Bake Off is Back

My favorite comfort watch is back on the small screen.

A year ago, I wrote a little ditty about the fantastic group of friends I made in the Great American Baking Show tent. Nine strangers got shipped to England to bake our hearts out, and we're still friends. We met up for our second annual reunion in this June, and I'm writing this after quick trip to New York City, where I just met up with Jon.

My Baking Show buddies in Central Park eating pastries.

While n the Big Apple, I met some of my favorite Substack writers IRL while in the City, including

Lukas Volger

,

Sohla El-Waylly

,

Hetty Lui McKinnon

,

Michael Ruhlman

,

Dianne Jacob

,

Rachel Ciordas

, and more!

With the new season of the Great British Baking Show (henceforth just referred to as the Bake Off) on our screens, I thought I’d answer a few queries I get about the show and recap the first couple of episodes.

Peanut butter & Concord grape jelly hand pies.

FAQ

Do I actually watch the Bake Off?

Absolutely! I've watched it since it was available on PBS way back in the day. Whenever possible, fellow finalist Sarah and I watch together each week like it's Monday Night Football.

Does watching the show stress you out?

Yes and no. Since I know the stress of the show, I get more worked up than your average viewer. Sarah and I often scream and holler at the screen, especially if we see someone making a poor choice or a challenge that seems impossible.

Who will win this season?

There's no way to guess how the new bakers will fare in The Tent. However, I know who will come out on top: Allison Hammond. Her unforced hilarity leaves me in stitches every time she's on my screen. After just the first episode, I adore this batch of bakers. They're utterly charming and tremendously skilled. I think they’ve all won our hearts.

What is it like in The Tent?

I wrote up a little piece for Food & Wine last year about what I learned in the tent. Give it a read; it's a snappy summary of the experience.

I won't be serving up recipes alongside each episode like I did last year (I have a cookbook to write.), but I'll provide a bit of commentary here and there.

Fragrant quince at the Union Square Greenmarket

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Episode 1: Cake Week

What a great introduction to an incredible batch of bakers! They will charm your socks off and leave you gobsmacked with their bakes.

The first two challenges were (mostly) a repeat of the challenges of this season of the Great American Baking Show: loaf cakes and mini Battenbergs.

Signature: My favorite cake shape is loaf, so I relished the "elevated loaf cake" challenge. Loaf cakes take a long time to bake and an eternity to cool, so adding any unstable decorations would be tough—and it was.

Technical: They did something brand new! The Bake Off rarely diverges from the tried-and-true format, but they changed things up. Instead of giving the bakers a pared-down surprise recipe, they gave them the finished product but no recipe. This "taste and bake" asked them to look at and taste the recipe and just figure out a recipe. Paul gave a significant hint. I think all the bakers did an extraordinary job with this fiddly bake.

Showstopper: I'm familiar with this one. I made a 100% fondant-free illusion cake on the Great American Baking Show, entitled Deep Dish Deception. As someone who had never worked with fondant, that challenge frightened me to the core. So, I went with my strengths and avoided fondant altogether. On this year’s Bake Off, the caliber of these cakes blew me away.

martinsorge

A post shared by @martinsorge

Takeaways:

I like people who take risks, like Christiaan's flavors. They don't always work, but I want to challenge my taste buds.

I mean, these showstoppers! The duck, the bags, the sewing machine, the books you can pick up and hold! Bravo, y'all. 

Here’s last year’s recap and recipe:

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Episode 2: Biscuit Week

What a wild ride: highs and lows and bakers fainting!

Signature: Who doesn't like two ultra-buttery biscuits with a tasty filling? This challenge presented a playground of flavors. Malted barley? Yes please, Mike! Christiaan went for my herb-loving heart by combining tarragon and lavender in one bake. I assumed that Paul would hate it, but I was wrong. I'm not sure why Sumaya baked something that she wouldn't even taste, but it sounded incredible.

Technical: These chocolate-covered mint creams made my mouth water. Can we find them in America? To be honest, I find tempering chocolate a horrible pain, so I felt bad for the contestants.

Showstopper: Who thought up the “biscuit puppet theatre” challenge? What an absurd and impossible request! But these super-talented folks pulled it out of the bag. Christiaan absolutely smashed it with a thoughtful, heartfelt, and beautiful piece.

Takeaways:

Nelly is an absolute icon. In a matter of seconds, she can go from hilarious to incredibly vulnerable to deeply insightful and back to hilarious.

Bake Off is tough. It’s an endurance sport. During showstoppers, I would bring in a snack (or snack on the fruit provided for my bakes) to keep my energy up. Baking for more than four hours in a high-pressure environment requires sustenance and self-care.

Here’s last year’s recap and recipe:

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What else have I been working on?

I have three new pieces in Food & Wine. I'm so proud of the quince article, where I mention

Nicola Lamb

's perfect way to poach my favorite funky fall fruit.

Quince.

How to Use Quince, My Favorite Funky Fall Fruit: While no one says “easy as quince pie,” preparing this tart, aromatic fruit is a labor of love that’s well worth the effort.

There’s More to Baking Than Cinnamon — Try These 6 Spices Instead: Think beyond the cinnamon shaker, and swap powdered cinnamon for these warm, spicy alternatives.

Get to Know the Best Types of Pears for Snacking, Baking, and Poaching: Pick the perfect pear for your next pie, cheese board, or over-the-sink snack

I have a fun fall recipe for y'all next week, so stay tuned.

Happy Baking,
Martin

Homemade pickles.