If, for some bizarre reason, you’ve never seen the BBC’s showstopper The Great British Bake Off, then allow the programme’s star baker Paul Hollywood to explain the basic premise: “So we’ve got this fat Scouser and we’ve got this posh lady from down south and we’ve got a couple of comedians that haven’t been on the TV for a while and we stick them in a tent with 12 bakers.”
Hollywood’s signature blue steel expression drops for a moment and he chuckles, his shoulders bobbing up and down. “If you’d have turned round 10 years ago and said that idea would be a winner, people would have gone, ‘What?’”
The Great British Bake Off has become the television sensation of our times, a show so popular that only England football matches compete with it for viewing figures. It is so beloved that when it became clear that the traditional start of the new series (early August) would clash with the Olympic Games, one seriously wondered whether it should be the athletes rather than the bakers that changed their schedules.
Expectation for this, the seventh series, has been especially frenzied. There’s a public right of way not far from the famous tent and, when filming started, the show’s producers noticed that it became unusually crowded by men with long camera lenses. Their solution was to make everyone – contestants, home economists, runners – wear Bake Off aprons, so the new batch of bakers could not be identified. I had been warned before arrival at Welford Park in Berkshire, once the spot of a deer-hunting lodge for Henry VIII, now the home of the tent since 2014, that security would be especially fierce.
“You say that,” says Hollywood, reclining in the pristine gardens, on an arcadian, early-summer morning. “We’ve got one guy standing on a gate and we’ve got a guy sitting on a deckchair. That’s not necessarily a lot of security, if we’re honest. And that’s only to protect the tent when no one’s here.”
To be truthful, not much about Bake Off could be described as “fierce”. Sue Perkins, one of the “comedians that haven’t been on the TV for a while” along with co-host Mel Giedroyc, deftly swerves past my outstretched hand to envelop me in an enthusiastic embrace. “I’m a hug person,” she explains. This is a place, on today’s evidence, where the most profound worry in life is whether a tray of mini-mousses will hold firm on an unseasonably hot day. Or, another cliffhanger, how to get hold of half a dozen conifers in late May for shooting the Christmas special.
But then that’s why the nation – a peak of 14.5m people, the largest TV audience of 2015, tuned in to watch Nadiya Hussain win last year’s final – loves The Great British Bake Off. It’s high drama but it is almost impossible to explain why. “I was going through Beaconsfield, a local town, the other day and the bin men leant out of their lorry and said, ‘I love the show, Ma!’,” says Hollywood’s fellow judge Mary Berry. “It appeals to children, grannies, workers, everybody, because it’s gentle.”
At this point, Perkins walks up to Hollywood and makes an obscene gesture behind his back. “Go away!” he says, without looking up.
But isn’t the concern that now this show that epitomises the values of the village fete has become so popular, it will inevitably lose some of its charm? Now that winners – and even contestants eliminated in week six – can be offered newspaper columns and book deals, won’t Bake Off attract a more cut-throat kind of amateur baker?
Hollywood shakes his head. “The only time there wasn’t that ambition or there was an innocence possibly is series one, because no one knew what was going to happen to them,” he says. “But as the programme gets bigger, they want to challenge other people in the tent to be the best baker. They want to win, it’s a competition. And if they’re going to do television, believe, me, they’re ambitious.”
Berry points out that, despite record viewing figures, there were actually fewer applicants for the forthcoming series than for the previous year. She says, “People think, ‘Gosh, I would really have to do something very special.’ Or ‘I’m not really skilled enough to do it.’ The standard has gone up from the very beginning when we were doing Cornish pasties and Victoria sandwich.” For Berry, though, what really matters is the number of viewers who have been inspired: “It’s stimulating people to bake at home, particularly children.”
It’s true, everyone is baking now: sales of flour and cooking chocolate boom each time a new series starts. Just before we sat down, Perkins had offered round a tray of cheese scones she’d made. While the contestants work on their bakes, she often disappears to the prep kitchen to whip up something herself. “I thought those scones were very good,” says Berry, before looking over at Hollywood. “Didn’t you?”
He offers a reluctant grumble of approval.
So, how far would Perkins get if she was a baker on the show? “Week one, two,” smirks Hollywood. “She’s actually pretty good at savoury, but she might fall flat on her face when it comes to cakes.”
Hollywood considers himself and Berry as “taste buds for the nation” and he takes his responsibility for unsparing honesty very seriously. He recalls: “I was in Liverpool and this big bloke, bit of a unit, came up to me and said, ‘You think you’re hard, don’t you Hollywood?’ And I said: ‘I judge fairy cakes. In what way do you think I am being hard?’ I got out of that one.”
The new series of The Great British Bake Off begins on BBC1 in August
MARY AND PAUL’S FAVOURITE BAKE OFF RECIPES
Mary Berry’s perfect Victoria sandwich – series 1
Makes 12 slices
free-range eggs 4
caster sugar 225g, plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake
self-raising flour 225g
baking powder 2 tsp
baking spread, margarine or soft butter 225g, at room temperature, plus a little extra to grease the tins
To serve
good-quality strawberry or raspberry jam
whipped double cream (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins: use a piece of baking or silicone paper to rub a little baking spread or butter around the inside of the tins until the sides and base are lightly coated. Line the bottom of the tins with a circle of baking or silicone paper (to do this, draw around the base of the tin onto the paper and cut out).
Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar, flour, baking powder and baking spread. Mix everything together until well combined. The easiest way to do this is with an electric hand mixer, but you can use a wooden spoon. Put a damp cloth under your bowl when you’re mixing to stop it moving around. Be careful not to over-mix – as soon as everything is blended you should stop. The finished mixture should be of a soft “dropping” consistency – it should fall off a spoon easily.
Divide the mixture evenly between the tins: this doesn’t need to be exact, but you can weigh the filled tins if you want to check. Use a spatula to remove all of the mixture from the bowl and gently smooth the surface of the cakes.
Place the tins on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Don’t be tempted to open the door while they’re cooking, but after 20 minutes do look through the door to check them.
The cakes are done when they’re golden-brown and coming away from the edge of the tins. Press them gently to check – they should be springy to the touch. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool in their tins for five minutes. Then run a palette or rounded butter knife around the inside edge of the tin and carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
To take your cakes out of the tins without leaving a wire rack mark on the top, put the clean tea towel over the tin, put your hand onto the tea towel and turn the tin upside-down. The cake should come out onto your hand and the tea towel – then you can turn it from your hand onto the wire rack.
Set aside to cool completely. To assemble the cake, place one cake upside down onto a plate and spread it with plenty of jam. If you want to, you can spread over whipped cream too.Top with the second cake, top-side up. Sprinkle over the caster sugar.
Paul’s pork pies with quails’ eggs – series 2
Makes 6
For the pastry
plain flour 200g
strong white bread flour 40g
unsalted butter 50g
lard 60g
salt 1 tsp
boiling water 100ml
egg 1, beaten, to glaze
For the filling
onion 1 large
boneless pork loin 300g
unsmoked back bacon 100g
parsley a small bunch
quails’ eggs 6
salt and black pepper
chicken stock cube 1
boiling water 100ml
leaf gelatine 1 sheet (7g)
You will need: 1 x 15cm and 1 x 20cm round cutter and a 6-hole muffin tray.
For the hot water crust pastry, two fats are used: butter for flavour and lard to give the pastry its unique crisp texture. It is made mainly from plain flour but with the addition of a small quantity of strong bread flour to boost the gluten content just enough to help the moulding and shaping, without making the finished pastry tough.
It’s vital to use the pastry while it is still warm and pliable because once it cools the fats begin to harden and the pastry is likely to crack.
To soft-boil quails’ eggs, gently put them into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and put the eggs under cold running water for 1 minute. Drain the eggs and peel immediately.
When you’ve made the pork filling mixture (before you add the eggs) take a teaspoon of the mix, shape into a mini burger and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until cooked through. Then taste and add more seasoning if needed.
Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5. Sift the flours into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with the tips of your fingers until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Make a well in the centre.
Put the lard in a pan and heat until it melts; remove from the heat. Add the salt to the boiling water and stir to dissolve, then add to the lard and stir to combine. Pour the hot lard mixture into the well in the flour. Using a wooden spoon gradually mix the flour into the liquid. Keep mixing until a dough has formed.
When the dough is cool enough to handle, tip it onto a lightly floured surface and work together quickly into a ball. If the dough is still a bit lumpy, leave it to cool slightly and then work it for 1 to 2 minutes longer.
The dough should be glossy and still warm to touch. Roll it out to 3mm thickness. Using the 20cm cutter, cut out 6 rounds for the pie cases. Cut out 6 rounds with the 15cm cutter for the lids.
Line the holes in the muffin tray with the 20cm rounds, pressing them gently over the base and up the sides without stretching the dough. There will be an overhang. Chill the lined muffin tray and pie lids while you make the filling
To make the filling, finely chop the onion, pork, bacon and parsley. Mix together and add some salt and pepper. Soft-boil and peel the quails’ eggs. Spoon about half of the meat mixture into the pie cases, dividing it evenly. Place an egg in the middle of each and top with the rest of the meat mixture.
Brush the edge of each pastry case with beaten egg. Place the lids on top and press the edges together to seal. Trim the edges, if necessary. The easiest way to decorate the edge of the pies is with the back of a fork. You can also crimp the edges with your fingers .
Using a piping nozzle, make a steam hole in the lid of each pie, then brush with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
When the pies are cooked, remove them from their tin and allow to cool. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water.
Soak the gelatine sheet in a little water, gently squeeze out the excess water then whisk into the hot stock. Pour a little of the stock mixture into the hole of each pie. Leave to cool overnight or in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
From The Great British Bake Off: How to Bake (BBC Books, £22)
Mary’s fraisier – series 3
Makes 1 cake
For the sponge
free-range eggs 4 medium, at room temperature
caster sugar 125g
unwaxed lemons finely grated zest of 2 medium
self-raising flour 125g
unsalted butter 50g, melted and cooled
For the creme mousseline
milk 600ml
vanilla pod 1, split open
free-range eggs 4 large, plus 2 yolks, at room temperature
caster sugar 180g
kirsch 1 tbsp
cornflour 100g
unsalted butter150g, at room temperature, diced
For the syrup
caster sugar 75g
lemons juice of 2 medium, strained
To assemble
marzipan 200g
strawberries about 600g, medium sized
dark chocolate 200g, melted
You will need: 1 x 23cm springclip cake tin or loose-based, deep round cake tin, greased, floured and the base lined with baking paper; a strip of acetate to fit inside the tin; a large piping bag fitted with a 2cm tube
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. To make the sponge, put the eggs, sugar and lemon zest into a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk using a hand-held electric mixer until the mixture has more than doubled in volume and become very thick, pale and mousse-like.
To check that the mixture is at the right stage, lift the beaters from the bowl – the mixture that falls off should leave a distinct ribbon-like trail on the surface.
Sift two-thirds of the flour onto the mixture, then gently fold in with a metal spoon. Add the remaining flour and fold in gently to retain as much air as possible, but make sure all the flour is incorporated.
Gently fold in the melted butter.
Pour into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until pale golden brown and the sides of the cake shrink away from the tin. Cool the sponge in the tin for 5 minutes, to allow it to firm up a bit, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack (the sponge is delicate). Leave to cool while you wash the tin.
To make the creme mousseline, bring the milk and vanilla pod just to the boil in a wide saucepan. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, kirsch and cornflour in a bowl just until smooth and creamy. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk, then pour through a sieve onto the egg mixture, whisking well. Pour the mixture into the washed saucepan, set over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture boils and thickens; this will take about 4 minutes. It’s important to keep stirring to avoid the custard going lumpy.
Keep stirring for a minute over the heat to make sure the mixture will be thick enough to pipe, but take care that it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the butter.
Allow to cool slightly, then pour into a shallow dish. Press a disc of dampened greaseproof paper onto the surface, to prevent a skin from forming, then chill for at least 1 hour until cold and set firm.
To make the syrup, put the sugar, lemon juice and 70ml water into a small pan and heat gently until the sugar has completely dissolved, then boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
Roll out the marzipan on a worktop lightly dusted with icing sugar to make a thin disc 23cm across. Keep chilled until needed.
When ready to assemble the cake, slice the cold sponge in half horizontally to make 2 thin, even discs. Place the strip of acetate around the inside of the tin so it will fit snugly between the side of the tin and the sponge (or line the tin with clingfilm or parchment-lined foil). Set one sponge disc, cut side up, in the tin and brush liberally with the syrup. With the back of a spoon, gently squash the edges of the cake down so that they are pushed directly against the sides of the tin.
Choose 12 strawberries of the same height and cut them vertically in half. Arrange pointed end up on top of the sponge layer, cut side against the acetate, making sure the berries are fitting snugly next to each other.
Spoon about two-thirds of the creme mousseline into the piping bag. Pipe a spiral over the sponge base in the tin to cover completely; pipe between the strawberries to fill all the gaps. (Add the remaining creme mousseline to the piping bag when there is space.) Set 3-5 strawberries aside for the decoration, then quarter the rest. Spread these over the creme so it makes the filling about 2.5cm higher.
Pipe another spiral of creme on top of the berries and smooth level with a palette knife. Set the other disc of sponge on top, cut side up, and brush with the rest of the syrup. Gently press the top layer down onto the creme so the assembled cake is firmly pressed against the acetate all round. Lay the marzipan disc on top, then chill well.
Make decorations from the melted chocolate (or buy them ready-made if you prefer). To serve, remove the acetate-wrapped cake from the tin, then gently remove the acetate. Set the cake on a plate and finish with the reserved strawberries and chocolate decorations.
From The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers (BBC Books, £20)
Paul’s apricot couronne – series 4
Makes 1 large crown loaf
For the dough
strong white bread flour 250g
salt 5g
fast-action dried yeast 1 x 7g sachet
unsalted butter 50g, softened
full-fat milk 105ml, at room temperature
egg 1 medium, at room temperature
For the filling
unsalted butter 90g , softened
light brown muscovado sugar 70g
ready-to-eat dried apricots 120g, chopped and soaked in 100ml orange juice
plain flour 35g
raisins 60g
walnut pieces 65g
orange finely grated zest of 1
To finish
apricot jam 50g
icing sugar 100g , sifted
flaked almonds 25g
You will need: 1 large baking sheet.
To make the dough, tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt to the bowl on one side and the yeast to the other. Add the soft butter, milk and egg and turn the mixture round with your fingers, using them like a paddle. Keep doing this, mixing until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl, picking up all the scraps, and keep going until you have a ball of soft dough.
Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured worktop and knead for 10-12 minutes: work through the initial ‘wet’ stage until the dough starts to develop a soft, smooth skin. When the dough feels smooth and silky put it into a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with a dry tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, make the filling. Put the soft butter, sugar, drained apricots, flour, raisins, walnuts and zest into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside until needed.
Turn the risen dough on to the lightly floured worktop. Without punching it down to deflate, roll it out to a rectangle about 25 x 33cm. If necessary turn the dough around so you have a long edge closest to you.
Spread the apricot filling mixture evenly over the dough, then roll up like a swiss roll – tack down the edge nearest to you, so it won’t move, then roll up the dough from the other long edge towards you so get a really tight roll. Roll it back and forth slightly to seal the “seam”, then cut it lengthways in half. (You can keep one end attached, which will make it easier to shape). Twist the two strands of dough together, then twist the two ends together to finish the “crown”.
Carefully transfer the crown to the prepared baking sheet. Put the sheet inside a large plastic bag and leave to prove for 30-45 minutes until the dough springs back quickly when you prod it lightly with a fingertip.
While the dough is rising heat your oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. When the couronne is ready for baking, uncover the baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes until risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack.
Gently heat the apricot jam with a splash of water, then push it through a sieve into a bowl. Quickly brush over the warm loaf to glaze. Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thin icing. Drizzle over the loaf and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Leave to cool.
From The Great British Bake Off: Everyday by Linda Collister (BBC Books, £20)
Mary’s cherry cake – series 5
Serves 10-12
glacé cherries 200g
self-raising flour 225g
butter 175g, softened
caster sugar 175g
lemon finely grated zest of 1
ground almonds 50g
eggs 3 large
To decorate
icing sugar 175g , sifted
lemon juice of 1
flaked almonds 15g, toasted
glacé cherries
You will need a 1 x 23cm savarin mould or bundt tin, greased with butter. Heat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Cut the cherries into quarters, put in a sieve and rinse under running water. Drain well, then dry thoroughly on kitchen paper. Toss in 2 tablespoons of the flour.
Combine all the remaining ingredients – including the rest of the flour – in a large bowl and beat well for 2 minutes. Lightly fold in the floured cherries.
Turn the mixture into the prepared mould. Bake in the heated oven for 35-40 minutes until well risen and golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the mould for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and cool completely.
For the icing, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice to make a thick paste. Drizzle from the back of a spoon over the cooled cake. Finish by scattering the toasted almonds and cherries over the top.
From The Great British Bake Off: Big Book of Baking by Linda Collister (BBC Books, £20)
Paul’s arlettes – series 6
A perfect crunchy accompaniment to ice creams and sorbets.
Makes 12
For the dough
strong white bread flour 60g
plain flour 60g
salt 1 tsp
unsalted butter 40g, melted
cold water 50ml
For the butter layer
unsalted butter 125g, at room temperature
strong white bread flour 25g
plain flour 25g
For the filling
granulated sugar 50g
ground cinnamon 2 tsp
icing sugar for dusting
You’ll need 2 baking sheets, lined with silicone sheets.
To make the dough, put both flours, the salt, butter and water into a bowl and mix together gently with your fingers to make an even dough. Scoop out on to a lightly floured worktop and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Shape the dough into a 10cm square, then wrap in clingfilm and chill for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the butter layer. Put the butter and both flours into a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smoothly combined. Scoop up the mixture and set it in the middle of a large sheet of clingfilm. Place a second sheet on top, then roll out the butter mixture to a rectangle about 30 x 10cm. Chill, wrapped in the clingfilm, for 25 minutes.
Unwrap the butter sheet and place it on the floured worktop, positioning it so the short ends are top and bottom. Set the square of dough in the centre of the butter sheet. Now lift up the top end of the butter sheet and fold it down over the dough. Fold up the bottom end of the butter sheet so the dough is completely enclosed and you have a neat sandwiched square.
If necessary, lightly flour the worktop again, and the rolling pin if necessary, then roll out the square away from you into a 40cm long rectangle – make sure that the edges are as neat as possible. Measure and mark the central point of a long side. Fold the top quarter down and the bottom quarter up so they meet neatly in the centre, then fold the dough over in half along this centre line – this is called a “book turn”. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 25 minutes.
Repeat the rolling out and “book turn”, then wrap and chill for another 25 minutes.
To make the filling, mix the granulated sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Unwrap the chilled dough and roll out on the lightly floured worktop to a rectangle as before. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the pastry, then make another “book turn” to incorporate the sugar.
Now roll out the pastry to a 12 x 20cm rectangle and 1cm thick. Starting at one short end, roll up like a swiss roll. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 25 minutes. Towards the end of this time, heat your oven to 200C/gas mark 6.
Trim the ends of the roll to neaten, then cut across into 12 slices that are 1cm thick. Dust the worktop heavily with icing sugar. Lay one slice flat and carefully roll out very thinly to a 10cm disc, turning to coat it in sugar and prevent it from sticking. Set the biscuits slightly apart on the lined baking sheets.
Bake in the heated oven for 5 minutes, then carefully turn the biscuits over and bake for a further 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool on a wire rack. ofm
From The Great British Bake Off: Celebrations (Hodder & Stoughton, £20)
The Great British Bake Off: Perfect Cakes & Bakes to Make at Home (Hodder & Stoughton, £20) is published in August. Click here to buy any of these books at a special price at the Guardian Bookshop
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