppe and Jürgen is so cute!<. My second favourite is 2020: >!I like how OP Peter was in the show!<.

How long after submitting the application were people contacted for a phone interview? I don’t want to give up, but I also don’t want to hold out hope for something that’s not coming. I submitted my application like a week ago, and a casting agent for the show commented on an Instagram post of mine, but other than that it’s been radio silence… I was holding out hope since the applications don’t close until 4/15, but I’ve seen a ton of people on instagram already going to their live taste tests/getting followed by casting agents, etc and I started to get nervous. Maybe I’m overreacting? Or maybe I should be focusing on next year’s app?

I've gotten through the phone call and Skype interview and am going to the in-person tasting next week. Unfortunately, the closest location is 5 hours away from me! I like an adventure so I think I'm going to make the drive.

I need to bring two sweet bakes, one signature and one showstopper. I'm trying to think of recipes that I can make ahead and transport, but are still impressive. Any suggestions?

I have a friend who lives 20 mins from the studio and is willing to let me use her kitchen the morning of, if needed. I'm not familiar with her set-up so I'd prefer not to fully bake there with limited time and unfamiliar equipment. I'm thinking I'd like to make elements at home the day before and just use her kitchen to assemble everything (frost the cake, etc.). What do you think?

I just want to give a shout about some of the cookbooks from the bakers.

I cook. A lot. I'm much more of a cook than a baker. I have to mention Chetna's books. I have six of her cookbooks. Some of her recipes are in my regular rotation. These are standouts for me, though I've made many more of her recipes. Her fish curry, poha, and tawa paneer recipes from Chai, Chaat & Chutney. In her 30- Minute Indian: butter chicken (get into using mustard oil, it's awesome) is a simplified version but so much flavor and goes in the oven. Her paneer and pea masala is great, too. Chetna's Healthy Indian - Vegetarian: beetroot, carrot and peanut salad and her smashed chickpea and sunflower seed salad are excellent. The last one is so smart, using chutneys already in your fridge to toss with chickpeas and onions on a sheet pan and into the oven.

Now David Atherton (winner 2019) was not my favorite baker. But I love his healthy cookbook. Like many people who love food, cooking, and baking, we are also into exercise to offset some of that indulgence. I'm a runner and have been into plant-based cooking for athletes, whole food cooking anyway for better nutrition, that sort of thing for years. He has really taken a deep-dive into this and has great techniques to pack nutrition into your diet in really fantastic ways with both flavors and textures. This book was such a surprise! Love the dressings, snacks, lunch ideas, portable foods, etc.

If I had to choose one recipe . . . Nadiya's chicken shawarma. I come from the Detroit area, which has one of the largest and most diverse Arab American communities in the US. We all know and love shawarma. Since moving from that area and wanting a homemade version I've tried so many recipes and nothing really "got it." Until her recipe. Don't be scared of the sheer volume of spices - she knows what she's doing.

Ruby Tandoh's Cook as You Are: Recipes for Real Life, Hungry Cooks, and Messy Kitchens (she's from the 2013 season) - if you truly appreciate good food writing, get this book. If you tend to eagerly cook everything, get this book. This book is surprisingly practical, useful, and deserves some attention. It makes you consider your relationship to food. Both intelligent and accessible. Read her articles online, too. She has a well-honed critical perspective.

​

Why do they give them so little time to complete challenges? As an audience member, it’s stressful watching the bakers get all stressed. Surely they could give them a little more time and it would still be entertaining

EDIT: thanks for your answers everyone!

I've been going through the older seasons (especially loving the masterclass!) and tonight all that remains is season 6?? I tried googling and got nothing but I'm gutted!

I LOVE it! 🥰 anyone know how I can find out where she got it from?

I'm a big fan of the Great British Bake Off and its celebrity counterpart and I've seen a lot of the Stand Up 4 Cancer episodes on Channel 4, but I was just curious to see some of the episodes from the BBC era for Comic and Sport Relief.

Other than the change in hosts and networks, the obvious ones, What are some of the differences between the programmes with the switch? Do you feel that SU4C chooses different celebrities than Comic or Sport Relief? Did you find both versions enjoyable? Are all episodes readily available? Just curious to know what you guys thought?

https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/the-great-stand-up-to-cancer-bake-off-2024/

was just think about how much i would go to pieces trying to do some huge biscuit construction, or an anti-gravity cake, or those ridiculous vertical pies…. and bread sculpting more than one loaf terrifies me!

but also i thought about how much id LOVE to do a proper glazed entremet, or a tiered floral decorated cake, or the challenges like “illusion picnic” (S10 final), or the colourful party buffet.

anyone else have any showstoppers that they’d love to try, and equally any that strike the fear of god into you? 😌😹

I'm watching the old seasons from the beginning on ROKU got to the season 6th and... The episodes available are from 7th up. Is there something controversial happening during those first 6eps that had to be wiped from the platform? Colonial cakes? Mary dancing a pole? Paul not liking key lime?

One of the hosts acts incredibly like a judge lol and is always looking like she's going to taste it before the judges do.

And for the technical this week: >!I can't decide if it's great or gross that they kept several weeks of their leftovers to re-use. Or maybe the technical crew recreated some of them?!<

Was talking to my (M44) partner (F44) about how our Newcastle (NSW) brother and fam hasn't seen Grand Designs or Bake Off.

Insisted they watch one and we picked S21 E4 South Herefordshire on Binge which turned out to be a crossover episode!