Pastry Week on the Great British Baking Show

[BakerAunt]

I've been catching re-runs of the Great British Baking Show on PBS. I don't know what season. On the episode tonight, they started off by making Wellintons, then raised pastries in the technical challenge, a very difficult one. Both of those were savory. For the showstopper, the contestants were asked to bake an American pie, with just a bottom crust; they mostly used tart pans. Paul Hollywood went on and on about how horrid most American pies are, and how they are just too sweet. One of the contestants, who said half her family is American, made the same comment about the horrible pies she had had to eat as a child.

I was startled by this view of American pies. What exactly had they been eating? Then again, I've not had that many pies baked by other people because most people I know do not bake pies.

Spread the word

      

  

  

[Mike Nolan]

I understand where Paul is coming from, I've seen a number of dough recipes that are sweeter than they need to be. My wife prefers a dough with some sugar rolled in for cherry pie, and she likes the filling to be sweeter than I would normally use, too.

Things like pecan pie, shoo-fly pie and many cream pies are very sweet, too. And that's before smothering them with an inch or more of whipped cream.

[BakerAunt]

I have learned that what I am watching is Season 5 of The Great British Baking Show. It was featured in a Sunday insert magazine note about the finale this Friday. It mentions also that Mary Berry is 82, so perhaps that is why she has decided to leave the show after this season.

In the last episode, they were doing French pastry. I've not tried baking any of that, and I do not know if I ever will. I'm looking forward to seeing which of the three finalists (nice to have a final with three finalists).

Is anyone else watching?

[Mike Nolan]

I've lost track of which season they're doing on PBS.

I thought Mary Berry left after season 7 when it moved from BBC to Channel 4, when she decided to stay on PBS rather than move over to TV4 like Paul Hollywood did.

According to Wikipedia, she did a one-year series about homes on BBC and is judging another cooking contest on BBC starting this year.

[BakerAunt]

Apparently, the new version of the GBBO will come to the U.S. via Netflix:

https://www.foodandwine.com/news/great-british-bake-baking-show-netflix-2018?xid=NL_DISH082918&utm_source=foodandwine.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-dish&utm_content=2018082920PM&eminfo=%7b%22EMAIL%22%3a%22Ebt4mF9KGSAyq6yldRzVww%3d%3d%22%2c%22BRAND%22%3a%22WI%22%2c%22CONTENT%22%3a%22Newsletter%22%2c%22UID%22%3a%22WI_DSH_6DF4D82E-1A80-4617-ADC8-29E4CD9A7378%22%2c%22SUBID%22%3a%2274099137%22%2c%22JOBID%22%3a%22865987%22%2c%22NEWSLETTER%22%3a%22THE_DISH%22%2c%22ZIP%22%3a%2279413%22%2c%22COUNTRY%22%3a%22USA%22%7d

[aaronatthedoublef]

What our PBS was showing they called Season 8. It had Paul and Mary. I too was surprised by the comment about American pies in particular, and baked goods in general being too sweet. Yes we have people who make things too sweet. But there is plenty of that in the UK too!

I was disappointed with the end. The person who won was not the best baker of the season.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I agree with your assessment of the conclusion. It seemed to me that the verdict was based on who was "cutting edge" rather than on who was best baker. That said, I was in awe of the baking talent of all three finalists.

[Author]

Posts