The Great Canadian Baking Show (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 3 - Bread Week - full transcript
The bakers are elbow-deep in dough as they tackle a series of challenges.
Hey, Julia?
Yeah.
Do you ever wake up in
the middle of the night dreaming
of focaccia drizzled
in olive oil?
Hm?
And then suddenly
you're on a piece of focaccia
floating in a pool of olive oil?
Okay...
And then it
sort of devolves into
this Inception-like place where
it's just layer upon layer of
bread?
Yeah, no,
I can't say that I have.
Yeah, I've been having
that dream a lot lately, and I
just don't know what it means.
Maybe it has something
to do with the fact that it's
Bread Week?
I don't think that's it.
Okay.
Last time, the bakers
braved biscuits and bars...
My hands,
my brain, everything's tired.
...and, despite
tough competition...
If I could pull this off
it'll be really great.
...Sachin
nabbed the crown.
Congratulations!
You are this week's Star Baker!
Others found
themselves in a gooey mess...
Oh, no!
It, like-- look at this.
But it was
PEI native Wendy
who was sent home...
Oh, man.
Group hugs, group hugs.
Now the eight
remaining bakers
take on Bread Week...
Ooh.
Stress, stress, stress.
...facing
a simple signature
that's anything but easy...
I don't know
what I'm doing.
Tackling a technical
with a delicate dough...
I need to feel it or
else I don't know what it does.
And turning
the humble sandwich
into a mind-blowing
Showstopper...
Sandwich cake.
Odd, but delicious.
It looks like
a cake, but it's not!
So you know you're
in a weird place in life
when you put mayo
in a piping bag, but, uh...
it's happened.
Coming in
as Star Baker, it's great,
but we're all back to zero again
with each other, you know?
There's so many really
talented people in that tent
that right now it's just like,
I gotta stay alive,
and hopefully, like...
don't feed them raw dough.
Um, bread
is my weak point,
so I wish every week
was Cake Week.
I love bread.
I make a lot of bread,
so Bread Week,
I feel good going into it
but you never know
in this tent.
Good morning, bakers.
You've all made it to Week 3,
and not one of you
has gotten stale or crusty.
In case you didn't know,
it's Bread Week.
For your
Signature Challenge today,
you'll be making a quick bread
which, surprise surprise,
is quick to rise
and is made without yeast.
The possibilities are endless.
Round, square, flat.
Soda bread, roti,
sweet or savoury,
they must be baked
in a free-form style
and served with
a homemade spread.
So, choose your own
bread-venture and good luck.
You have one hour
and 30 minutes.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake.
I'm a bread guy.
I love bread.
It's fun.
It's not finicky like cookies.
Can you feel
the excitement?
Can you?
Quick bread's a
great challenge for our bakers.
It's gonna allow us to see
what our bakers know
about handling different doughs,
but it's also a platform
for their creativity.
I'm not a bread baker
so this week is a bit like...
Of a challenge.
It's really
about chemistry.
The right balance
between the leavening,
moisture and a great bake.
I'm nervous.
Bakers will need
to produce two loaves,
or if they're making a bread not
traditionally served as a loaf,
they'll need 12 pieces.
Hi, Ann Marie.
Good morning!
Ann Marie.
Hi, how are you?
Good morning,
Ann Marie.
Are you happy to
make bread today?
I am!
We became good friends
about a year ago
and now I'm just
hooked on bread.
To show off her
newfound friendship with bread,
Ann Marie will make two loaves
of Asiago
and rosemary soda bread,
coated in mixed seeds
and spiced up
with a homemade chili butter.
So this is actually
a treat for me, this bread.
I like to bake for everybody,
the things that they enjoy,
but this is for me.
I'm really excited about this.
Oh, whoops.
Buttermilk.
Combination of buttermilk
and baking soda
is what will make
this bread rise.
Instead of yeast,
quick breads rely on
a simple chemical reaction:
an acidic ingredient
like buttermilk
activates baking soda
to make it rise.
I am channelling all
that basic grade five science
knowledge and I'm gonna use it
to make sure my bread rises.
Timothy's quick bread
will feature his favourite
breakfast flavours:
jalapeno, cheddar,
and a caramelized onion
and bacon
cream cheese spread.
That's all jalapenos?
Yes.
How's the heat
level on the bread?
There'll be a bit
of kick but it won't be like,
"Oh, I'm crying."
Right.
'Cause I cry easily.
Timothy's not
the only one tackling this
Tex-Mex classic,
but Megan's version
comes with a twist.
The beer adds caramelly
kind of flavour
but spicy but cheesy.
It's all my favourites in one.
Megan's
using a honey lager
to puff up her
jalapeno cheddar bread,
and will pair it with
an onion-bacon butter.
Tell us
about your spread.
So, I caramelized onions
and bacon and then I whip it
into a soft butter and you roll
it into whatever shape you want.
Are you
making your own butter?
No.
I'm not.
I wasn't that adventurous today.
Good luck.
Coconut oil.
It's healthy-ish...
I think.
Getting
the right ratio
between dry and wet ingredients
determines the bread's density.
I hope they see
a really nice fluffy interior,
some holes in there.
And I'm also hoping
I don't cut my finger off.
Extra ingredients
need to be added carefully
to increase flavour without
weighing down the dough.
Woo!
Beets!
Beetroot.
That's a very
vibrant colour.
It'll mellow out
a little bit...
Uh-huh.
...but it's very purple.
Devon's red velvet
loaves also include walnuts
and maple syrup
and will be paired
with a goat cheese
arugula spread
sweetened with honey.
This is
a really wet dough,
so to ensure that it is
going to bake properly,
it needs at least 50
minutes in the oven,
and this is an hour and a half
challenge so it's tight!
While most of the
bakers are making soda breads,
Sadiya is going
in a different direction.
This doesn't look
like quick bread to me,
so what've we got going on?
We've got naan going on.
It is quick bread in that
it doesn't use any yeast.
Naan without yeast?
Yes.
I'm interested.
Oh, boy.
Oh, boy!
Sadiya will make 12
pieces of sesame coriander naan
brushed with homemade
garlic ghee
and served
with a tomato chutney.
So what are you using
for the leavening agent?
I'm using baking powder
and baking soda
and then yogurt becomes the...
Yogurt will be
the activate.
...the activator.
They are a little different
from the yeasty naans
that we are used to.
Will we be
able to tear it?
It's not going to be cracking?
No, it's not.
I have tried to keep
the fluffy naan-like texture.
Texture.
Yes.
I am putting an X here
on the top of my loaf
so as it rises a bit it'll
have that nice little shape
on top as well.
Sachin chose
an apricot walnut soda bread
with blue cheese bacon butter,
to evoke romantic picnics
with his sweetheart.
My wife and I just
love having a bottle of wine
and all the great things
that go along with it.
Don't forget
the wine for the tasting.
I promise
I will bring wine.
What?
I thought that these pans
fit side by side.
Ooh boy!
Okay.
Ooh!
Gonna bake it
for 45 minutes.
I'm just gonna go by the look.
You can also test
by temperature.
Uh... but I don't know
what temperature to look for,
for these breads so...
Mengling's quick
bread features her husband's
cranberry,
chocolate, and hazelnut;
paired with a cranberry
honey compote.
How are you feeling?
I just
don't want to be last.
Even if I'm second last,
I will be so happy.
My goal is second last.
Okay.
Let's just give a high-five to
second last, then, in that case.
Thank you.
Second last!
This is good.
Aim high, everybody!
Good morning, Andrei.
How are you?
I'm fine, thanks.
Excellent.
Your loaves are in the oven?
Yes, but I am baking
them inside dutch ovens.
Oh.
This is
such a wet dough...
Wow.
...when
you're baking it,
it's kind of like
it's baking inside
its own little steam oven.
Nobody can take
the scientist out of Andrei, eh?
Nobody can, eh?
In honour of
his Russian heritage,
Andrei's doing a take
on the traditional blini
by making a buckwheat
soda bread
served with a dill cream cheese,
salmon roe,
and a shot of frozen vodka.
Frozen vodka.
Will we be getting
that this morning?
Bakers, ba-guette
ready to wrap things up!
You have 30 minutes remaining.
With their
breads in the oven,
bakers can turn their
attention to spreads.
So we're doing
a homemade butter?
Yeah.
Bruno put in my head
that maybe I should've
done homemade.
How do you go about
making a homemade butter?
Just whip the crap
out of heavy cream.
How long does it take?
I don't know.
We got butter.
Fresh homemade butter.
It took like...
It's like...
...20 minutes for me.
It'll, it'll...
it'll do it.
It will get there.
Just waiting.
Not the most patient
person in the world.
So what is happening?
So we are trying
to mimic a tandoor.
Okay.
So half on the stove,
half in the oven.
Those look delicious.
I threw
an extra just for you.
You know me
too well, Sadiya.
Mmm.
Oh, maybe I should
test with a skewer too.
It's...
looks like it's uh, done.
The bread will get
a really nice dark brown crust.
You tap it.
It makes a certain sound
and then you know it's baked.
I go by smell.
I really know by smell.
I've never
heard of that before.
I know.
It's so silly.
I don't
know what I'm doing.
I just did this because
I saw Megan doing it.
Still a little wet.
It needs time.
I think another five minutes
and maybe we'll be good.
Six minutes
and maybe we'll be good.
So I think
it's just not yet cooked
so I'm just gonna leave it in.
I think I'm gonna just
give it a couple more minutes.
Ooh,
stress, stress, stress.
Ah, I really want
them to be done.
Five minutes left.
Five minutes remain.
The last thing
I want is raw, doughy bread.
So I'll basically be leaving
this until time's up.
Final minute, bakers.
Done.
Oh.
Thirty seconds.
Thirty seconds!
Five...
4.
Please do.
You can do it.
...3, 2...
You're doing it.
Yes.
...1.
Good job.
Bakers, time is up.
Woo-hoo.
Good job.
It's judgement
time for the quick breads.
Bruno and Rochelle
are looking for a good rise
and a defined crust,
with a spread
that perfectly compliments
the bread's flavours.
Timothy.
Hello.
How're you doing?
I'm doing okay.
We'll see.
There's a lot
of stuff in here.
They are fully laden.
Yeah.
The more
you put in that's heavy,
the less it's gonna rise
and become sort of fluffy.
Yeah.
So the bread on
its own has great flavour,
however, when I apply
the spread to it,
it's overly salted.
Yeah.
You've got beautiful
colouration on the edges.
It has very nice crust
when you go through.
You can hear it.
I'm not getting
the depth of flavour
that I was expecting.
Okay.
Definitely put
more cheese inside.
That's an
amazing looking loaf.
Oh, good.
Rounded back,
good shape, good proportions.
I think it's beautifully moist.
Good.
You actually
made your own butter.
This is homemade, yeah.
That's a killer butter.
That's very good.
Oh, good.
Thank you.
It's so heavy.
Yeah, it is.
Your dough is too wet.
The dough is too wet.
A lot of your walnuts
sunk to the bottom.
Got a lot of character...
Yeah.
...just a bit too sweet.
Yeah.
I love the crust on
it, but this kind of bread,
I would have dusted it
with quite a bit more flour.
You can be quite generous.
Okay.
Good rise.
You can see the crust has
a beautiful defined bake to it.
Great.
Apricot with the blue
cheese is really special.
Mm-hm.
Good flavour combinations.
Thank you.
There's a lot of
weight in that chocolate,
in the cranberries.
There is a lot going on
in this bread...
and it's inhibited the rise.
So the dough,
it feels heavy
and you can see it's quite wet.
Yeah.
So I can even
make it like a gum.
So it's lacking some
baking definitely.
Okay.
So you took a big
risk of doing naan bread.
The risk you're taking
by not using yeast
is your bread might be
too hard or too crispy.
Yes.
However,
you've done quite a good job.
Thank you.
I can't believe
you pulled this off.
I can't either.
I love
your interpretation
of this challenge.
This bread is so good.
I was a sceptic
but they are sensational.
Thank you.
I'm honoured.
I also need this
recipe at some point so...
Mm-hm, mm-hm.
Yes.
You know
buckwheat has very
low elasticity?
Yes.
Yet your bread
has a lot of bounce back.
It's got
a lovely thin crust on it.
Okay.
That's an
amazing combination.
Your spread,
it's so beautiful.
I mean, it does
taste like a blini.
Oh, really?
Na zdorovie.
Na zdorovie.
Na zdorovie.
Na zdorovie.
Alright.
It went pretty well.
I'm really relieved.
It's nice to be able to find
something your family history
to present to the judges.
Bread Week so far?
A scale from one to ten...
four.
In the battle between
Sadiya and Bread Week,
I think we just made friends.
So two more challenges,
let's be friends forever.
Bread Week
continues to roll
into some pretty
dangerous territory
in this week's
Technical Challenge.
Bruno and Rochelle,
would you like to butter up
our lovely bakers with
some pearls of wisdom?
Don't be cross,
just rise to the occasion.
We'll see you in a bit.
Okay.
Bye.
Today you will be
making 20 hot cross buns.
Studded with raisin
and candied fruit
as well as an apricot glaze.
That's all you're
getting from us.
You have two hours
and 30 minutes.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake.
I've
only made it once,
but it was recent
for past Easter.
Oh, you know,
I make them never...
...ever.
Never ever.
It was never
a part of my repertoire.
Ugh, but it will be now.
Rochelle,
today our bakers
have to make hot cross buns.
What are you looking for?
We're looking
for 20 beautifully glazed,
crisscrossed, round,
sweet fruit buns.
It is a rich dough.
It's got butter.
It's got eggs.
It's got whole milk in it.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.
Just delicious.
We're looking inside
for a generous amount of fruit.
We're testing our bakers
knowledge of bread making.
This is a tricky
dough to get right.
They're gonna need
a delicate hand.
Stir together
half a cup of milk,
tablespoon of sugar,
yeast in small bowl.
I'm just
starting my yeast.
Treat your yeast right
and it will be happy.
The goal
for the bakers is light,
fluffy hot cross buns.
And unlike quick breads,
these buns need yeast to rise.
This is warmed milk
with sugar
and the yeast is gonna
activate itself in there
and eat some of that sugar
up and froth all up.
Mmm.
I love the smell of yeast.
It's nice and frothy
so that's good.
See ya later, yeast.
Have fun in there.
Continue making buns
using remaining ingredients.
It doesn't
tell me that much.
I don't mean to laugh
in a maniacal sort of way.
I just find that funny.
Well, you did.
Yeah, I did.
You're right.
I am adding
spices blindly.
How much
is up to you so...
It's difficult to know
when it's finished kneading.
It says
it'll still be sticky
but it shouldn't be
sticking to your fingers.
I don't want
to use a machine.
I need to feel it or else
I don't know what it does.
Whether they use
their hands or the mixer,
bakers have to be careful
not to over-knead their dough
or their buns will become tough.
Uh, it says stir
in raisins and mixed peel
and continue to knead
until combined.
Doesn't say
how many raisins.
More is better than less.
That is one thing
the judges will pick on.
There's not enough
fruit in this.
Ahh!
I forgot to add
sugar to my buns.
Not the best-case scenario.
Read your recipe, Devon.
I'm sweating.
Do first rise.
Well, that's really helpful.
Yeasted dough needs
time to rest-- or proof--
in warm humidity
in order to rise.
You have to double...
Double rise.
And they should be
double full rises.
The buns
will proof twice
but the recipe doesn't
indicate for how long.
Not a lot of instruction
is what I've been told.
No.
No.
Someone left off
a lot of details.
Hot cross buns.
Hot cross buns.
Do you know the poem?
Hot cross buns.
Oh, hot cross buns,
hot cross buns.
If you
have no daughters,
give them to your sons.
Is that the poem?
You never
learnt the poem?
No.
Just having difficulty
figuring out when
it's risen enough.
My strategy is to...
number one;
pray to all the deities I know.
Number two; is to see
what everyone else is doing.
I mean that's
looking pretty darn good.
Hmm.
I've never used a proofing
drawer before but, uh,
it's not coming up quite
the way I want it to.
Looks okay.
I think it sort of
kind of doubled
and that's what we
want bread to do.
To rise.
Divide the dough
into tiny equal portions
so I'll use my scale
and calculator.
Oh, I don't have a calculator.
I'll have to do some math too.
The bakers
will form the dough
into 20 equal balls
before doing a second proof
that's even longer
than the first.
Ohh, this is going
to be a test of patience.
Hope we're all
having fun with our buns.
It's a one-hour time check.
So much time.
I wanted to give it
a lot of time to rise
but at the same time
we only have 55 minutes
so I'll have to guess
how long it's gonna bake.
I don't know.
Whatever.
Sure, they'll rise
more in the oven.
Before putting
them in the oven,
bakers will give the buns
their distinctive cross.
This was always
my favourite part
of the hot cross bun.
This literally
is flour and water.
Is that it?
That's it.
I had convinced myself
as a child that it was icing.
No, they scammed us.
These are awful.
Next I'm gonna just like...
curl up in a ball
and sob for a little while.
It's on.
Okay, why not?
It says bake
until golden brown but again,
I'm gonna go by my smell.
My sniffer.
Time to cross you
T's and dot your I's,
you have ten minutes left.
You like that one Megan?
What a mess.
Devon,
don't psych yourself out.
No, it is what it is.
They technically are ready.
I am making
my apricot glaze.
Alright.
One minute left, bakers.
One minute left.
Oh, my God.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
- Okay, one, two, three.
- Go. Go, go go.
Oh, my God,
thank you so much, Megan.
And time is up, bakers.
Hands off your buns.
Please bring your buns
up to the front,
place them behind your photo.
Bruno and Rochelle
are looking for moist,
fluffy buns
packed full of flavour.
And they'll have no idea
whose buns they're judging.
Let's start
with the bakers on the right.
Beautiful glaze.
They
are very under baked.
Over proofed as well.
Because the smell
is very yeasty.
Next.
Good colouration
in the bake.
They have
crosses on them
but this paste
was a little bit wet.
That's why
it's quite wide.
If it's too wide,
it's quite rubbery.
Not a bad bake.
I'm looking for a few
more raisins here.
Alright, next.
Nice and light.
Beautiful and fluffy.
I would suggest, um, five
more minutes in the oven.
They're certainly not raw,
but they're just done.
Spice is a bit light.
Could've used a bit more.
And more raisins too.
Next baker.
This baker got a great colour
on the top and bottom
of the buns.
Good flavour for the spices.
Great crosses too.
Excellent.
So baker number five.
There's multiple
challenges here.
The shaping, the consistency,
but the biggest problem
is in the formation
of the dough.
These are over-kneaded.
It's made them really tough.
Mine is very firm.
Almost like a scone texture.
I'm sorry, I can't...
I can't eat that.
Baker number six.
Very fluffy.
Nice bounce back.
Could have used
a bit more baking.
Bottom is a bit pale.
Still
needs more spice.
Baker number seven.
Beautifully
baked top and bottom.
The bun has
a beautiful bounce back.
The proofing was done
to perfection.
These
taste really good.
The glaze has got a real bite.
And last baker.
The top is almost over-cooked,
but it has a nice bounce back
so good work on the proofing.
Nice consistency.
Overall a good flavour.
Again,
not enough raisins.
And a
wee bit more spice.
Bruno and Rochelle
will now rank the hot cross buns
from bottom to top.
In eighth place?
Whose hot buns are those?
Devon.
The dough is so dense.
There is no fluffiness to it.
The shape was very irregular.
In seventh place?
Ann Marie.
Your buns were over proved.
Really close together.
Timothy's in
sixth place; Sachin fifth;
Sadiya fourth;
and Megan in third.
In second place?
Mengling.
Good flavour, beautiful crosses.
Glaze was a bit too thin.
In first place?
Andrei, perfectly proved,
perfectly formed.
Great crosses
and the tastiest of the lot.
Well done.
Yes, I suppose one could
say that I rose to the occasion.
My buns were
almost as good as Andrei's?
What?
Wow, I felt good
until I realized
I forgot the sugar.
And that's what cost me.
Ugh.
So, we are now
two bread challenges in,
where do we stand
with everybody?
Andrei, his skill
level is really impressive.
But right behind,
we've been saying
Sadiya and Megan,
they want to finish in the front
line and you can feel it.
Alright, so who's in
trouble on this rainy day?
Devon had
a disaster yesterday
and I think he knows it.
I think that Timothy
and Ann Marie
need to put yesterday
behind them
in this next
showstopper challenge.
Welcome to your final
challenge of the week
and what a challenge it is.
Today you will be
making a savoury sandwich cake.
Now, some of you
might be asking, but Julia,
a sandwich isn't a cake.
What do you mean?
Picture,
a delicious layer cake...
Okay.
Swap out the cake...
Sure.
...for a homemade bread.
Okay.
Swap out the old icing
for your favourite
sandwich filling.
You mean, like tuna
or salmon or ham, Julia?
Could do ham.
Decorate it with
your favourite spread
and a vegetable garnish
of your choice.
In four and a half hours we will
find out who has raw talent
and who needs a "doughse"
of inspiration.
Excellent, yeah.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake.
Sandwich cake.
Odd but delicious.
Like so
many great inventions,
the sandwich cake
originated in Sweden
but it became popular
on North American tables
in the sixties and seventies.
The sandwich cake.
I'm a new fan.
Ask me in four hours
again, we'll see.
We chose sandwich cake
because we want our bakers to be
challenged with bread skills,
presentation and great flavours.
Can't get
my head around it.
So bizarre.
It's Bread Week
so the bread has to handle
the fillings
without getting soggy.
It needs to be beautifully
baked and consistent.
Look the yeast
is already bubbling.
Things are going.
Good vibes today.
My yeast was sleeping
but now it's got
some sugar in there
so it's gonna hopefully
wake up and get frothy.
Sachin's Muffuletta
Sandwich cake will feature
a smorgasbord
of Italian cured meats,
along with provolone
and olive tapenade
all between layers
of white bread.
Of all the
cakes I've made,
this is my wife's favourite.
I don't know why
she loves this so much.
You've made this before?
To experiment
with the whole meat cake thing.
It's Bread Week
so I have to make sure
my bread is perfect.
It's my focus.
The bakers' choice of
bread has to take into account
texture and flavour
with an eye towards
the sandwich cake's structure.
I'm making
a Pullman bread, uh,
and you make them in a this
square pan with a lid on it
so instead of getting
a dome top, it's a flat top.
Because I've had
sandwiches in Japan
and they're always made
with crustless, white bread.
Andrei's Japanese
themed sandwich cake
will boast layers
of tuna tataki,
cucumber, and strawberries--
and be topped with an unusual
edible decoration.
I was thinking, okay,
this is a seventies thing...
Mm-hm.
Jellied salad?
So I actually have a layer
with a pond on top.
I'm fascinated.
I'm gonna have to get
my dough proofing pretty quick.
Like, quite quick.
So, there's a lot of
moisture in the herbs
and the feta and the kale,
so it doesn't need
a ton of kneading.
Wait, does it?
What did I write?
Devon's Greek
sandwich cake will have layers
of lamb souvlaki
and fried saganaki cheese
with a tzatziki
frosting.
And he's the
only baker
attempting two
breads today:
a kalamata olive
quick bread
and feta
herb multigrain.
Wow, okay,
two different types of bread.
I know, I'm pulling
out all the stops.
I hope that it's enough
to save me after...
Well, you know
it's all about the bread
but a little souvlaki's
gonna go a long way.
It's gotta
do it's thing.
Alright,
finger's crossed.
Um,
while that's rising
in the shorter amount of time
in the proofing drawer,
um, I'm then gonna just start
working on my fillings.
While
their dough rises,
bakers can move onto
the delicious fillings
that will make
their savoury cakes sing.
What's going on here?
Um, today
I'm taking you Bahrain
and we're doing shawarma cake.
This sounds
like dinner at your place.
Inspired by
her childhood in Bahrain,
Sadiya's chicken schawarma cake
will also feature tabouleh
and a labneh
cream cheese frosting
with a base of pain de mie,
a soft white bread.
Now, don't you think
pain de mie's a bit too simple?
For me,
it's simple done well.
Good luck.
Thank you.
This is my pork butt.
I'm gonna cook it
in my pressure cooker
and I'm gonna make it
really tender to the point
where you can shred it
into pulled pork with forks.
It's gonna be delish.
Timothy's "delish"
sandwich cake
uses a whole wheat
bread as the base
for a combination
of Chinese pulled pork
and tangy coleslaw.
So it's really kind
of a combination of flavours
that were never meant
to meet I don't think.
The best friends are
the most unlikely friends,
I've found.
Oh, it's actually ready
to go in the oven right now.
It's going in the oven.
Bake well.
You need to be perfect!
Bread, do your thing.
Wow, Bruno.
These guys travelled
all the way from Newfoundland?
They did.
Do you like Lobster?
I do.
Did you
want to try a piece?
I'd love to.
Fresh
from Newfoundland.
Oh, wow.
It makes me so happy.
It really tastes
like the Maritimes.
Ann Marie will honour
her Newfoundland roots
with a Seafood Extravaganza
sandwiching crab and lobster
between layers
of whole wheat bread
and finished with a pink icing
that gets its hue from
yet another fishy ingredient.
I'm gonna
make salmon frosting.
Who will be this
week's bread winner
and who will be toast?
Ooh.
Find out in one hour.
Yikes.
This is the
actually looking good.
Let this cool down just a bit.
Get my bread in there.
When I put my bread
in the freezer to cool,
it worked fine when
I did that at home.
Mengling's
sandwich cake is modelled
after her husband's
favourite sushi roll:
fake crab, smoked salmon,
and avocado between layers
of sesame seaweed bread.
A sushi sandwich cake.
Yes.
Will there be rice in it?
No.
Um, because it's Bread Week.
Thank you, Mengling.
To make their sandwich
cakes true showstoppers,
bakers will use vegetables
and other delicacies
to create eye-catching
decorations.
I am trying to make
a goldfish out of a carrot.
Megan, look
how beautiful that is.
Thanks.
It's gonna be busy
like my garden.
I love these.
Are these cats?
Yes.
I have two cats.
This one is one of them.
There's no end to your...
They all have seven toes.
The freaks...
In real life?
They're alien cats, yeah.
Megan's cats will
frolic on a garden-themed
Seafood Sandwich Cake
featuring Pollock,
cucumber, and dill
with a Scandinavian rye bread.
Making my
own pink radishes.
Bakers, you have
30 minutes remaining.
Ahh,
that smells good.
I want it to be not over proofed
which is the smell
of the yeast yesterday.
The judges
will be looking for even,
equal layers and a good ratio
between bread and filling.
I'm using 16 pieces
of bread in this cake
so every set of four is a layer.
So you know you're
in a weird place in life
when you put mayo
in a piping bag but uh...
it's happened.
This is wet.
It's more wet
than I would like it to be.
One, two, three.
I'm honestly worried
because Bruno said
it's a simple loaf
so if it goes wrong,
I have no place to hide.
I'm frosting
my abomination.
This might not
look like it's going well,
but I think
it's going splendidly.
Okay.
The one that I made at
home just slid right off.
I really need to do
well today and you know,
it's now or never.
Five minutes left, bakers.
My stomach feels
like it's about to fall
out of my body.
Bakers, ten seconds left.
Woo!
Oh, my.
Five.
Four,
three, two, one.
Time is up.
Hands off
the sandwich cakes.
That looks
like a disaster.
It's time to judge
the Showstopper Challenge.
Bruno and Rochelle are looking
for eye-popping innovation,
mouth-watering flavours,
and above all,
perfectly baked bread.
Sachin, it's time to bring
your sandwich cake to the front.
This is a very
well presented cake.
I am very impressed
with the finesse of your work.
The cucumber and radishes.
Okay.
You got a good ratio
of meat, cheese and bread.
It's beautifully
baked, the bread.
And using tapanade
is a perfect combination.
That belongs in an Italian deli.
Ha, thank you.
Given
the time you had,
I think you could've
elevated your presentation
with a little more finesse.
Um, the baking...
looks almost...
to perfection.
The bread has a good texture.
It holds well.
A solid
effort on the inside.
Now you need to match
it on the outside.
I will try.
Thank you so much.
Okay.
Thank you.
Andrei, you
really challenge yourself.
Obviously your edges
are lacking a little finesse.
I couldn't get the aspic
to come off the acetate.
If you'd laid a hot
towel just on top of that,
almost like a face cloth...
Yes.
...you would've
been able to slide it off.
Okay.
Maybe in your case,
your filling is a bit too much.
Okay.
Which does make it
very creamy, rich,
and you know,
doesn't hold together.
Right.
On my team, I have cooks
with ten years of experience
and they can barely
carve a carrot properly,
so kudos to you.
Wow.
There's a lot of bread here.
Yeah.
Thinner
layers on the bread.
And that's just sort of keeping
the whole thing in balance.
Your bread has
excellent rye flavour.
Thank you
very, very much.
Given the length
of time that you had,
I would've liked to have
seen a little more, um,
attention to detail on the--
on the decoration.
Okay.
Two, three,
four layers here.
Mm-hm.
It could've benefited
from a little bit more
time in the oven.
Yeah, you can see
this part is very mushy.
It's like a gum,
so I know it's not
cooked properly.
Okay.
Now,
for both your fillings,
the flavours are bang on.
Thank you.
I'm eating non-stop
everything, except the bread.
Thank you, Ann Marie.
Mengling, your
sandwich cake, please.
Okay.
You said you were
gonna make a sushi cake
and you did.
A big old California roll.
Yes!
Mall sushi.
Mall sushi?
That's
what I was going for.
Beautiful
work on your rosette.
The colours are gorgeous.
All the layers have
great flavours, however,
your bread is a bit chewy.
Once the bread came
out of the oven,
how did you cool it?
I put on the rack
for a couple minutes
and then straight
into the freezer.
That might
have caused it to become
quite a bit stodgy and gummy.
Sadiya, this
is a beautiful-looking cake.
Thank you.
It's the right
amount of decoration.
The smell
just hit us both--
we're in Bahrain, huh?
Yeah.
Yes, you are.
The bread is amazing.
Great technique,
great bake on it.
Phew.
I love the flavour.
It goes very well together.
Sadiya, when we
visited you earlier you told us
that you wanted to do
the simple things really well,
and you have.
This is a magical combination.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Alright, Devon.
It's your turn.
Devon, you
knew that today
you needed to up your game.
Yeah.
Visually,
it tells me straight away
that it's a Greek salad.
It's really beautiful.
Great.
I just hope it tastes good.
You know, Devon,
good bread excites me.
Two different technique,
two different approaches,
the bread is fantastic.
It's moist, it's spongy.
Great flavour.
The drawback;
not enough filling.
And the filling is too dry.
Your redemption today
it's the bread itself.
That's great.
Amazing job.
Thank you so much.
I had no idea
what to expect
from a savoury
sandwich cake challenge.
Right?
But I think it's safe
to say that my expectations
have been blown
out of the water.
Absolutely.
This challenge has exceeded
my expectations ten fold.
Who really wowed you?
I really loved
Sadiya's cake today.
She chose the perfect bread.
Five layers.
And Megan's bread,
the rye and seafood,
perfect combo.
Yeah, we have
Andrei's cake,
didn't quite get there.
Right.
That was a big
let down in my opinion.
There are two bakers
that seem to be
really struggling.
So we have Ann Marie.
Amazing filling, however,
the bread was a letdown.
On the other
hand, Timothy,
his bread was amazing
but presentation
just wasn't there.
So, for us, it's going to
be a very hard decision to make.
Mm-hm.
I just have to say
that you have all done
such amazing work this week.
But one of you has far
surpassed our expectations.
This baker gets five gold
stars for her five-layer cake.
Sadiya, congratulations.
You're Star Baker.
Oh, my God!
Oh!
I'm so proud of you.
Thank you.
Well done.
And now,
I'm afraid for the bad news.
I'm sorry to tell you that
the baker who will be leaving
the tent this week is...
...Ann Marie.
It's okay, it's okay.
You did such great work.
What
a wicked experience.
I'm a little bit sad
but you know what?
I made it to week three,
like, come on!
Good for me!
I feel really
sad to Ann Marie.
She put so much
love in her baking.
I just think this
week wasn't her week.
Sadiya, so deserves
Star Baker this week.
She brought us
wonderful flavours
from all over the Middle East.
I feel on
top of the world.
I got Star Baker
in a room of such
high-calibre bakers.
It's definitely an honour.
Next time...
it's International Week.
I've got a lot to do
in a very short time.
The bakers will fill
up their favourite pastry...
They look
prettier than me.
Ah!
...and try to avoid
messing up a Japanese treat...
Uh-oh.
Okay, this is not good.
NARRATOR ....before attempting
an Italian challenge...
Listen, I'm all in.
...that will leave
the judges hungry for more.
I could
eat a plate of those.
Grazi mille.
Yeah.
Do you ever wake up in
the middle of the night dreaming
of focaccia drizzled
in olive oil?
Hm?
And then suddenly
you're on a piece of focaccia
floating in a pool of olive oil?
Okay...
And then it
sort of devolves into
this Inception-like place where
it's just layer upon layer of
bread?
Yeah, no,
I can't say that I have.
Yeah, I've been having
that dream a lot lately, and I
just don't know what it means.
Maybe it has something
to do with the fact that it's
Bread Week?
I don't think that's it.
Okay.
Last time, the bakers
braved biscuits and bars...
My hands,
my brain, everything's tired.
...and, despite
tough competition...
If I could pull this off
it'll be really great.
...Sachin
nabbed the crown.
Congratulations!
You are this week's Star Baker!
Others found
themselves in a gooey mess...
Oh, no!
It, like-- look at this.
But it was
PEI native Wendy
who was sent home...
Oh, man.
Group hugs, group hugs.
Now the eight
remaining bakers
take on Bread Week...
Ooh.
Stress, stress, stress.
...facing
a simple signature
that's anything but easy...
I don't know
what I'm doing.
Tackling a technical
with a delicate dough...
I need to feel it or
else I don't know what it does.
And turning
the humble sandwich
into a mind-blowing
Showstopper...
Sandwich cake.
Odd, but delicious.
It looks like
a cake, but it's not!
So you know you're
in a weird place in life
when you put mayo
in a piping bag, but, uh...
it's happened.
Coming in
as Star Baker, it's great,
but we're all back to zero again
with each other, you know?
There's so many really
talented people in that tent
that right now it's just like,
I gotta stay alive,
and hopefully, like...
don't feed them raw dough.
Um, bread
is my weak point,
so I wish every week
was Cake Week.
I love bread.
I make a lot of bread,
so Bread Week,
I feel good going into it
but you never know
in this tent.
Good morning, bakers.
You've all made it to Week 3,
and not one of you
has gotten stale or crusty.
In case you didn't know,
it's Bread Week.
For your
Signature Challenge today,
you'll be making a quick bread
which, surprise surprise,
is quick to rise
and is made without yeast.
The possibilities are endless.
Round, square, flat.
Soda bread, roti,
sweet or savoury,
they must be baked
in a free-form style
and served with
a homemade spread.
So, choose your own
bread-venture and good luck.
You have one hour
and 30 minutes.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake.
I'm a bread guy.
I love bread.
It's fun.
It's not finicky like cookies.
Can you feel
the excitement?
Can you?
Quick bread's a
great challenge for our bakers.
It's gonna allow us to see
what our bakers know
about handling different doughs,
but it's also a platform
for their creativity.
I'm not a bread baker
so this week is a bit like...
Of a challenge.
It's really
about chemistry.
The right balance
between the leavening,
moisture and a great bake.
I'm nervous.
Bakers will need
to produce two loaves,
or if they're making a bread not
traditionally served as a loaf,
they'll need 12 pieces.
Hi, Ann Marie.
Good morning!
Ann Marie.
Hi, how are you?
Good morning,
Ann Marie.
Are you happy to
make bread today?
I am!
We became good friends
about a year ago
and now I'm just
hooked on bread.
To show off her
newfound friendship with bread,
Ann Marie will make two loaves
of Asiago
and rosemary soda bread,
coated in mixed seeds
and spiced up
with a homemade chili butter.
So this is actually
a treat for me, this bread.
I like to bake for everybody,
the things that they enjoy,
but this is for me.
I'm really excited about this.
Oh, whoops.
Buttermilk.
Combination of buttermilk
and baking soda
is what will make
this bread rise.
Instead of yeast,
quick breads rely on
a simple chemical reaction:
an acidic ingredient
like buttermilk
activates baking soda
to make it rise.
I am channelling all
that basic grade five science
knowledge and I'm gonna use it
to make sure my bread rises.
Timothy's quick bread
will feature his favourite
breakfast flavours:
jalapeno, cheddar,
and a caramelized onion
and bacon
cream cheese spread.
That's all jalapenos?
Yes.
How's the heat
level on the bread?
There'll be a bit
of kick but it won't be like,
"Oh, I'm crying."
Right.
'Cause I cry easily.
Timothy's not
the only one tackling this
Tex-Mex classic,
but Megan's version
comes with a twist.
The beer adds caramelly
kind of flavour
but spicy but cheesy.
It's all my favourites in one.
Megan's
using a honey lager
to puff up her
jalapeno cheddar bread,
and will pair it with
an onion-bacon butter.
Tell us
about your spread.
So, I caramelized onions
and bacon and then I whip it
into a soft butter and you roll
it into whatever shape you want.
Are you
making your own butter?
No.
I'm not.
I wasn't that adventurous today.
Good luck.
Coconut oil.
It's healthy-ish...
I think.
Getting
the right ratio
between dry and wet ingredients
determines the bread's density.
I hope they see
a really nice fluffy interior,
some holes in there.
And I'm also hoping
I don't cut my finger off.
Extra ingredients
need to be added carefully
to increase flavour without
weighing down the dough.
Woo!
Beets!
Beetroot.
That's a very
vibrant colour.
It'll mellow out
a little bit...
Uh-huh.
...but it's very purple.
Devon's red velvet
loaves also include walnuts
and maple syrup
and will be paired
with a goat cheese
arugula spread
sweetened with honey.
This is
a really wet dough,
so to ensure that it is
going to bake properly,
it needs at least 50
minutes in the oven,
and this is an hour and a half
challenge so it's tight!
While most of the
bakers are making soda breads,
Sadiya is going
in a different direction.
This doesn't look
like quick bread to me,
so what've we got going on?
We've got naan going on.
It is quick bread in that
it doesn't use any yeast.
Naan without yeast?
Yes.
I'm interested.
Oh, boy.
Oh, boy!
Sadiya will make 12
pieces of sesame coriander naan
brushed with homemade
garlic ghee
and served
with a tomato chutney.
So what are you using
for the leavening agent?
I'm using baking powder
and baking soda
and then yogurt becomes the...
Yogurt will be
the activate.
...the activator.
They are a little different
from the yeasty naans
that we are used to.
Will we be
able to tear it?
It's not going to be cracking?
No, it's not.
I have tried to keep
the fluffy naan-like texture.
Texture.
Yes.
I am putting an X here
on the top of my loaf
so as it rises a bit it'll
have that nice little shape
on top as well.
Sachin chose
an apricot walnut soda bread
with blue cheese bacon butter,
to evoke romantic picnics
with his sweetheart.
My wife and I just
love having a bottle of wine
and all the great things
that go along with it.
Don't forget
the wine for the tasting.
I promise
I will bring wine.
What?
I thought that these pans
fit side by side.
Ooh boy!
Okay.
Ooh!
Gonna bake it
for 45 minutes.
I'm just gonna go by the look.
You can also test
by temperature.
Uh... but I don't know
what temperature to look for,
for these breads so...
Mengling's quick
bread features her husband's
cranberry,
chocolate, and hazelnut;
paired with a cranberry
honey compote.
How are you feeling?
I just
don't want to be last.
Even if I'm second last,
I will be so happy.
My goal is second last.
Okay.
Let's just give a high-five to
second last, then, in that case.
Thank you.
Second last!
This is good.
Aim high, everybody!
Good morning, Andrei.
How are you?
I'm fine, thanks.
Excellent.
Your loaves are in the oven?
Yes, but I am baking
them inside dutch ovens.
Oh.
This is
such a wet dough...
Wow.
...when
you're baking it,
it's kind of like
it's baking inside
its own little steam oven.
Nobody can take
the scientist out of Andrei, eh?
Nobody can, eh?
In honour of
his Russian heritage,
Andrei's doing a take
on the traditional blini
by making a buckwheat
soda bread
served with a dill cream cheese,
salmon roe,
and a shot of frozen vodka.
Frozen vodka.
Will we be getting
that this morning?
Bakers, ba-guette
ready to wrap things up!
You have 30 minutes remaining.
With their
breads in the oven,
bakers can turn their
attention to spreads.
So we're doing
a homemade butter?
Yeah.
Bruno put in my head
that maybe I should've
done homemade.
How do you go about
making a homemade butter?
Just whip the crap
out of heavy cream.
How long does it take?
I don't know.
We got butter.
Fresh homemade butter.
It took like...
It's like...
...20 minutes for me.
It'll, it'll...
it'll do it.
It will get there.
Just waiting.
Not the most patient
person in the world.
So what is happening?
So we are trying
to mimic a tandoor.
Okay.
So half on the stove,
half in the oven.
Those look delicious.
I threw
an extra just for you.
You know me
too well, Sadiya.
Mmm.
Oh, maybe I should
test with a skewer too.
It's...
looks like it's uh, done.
The bread will get
a really nice dark brown crust.
You tap it.
It makes a certain sound
and then you know it's baked.
I go by smell.
I really know by smell.
I've never
heard of that before.
I know.
It's so silly.
I don't
know what I'm doing.
I just did this because
I saw Megan doing it.
Still a little wet.
It needs time.
I think another five minutes
and maybe we'll be good.
Six minutes
and maybe we'll be good.
So I think
it's just not yet cooked
so I'm just gonna leave it in.
I think I'm gonna just
give it a couple more minutes.
Ooh,
stress, stress, stress.
Ah, I really want
them to be done.
Five minutes left.
Five minutes remain.
The last thing
I want is raw, doughy bread.
So I'll basically be leaving
this until time's up.
Final minute, bakers.
Done.
Oh.
Thirty seconds.
Thirty seconds!
Five...
4.
Please do.
You can do it.
...3, 2...
You're doing it.
Yes.
...1.
Good job.
Bakers, time is up.
Woo-hoo.
Good job.
It's judgement
time for the quick breads.
Bruno and Rochelle
are looking for a good rise
and a defined crust,
with a spread
that perfectly compliments
the bread's flavours.
Timothy.
Hello.
How're you doing?
I'm doing okay.
We'll see.
There's a lot
of stuff in here.
They are fully laden.
Yeah.
The more
you put in that's heavy,
the less it's gonna rise
and become sort of fluffy.
Yeah.
So the bread on
its own has great flavour,
however, when I apply
the spread to it,
it's overly salted.
Yeah.
You've got beautiful
colouration on the edges.
It has very nice crust
when you go through.
You can hear it.
I'm not getting
the depth of flavour
that I was expecting.
Okay.
Definitely put
more cheese inside.
That's an
amazing looking loaf.
Oh, good.
Rounded back,
good shape, good proportions.
I think it's beautifully moist.
Good.
You actually
made your own butter.
This is homemade, yeah.
That's a killer butter.
That's very good.
Oh, good.
Thank you.
It's so heavy.
Yeah, it is.
Your dough is too wet.
The dough is too wet.
A lot of your walnuts
sunk to the bottom.
Got a lot of character...
Yeah.
...just a bit too sweet.
Yeah.
I love the crust on
it, but this kind of bread,
I would have dusted it
with quite a bit more flour.
You can be quite generous.
Okay.
Good rise.
You can see the crust has
a beautiful defined bake to it.
Great.
Apricot with the blue
cheese is really special.
Mm-hm.
Good flavour combinations.
Thank you.
There's a lot of
weight in that chocolate,
in the cranberries.
There is a lot going on
in this bread...
and it's inhibited the rise.
So the dough,
it feels heavy
and you can see it's quite wet.
Yeah.
So I can even
make it like a gum.
So it's lacking some
baking definitely.
Okay.
So you took a big
risk of doing naan bread.
The risk you're taking
by not using yeast
is your bread might be
too hard or too crispy.
Yes.
However,
you've done quite a good job.
Thank you.
I can't believe
you pulled this off.
I can't either.
I love
your interpretation
of this challenge.
This bread is so good.
I was a sceptic
but they are sensational.
Thank you.
I'm honoured.
I also need this
recipe at some point so...
Mm-hm, mm-hm.
Yes.
You know
buckwheat has very
low elasticity?
Yes.
Yet your bread
has a lot of bounce back.
It's got
a lovely thin crust on it.
Okay.
That's an
amazing combination.
Your spread,
it's so beautiful.
I mean, it does
taste like a blini.
Oh, really?
Na zdorovie.
Na zdorovie.
Na zdorovie.
Na zdorovie.
Alright.
It went pretty well.
I'm really relieved.
It's nice to be able to find
something your family history
to present to the judges.
Bread Week so far?
A scale from one to ten...
four.
In the battle between
Sadiya and Bread Week,
I think we just made friends.
So two more challenges,
let's be friends forever.
Bread Week
continues to roll
into some pretty
dangerous territory
in this week's
Technical Challenge.
Bruno and Rochelle,
would you like to butter up
our lovely bakers with
some pearls of wisdom?
Don't be cross,
just rise to the occasion.
We'll see you in a bit.
Okay.
Bye.
Today you will be
making 20 hot cross buns.
Studded with raisin
and candied fruit
as well as an apricot glaze.
That's all you're
getting from us.
You have two hours
and 30 minutes.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake.
I've
only made it once,
but it was recent
for past Easter.
Oh, you know,
I make them never...
...ever.
Never ever.
It was never
a part of my repertoire.
Ugh, but it will be now.
Rochelle,
today our bakers
have to make hot cross buns.
What are you looking for?
We're looking
for 20 beautifully glazed,
crisscrossed, round,
sweet fruit buns.
It is a rich dough.
It's got butter.
It's got eggs.
It's got whole milk in it.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.
Just delicious.
We're looking inside
for a generous amount of fruit.
We're testing our bakers
knowledge of bread making.
This is a tricky
dough to get right.
They're gonna need
a delicate hand.
Stir together
half a cup of milk,
tablespoon of sugar,
yeast in small bowl.
I'm just
starting my yeast.
Treat your yeast right
and it will be happy.
The goal
for the bakers is light,
fluffy hot cross buns.
And unlike quick breads,
these buns need yeast to rise.
This is warmed milk
with sugar
and the yeast is gonna
activate itself in there
and eat some of that sugar
up and froth all up.
Mmm.
I love the smell of yeast.
It's nice and frothy
so that's good.
See ya later, yeast.
Have fun in there.
Continue making buns
using remaining ingredients.
It doesn't
tell me that much.
I don't mean to laugh
in a maniacal sort of way.
I just find that funny.
Well, you did.
Yeah, I did.
You're right.
I am adding
spices blindly.
How much
is up to you so...
It's difficult to know
when it's finished kneading.
It says
it'll still be sticky
but it shouldn't be
sticking to your fingers.
I don't want
to use a machine.
I need to feel it or else
I don't know what it does.
Whether they use
their hands or the mixer,
bakers have to be careful
not to over-knead their dough
or their buns will become tough.
Uh, it says stir
in raisins and mixed peel
and continue to knead
until combined.
Doesn't say
how many raisins.
More is better than less.
That is one thing
the judges will pick on.
There's not enough
fruit in this.
Ahh!
I forgot to add
sugar to my buns.
Not the best-case scenario.
Read your recipe, Devon.
I'm sweating.
Do first rise.
Well, that's really helpful.
Yeasted dough needs
time to rest-- or proof--
in warm humidity
in order to rise.
You have to double...
Double rise.
And they should be
double full rises.
The buns
will proof twice
but the recipe doesn't
indicate for how long.
Not a lot of instruction
is what I've been told.
No.
No.
Someone left off
a lot of details.
Hot cross buns.
Hot cross buns.
Do you know the poem?
Hot cross buns.
Oh, hot cross buns,
hot cross buns.
If you
have no daughters,
give them to your sons.
Is that the poem?
You never
learnt the poem?
No.
Just having difficulty
figuring out when
it's risen enough.
My strategy is to...
number one;
pray to all the deities I know.
Number two; is to see
what everyone else is doing.
I mean that's
looking pretty darn good.
Hmm.
I've never used a proofing
drawer before but, uh,
it's not coming up quite
the way I want it to.
Looks okay.
I think it sort of
kind of doubled
and that's what we
want bread to do.
To rise.
Divide the dough
into tiny equal portions
so I'll use my scale
and calculator.
Oh, I don't have a calculator.
I'll have to do some math too.
The bakers
will form the dough
into 20 equal balls
before doing a second proof
that's even longer
than the first.
Ohh, this is going
to be a test of patience.
Hope we're all
having fun with our buns.
It's a one-hour time check.
So much time.
I wanted to give it
a lot of time to rise
but at the same time
we only have 55 minutes
so I'll have to guess
how long it's gonna bake.
I don't know.
Whatever.
Sure, they'll rise
more in the oven.
Before putting
them in the oven,
bakers will give the buns
their distinctive cross.
This was always
my favourite part
of the hot cross bun.
This literally
is flour and water.
Is that it?
That's it.
I had convinced myself
as a child that it was icing.
No, they scammed us.
These are awful.
Next I'm gonna just like...
curl up in a ball
and sob for a little while.
It's on.
Okay, why not?
It says bake
until golden brown but again,
I'm gonna go by my smell.
My sniffer.
Time to cross you
T's and dot your I's,
you have ten minutes left.
You like that one Megan?
What a mess.
Devon,
don't psych yourself out.
No, it is what it is.
They technically are ready.
I am making
my apricot glaze.
Alright.
One minute left, bakers.
One minute left.
Oh, my God.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
- Okay, one, two, three.
- Go. Go, go go.
Oh, my God,
thank you so much, Megan.
And time is up, bakers.
Hands off your buns.
Please bring your buns
up to the front,
place them behind your photo.
Bruno and Rochelle
are looking for moist,
fluffy buns
packed full of flavour.
And they'll have no idea
whose buns they're judging.
Let's start
with the bakers on the right.
Beautiful glaze.
They
are very under baked.
Over proofed as well.
Because the smell
is very yeasty.
Next.
Good colouration
in the bake.
They have
crosses on them
but this paste
was a little bit wet.
That's why
it's quite wide.
If it's too wide,
it's quite rubbery.
Not a bad bake.
I'm looking for a few
more raisins here.
Alright, next.
Nice and light.
Beautiful and fluffy.
I would suggest, um, five
more minutes in the oven.
They're certainly not raw,
but they're just done.
Spice is a bit light.
Could've used a bit more.
And more raisins too.
Next baker.
This baker got a great colour
on the top and bottom
of the buns.
Good flavour for the spices.
Great crosses too.
Excellent.
So baker number five.
There's multiple
challenges here.
The shaping, the consistency,
but the biggest problem
is in the formation
of the dough.
These are over-kneaded.
It's made them really tough.
Mine is very firm.
Almost like a scone texture.
I'm sorry, I can't...
I can't eat that.
Baker number six.
Very fluffy.
Nice bounce back.
Could have used
a bit more baking.
Bottom is a bit pale.
Still
needs more spice.
Baker number seven.
Beautifully
baked top and bottom.
The bun has
a beautiful bounce back.
The proofing was done
to perfection.
These
taste really good.
The glaze has got a real bite.
And last baker.
The top is almost over-cooked,
but it has a nice bounce back
so good work on the proofing.
Nice consistency.
Overall a good flavour.
Again,
not enough raisins.
And a
wee bit more spice.
Bruno and Rochelle
will now rank the hot cross buns
from bottom to top.
In eighth place?
Whose hot buns are those?
Devon.
The dough is so dense.
There is no fluffiness to it.
The shape was very irregular.
In seventh place?
Ann Marie.
Your buns were over proved.
Really close together.
Timothy's in
sixth place; Sachin fifth;
Sadiya fourth;
and Megan in third.
In second place?
Mengling.
Good flavour, beautiful crosses.
Glaze was a bit too thin.
In first place?
Andrei, perfectly proved,
perfectly formed.
Great crosses
and the tastiest of the lot.
Well done.
Yes, I suppose one could
say that I rose to the occasion.
My buns were
almost as good as Andrei's?
What?
Wow, I felt good
until I realized
I forgot the sugar.
And that's what cost me.
Ugh.
So, we are now
two bread challenges in,
where do we stand
with everybody?
Andrei, his skill
level is really impressive.
But right behind,
we've been saying
Sadiya and Megan,
they want to finish in the front
line and you can feel it.
Alright, so who's in
trouble on this rainy day?
Devon had
a disaster yesterday
and I think he knows it.
I think that Timothy
and Ann Marie
need to put yesterday
behind them
in this next
showstopper challenge.
Welcome to your final
challenge of the week
and what a challenge it is.
Today you will be
making a savoury sandwich cake.
Now, some of you
might be asking, but Julia,
a sandwich isn't a cake.
What do you mean?
Picture,
a delicious layer cake...
Okay.
Swap out the cake...
Sure.
...for a homemade bread.
Okay.
Swap out the old icing
for your favourite
sandwich filling.
You mean, like tuna
or salmon or ham, Julia?
Could do ham.
Decorate it with
your favourite spread
and a vegetable garnish
of your choice.
In four and a half hours we will
find out who has raw talent
and who needs a "doughse"
of inspiration.
Excellent, yeah.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake.
Sandwich cake.
Odd but delicious.
Like so
many great inventions,
the sandwich cake
originated in Sweden
but it became popular
on North American tables
in the sixties and seventies.
The sandwich cake.
I'm a new fan.
Ask me in four hours
again, we'll see.
We chose sandwich cake
because we want our bakers to be
challenged with bread skills,
presentation and great flavours.
Can't get
my head around it.
So bizarre.
It's Bread Week
so the bread has to handle
the fillings
without getting soggy.
It needs to be beautifully
baked and consistent.
Look the yeast
is already bubbling.
Things are going.
Good vibes today.
My yeast was sleeping
but now it's got
some sugar in there
so it's gonna hopefully
wake up and get frothy.
Sachin's Muffuletta
Sandwich cake will feature
a smorgasbord
of Italian cured meats,
along with provolone
and olive tapenade
all between layers
of white bread.
Of all the
cakes I've made,
this is my wife's favourite.
I don't know why
she loves this so much.
You've made this before?
To experiment
with the whole meat cake thing.
It's Bread Week
so I have to make sure
my bread is perfect.
It's my focus.
The bakers' choice of
bread has to take into account
texture and flavour
with an eye towards
the sandwich cake's structure.
I'm making
a Pullman bread, uh,
and you make them in a this
square pan with a lid on it
so instead of getting
a dome top, it's a flat top.
Because I've had
sandwiches in Japan
and they're always made
with crustless, white bread.
Andrei's Japanese
themed sandwich cake
will boast layers
of tuna tataki,
cucumber, and strawberries--
and be topped with an unusual
edible decoration.
I was thinking, okay,
this is a seventies thing...
Mm-hm.
Jellied salad?
So I actually have a layer
with a pond on top.
I'm fascinated.
I'm gonna have to get
my dough proofing pretty quick.
Like, quite quick.
So, there's a lot of
moisture in the herbs
and the feta and the kale,
so it doesn't need
a ton of kneading.
Wait, does it?
What did I write?
Devon's Greek
sandwich cake will have layers
of lamb souvlaki
and fried saganaki cheese
with a tzatziki
frosting.
And he's the
only baker
attempting two
breads today:
a kalamata olive
quick bread
and feta
herb multigrain.
Wow, okay,
two different types of bread.
I know, I'm pulling
out all the stops.
I hope that it's enough
to save me after...
Well, you know
it's all about the bread
but a little souvlaki's
gonna go a long way.
It's gotta
do it's thing.
Alright,
finger's crossed.
Um,
while that's rising
in the shorter amount of time
in the proofing drawer,
um, I'm then gonna just start
working on my fillings.
While
their dough rises,
bakers can move onto
the delicious fillings
that will make
their savoury cakes sing.
What's going on here?
Um, today
I'm taking you Bahrain
and we're doing shawarma cake.
This sounds
like dinner at your place.
Inspired by
her childhood in Bahrain,
Sadiya's chicken schawarma cake
will also feature tabouleh
and a labneh
cream cheese frosting
with a base of pain de mie,
a soft white bread.
Now, don't you think
pain de mie's a bit too simple?
For me,
it's simple done well.
Good luck.
Thank you.
This is my pork butt.
I'm gonna cook it
in my pressure cooker
and I'm gonna make it
really tender to the point
where you can shred it
into pulled pork with forks.
It's gonna be delish.
Timothy's "delish"
sandwich cake
uses a whole wheat
bread as the base
for a combination
of Chinese pulled pork
and tangy coleslaw.
So it's really kind
of a combination of flavours
that were never meant
to meet I don't think.
The best friends are
the most unlikely friends,
I've found.
Oh, it's actually ready
to go in the oven right now.
It's going in the oven.
Bake well.
You need to be perfect!
Bread, do your thing.
Wow, Bruno.
These guys travelled
all the way from Newfoundland?
They did.
Do you like Lobster?
I do.
Did you
want to try a piece?
I'd love to.
Fresh
from Newfoundland.
Oh, wow.
It makes me so happy.
It really tastes
like the Maritimes.
Ann Marie will honour
her Newfoundland roots
with a Seafood Extravaganza
sandwiching crab and lobster
between layers
of whole wheat bread
and finished with a pink icing
that gets its hue from
yet another fishy ingredient.
I'm gonna
make salmon frosting.
Who will be this
week's bread winner
and who will be toast?
Ooh.
Find out in one hour.
Yikes.
This is the
actually looking good.
Let this cool down just a bit.
Get my bread in there.
When I put my bread
in the freezer to cool,
it worked fine when
I did that at home.
Mengling's
sandwich cake is modelled
after her husband's
favourite sushi roll:
fake crab, smoked salmon,
and avocado between layers
of sesame seaweed bread.
A sushi sandwich cake.
Yes.
Will there be rice in it?
No.
Um, because it's Bread Week.
Thank you, Mengling.
To make their sandwich
cakes true showstoppers,
bakers will use vegetables
and other delicacies
to create eye-catching
decorations.
I am trying to make
a goldfish out of a carrot.
Megan, look
how beautiful that is.
Thanks.
It's gonna be busy
like my garden.
I love these.
Are these cats?
Yes.
I have two cats.
This one is one of them.
There's no end to your...
They all have seven toes.
The freaks...
In real life?
They're alien cats, yeah.
Megan's cats will
frolic on a garden-themed
Seafood Sandwich Cake
featuring Pollock,
cucumber, and dill
with a Scandinavian rye bread.
Making my
own pink radishes.
Bakers, you have
30 minutes remaining.
Ahh,
that smells good.
I want it to be not over proofed
which is the smell
of the yeast yesterday.
The judges
will be looking for even,
equal layers and a good ratio
between bread and filling.
I'm using 16 pieces
of bread in this cake
so every set of four is a layer.
So you know you're
in a weird place in life
when you put mayo
in a piping bag but uh...
it's happened.
This is wet.
It's more wet
than I would like it to be.
One, two, three.
I'm honestly worried
because Bruno said
it's a simple loaf
so if it goes wrong,
I have no place to hide.
I'm frosting
my abomination.
This might not
look like it's going well,
but I think
it's going splendidly.
Okay.
The one that I made at
home just slid right off.
I really need to do
well today and you know,
it's now or never.
Five minutes left, bakers.
My stomach feels
like it's about to fall
out of my body.
Bakers, ten seconds left.
Woo!
Oh, my.
Five.
Four,
three, two, one.
Time is up.
Hands off
the sandwich cakes.
That looks
like a disaster.
It's time to judge
the Showstopper Challenge.
Bruno and Rochelle are looking
for eye-popping innovation,
mouth-watering flavours,
and above all,
perfectly baked bread.
Sachin, it's time to bring
your sandwich cake to the front.
This is a very
well presented cake.
I am very impressed
with the finesse of your work.
The cucumber and radishes.
Okay.
You got a good ratio
of meat, cheese and bread.
It's beautifully
baked, the bread.
And using tapanade
is a perfect combination.
That belongs in an Italian deli.
Ha, thank you.
Given
the time you had,
I think you could've
elevated your presentation
with a little more finesse.
Um, the baking...
looks almost...
to perfection.
The bread has a good texture.
It holds well.
A solid
effort on the inside.
Now you need to match
it on the outside.
I will try.
Thank you so much.
Okay.
Thank you.
Andrei, you
really challenge yourself.
Obviously your edges
are lacking a little finesse.
I couldn't get the aspic
to come off the acetate.
If you'd laid a hot
towel just on top of that,
almost like a face cloth...
Yes.
...you would've
been able to slide it off.
Okay.
Maybe in your case,
your filling is a bit too much.
Okay.
Which does make it
very creamy, rich,
and you know,
doesn't hold together.
Right.
On my team, I have cooks
with ten years of experience
and they can barely
carve a carrot properly,
so kudos to you.
Wow.
There's a lot of bread here.
Yeah.
Thinner
layers on the bread.
And that's just sort of keeping
the whole thing in balance.
Your bread has
excellent rye flavour.
Thank you
very, very much.
Given the length
of time that you had,
I would've liked to have
seen a little more, um,
attention to detail on the--
on the decoration.
Okay.
Two, three,
four layers here.
Mm-hm.
It could've benefited
from a little bit more
time in the oven.
Yeah, you can see
this part is very mushy.
It's like a gum,
so I know it's not
cooked properly.
Okay.
Now,
for both your fillings,
the flavours are bang on.
Thank you.
I'm eating non-stop
everything, except the bread.
Thank you, Ann Marie.
Mengling, your
sandwich cake, please.
Okay.
You said you were
gonna make a sushi cake
and you did.
A big old California roll.
Yes!
Mall sushi.
Mall sushi?
That's
what I was going for.
Beautiful
work on your rosette.
The colours are gorgeous.
All the layers have
great flavours, however,
your bread is a bit chewy.
Once the bread came
out of the oven,
how did you cool it?
I put on the rack
for a couple minutes
and then straight
into the freezer.
That might
have caused it to become
quite a bit stodgy and gummy.
Sadiya, this
is a beautiful-looking cake.
Thank you.
It's the right
amount of decoration.
The smell
just hit us both--
we're in Bahrain, huh?
Yeah.
Yes, you are.
The bread is amazing.
Great technique,
great bake on it.
Phew.
I love the flavour.
It goes very well together.
Sadiya, when we
visited you earlier you told us
that you wanted to do
the simple things really well,
and you have.
This is a magical combination.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Alright, Devon.
It's your turn.
Devon, you
knew that today
you needed to up your game.
Yeah.
Visually,
it tells me straight away
that it's a Greek salad.
It's really beautiful.
Great.
I just hope it tastes good.
You know, Devon,
good bread excites me.
Two different technique,
two different approaches,
the bread is fantastic.
It's moist, it's spongy.
Great flavour.
The drawback;
not enough filling.
And the filling is too dry.
Your redemption today
it's the bread itself.
That's great.
Amazing job.
Thank you so much.
I had no idea
what to expect
from a savoury
sandwich cake challenge.
Right?
But I think it's safe
to say that my expectations
have been blown
out of the water.
Absolutely.
This challenge has exceeded
my expectations ten fold.
Who really wowed you?
I really loved
Sadiya's cake today.
She chose the perfect bread.
Five layers.
And Megan's bread,
the rye and seafood,
perfect combo.
Yeah, we have
Andrei's cake,
didn't quite get there.
Right.
That was a big
let down in my opinion.
There are two bakers
that seem to be
really struggling.
So we have Ann Marie.
Amazing filling, however,
the bread was a letdown.
On the other
hand, Timothy,
his bread was amazing
but presentation
just wasn't there.
So, for us, it's going to
be a very hard decision to make.
Mm-hm.
I just have to say
that you have all done
such amazing work this week.
But one of you has far
surpassed our expectations.
This baker gets five gold
stars for her five-layer cake.
Sadiya, congratulations.
You're Star Baker.
Oh, my God!
Oh!
I'm so proud of you.
Thank you.
Well done.
And now,
I'm afraid for the bad news.
I'm sorry to tell you that
the baker who will be leaving
the tent this week is...
...Ann Marie.
It's okay, it's okay.
You did such great work.
What
a wicked experience.
I'm a little bit sad
but you know what?
I made it to week three,
like, come on!
Good for me!
I feel really
sad to Ann Marie.
She put so much
love in her baking.
I just think this
week wasn't her week.
Sadiya, so deserves
Star Baker this week.
She brought us
wonderful flavours
from all over the Middle East.
I feel on
top of the world.
I got Star Baker
in a room of such
high-calibre bakers.
It's definitely an honour.
Next time...
it's International Week.
I've got a lot to do
in a very short time.
The bakers will fill
up their favourite pastry...
They look
prettier than me.
Ah!
...and try to avoid
messing up a Japanese treat...
Uh-oh.
Okay, this is not good.
NARRATOR ....before attempting
an Italian challenge...
Listen, I'm all in.
...that will leave
the judges hungry for more.
I could
eat a plate of those.
Grazi mille.