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12 Episodes 2024 - 2025
Episode 1
Fri, Sep 27, 202467 mins
As is the case with most seasons, the new batch of twelve bakers for season 15 will have their first three challenges on the theme of cakes. The first challenge, the signature, is to elevate what is the usually unelevated loaf cake, that elevation most deem to mean highly decorated. For the technical, they are each asked to make eight identical miniature Battenburg cakes. The catch: they will not only not have a recipe to follow, they will have to recreate the sample cake provided to them, which they have five minutes to inspect before embarking on the challenge. And for the showstopper, they are each asked to make a hyper-realistic illusion cake, the item which they are recreating to be as close to realistic as possible, thus the "hyper" in the challenge brief.
Episode 2
Fri, Oct 4, 202467 mins
It's Biscuit week. Each baker will make a dozen Viennese sandwich biscuits for the signature, they piped biscuits with a decorative top from the piping and filled with a cream. They have to be careful to make the dough stiff enough so that it doesn't lose its piped shape when baked, but not so stiff that they cannot pipe the dough or that results in dense biscuits. It is another sandwich-like biscuit for the technical: a dozen chocolate mint cream biscuits apiece. The issue will be the amount of mint, where they have to add enough so that it does taste like mint, but not too much so that it tastes like toothpaste. The other challenge is tempering the chocolate properly so that it has that distinctive sheen appearance and snappy texture. And each will become an architect and engineer in in addition to being a baker in baking and constructing a puppet theater for the showstopper, they needing to choose biscuits that are sturdy enough to withstand the construction of the theater and the puppets. With health issues having led to no elimination last week meaning possibly two going home this week, it may be that health issue and others which dictate who goes home.
Episode 3
67 mins
It's the week that every Bake Off contestant either dreads or looks forward to in wanting to impress Paul, namely Bread Week in bread being Paul's specialty. It's savory buns for the signature, each baker to make a dozen. Beyond the bread itself, the bakers have to be cognizant of any filling, any excessive moisture which could compromise the bread dough. Paul asks them each to make a seven-strand plaited wreath for the technical. While he does provide an outline of a recipe, he does not provide written directions for the plaiting, but instead provides a demonstration which they must recreate. And they must each bake at least three different types of bread in making a cornucopia for the showstopper, the three being for the horn itself and at least two types of buns spilling out of the horn.
Episode 4
67 mins
It's all about caramel this week, it an ingredient that is tricky to work with in terms of getting the right fluidity and getting the right balance of sweet to bitter. The bakers are asked to make a dozen biscuits each with a set caramel component i.e. the caramel cannot just be in the biscuit dough. They can make a known biscuit of the type such as millionaire shortbread or stroopwafel, or something of their own creation. They go to a twist on a classic tart tatin for the technical they each instead to make a pear tatin accompanied by a caramelized walnut ice cream. While they are given frozen butter to make the puff pastry, they still have to work quickly to ensure the butter doesn't melt before the pastry is baked. And they are asked to make multiple caramel components in each making a caramel mousse cake for the showstopper. The mousse not only needs to be caramel, but there needs to be decorative sugar work and at least two other caramel components.
Episode 5
57 mins
The mantra for the week is "no soggy bottoms" in it being Pastry Week. Whether it be a bakewell tart or not, the bakers are each to make a dozen frangipane tarts with a short crust pastry base and at least one other filling besides the frangipane for the signature. Paul asks them each to make a swirled spanikopita for the technical, they to be made with homemade phyllo pastry which should be kneaded sufficiently to form enough gluten so that the thin pastry will retain its structure and not fall apart. And for the showstopper, they will each make a Paris-Brest (so named in honor of the Paris to Brest cycling race), a choux pastry based confection in the shape of a bicycle tire. These Paris-Brests must contain at least one custard-based filling, and because of its celebratory nature must be presented on an edible stand of their making. The stand has to be sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the Paris-Brest.
Episode 6
57 mins
It's a bright autumn weekend, at least in the tent as the bakers enter into three autumn related challenges. For the signature, each will make a sweet autumn pie, which must contain a pastry crust and an autumn harvest produce of some sort whether it be a fruit or vegetable. For the technical, they will each be making a bonfire classic, a parkin, the cake which will be served in twelve individual servings. The challenge for those who actually know and have made parkin before is that the version requested of them is a vegan one, meaning no eggs which is a traditional leavening agent for it. And for the showstopper, each will make an autumn festival cake, the festival which is being celebrated which can be real, such as Halloween or harvest, or imaginary. Like the signature, the cake must contain at least one type of produce, in this case a vegetable, most turning to the known carrot or one of its root vegetable cousins.
Episode 7
57 mins
While Bread Week is arguably Paul's favorite week every season, Prue emphatically states this week is her favorite: Dessert Week. The bakers are each making eight meringue nests for the signature, they to contain at least two different fillings. Beyond the issue of baking the meringues themselves to dry them out completely yet not have them crack, the bakers need to pair the meringues with something to cut through the overwhelming sweetness inherent in meringues, which usually means something that has some tartness. They move to a classic and traditional British pudding for the technical: spotted dick. What Prue has asked them to make doesn't stray at all from the traditional including having it doused in a caramel syrup and served with a crème anglaise, but warns them about a pitfall (the specific which she doesn't say), namely that the steaming is probably longer than they expect to cook it all the way through. And they will each be making an elevated tiramisu for the showstopper. While it needs to contain the three traditional components of ladyfingers, a mascarpone filling, and coffee, the bakers should add their own spins to make it their own.
Episode 8
57 mins
The week's theme, the 1970s, may be a challenge in and of itself for the bakers in only one of them having been alive at the time. The signature has them each making and presenting at least thirty profiteroles in a decorative stack, the judges also hoping for flavors evoking the decade. The concern is the integrity of the profiteroles in a stack as any filling, especially those with a lot of moisture, will eventually soften what are supposed to be the crisp shells. Set by Paul, the bakers will be making a banoffee pie for the technical. While he is comprehensive with ingredients, Paul is less so with instructions. And they will each make a layered gâteau decorated in a '70s style for the showstopper. By Paul's definition, a gâteau differs from a standard cake in the texture, a gâteau which is softer in its consistency, generally meaning a sponge like a genoise and much cream for the decorations and fillings. With that texture, the bakers will probably need internal structural elements such as vertical dowels or risk the gâteau collapsing or leaning.
Episode 9
57 mins
It's the semi-finals, the week generally reserved for patisserie, which is all about precision and fine details. For the signature, each baker is required to make two batches of eight apiece laminated breakfast pastries, one which must either be filled or topped. Because of the difficulty of the challenge within the general time constraints, the bakers are instead given one hour to prepare the dough the day before to allow it to rest overnight. For the technical, the bakers will have to use all their patisserie knowledge and skills in being asked to make a standard of the patisserie world, an opera cake. And for the showstopper, the bakers will each make a display of twelve fruit shaped entremets, which should be decorated to resemble and have the flavor of said fruits. How they display the entremets may be as important as the entremets themselves.
Episode 10
Fri, Nov 29, 202458 mins
It's the finals, and the last three contestants standing of the original twelve are Dylan Bachelet, Christiaan de Vries, and Georgie Grasso. They are each to make a batch of twelve filled sweet and a batch of twelve filled savory scones for the signature. The challenge may appear "unchallenging" but Prue counters that making a good scone is more difficult than it appears as any moisture in from the additions such as fruits or the like risks overworking the dough which would result in a tough end product. Prue also counters that the technical may appear easy in that the bakers are asked to prepare an afternoon tea party display consisting of four each of a plaited bun filled with deviled egg and cress, strawberry tarts, and lemon sandwich cakes, all three which the bakers should know how to make. However, it is a challenge primarily of planning and time management. And their last challenge of the competition, their final showstopper, has each making a hanging cake fit for a summer garden party. The cake must have at least three tiers and contain at least two different fillings. The gravity issues play against each other as the bakers may be tempted to use a light sponge, but such would have the potential issue of getting squashed by the cake layers above. The announcement of the Series 15 will be made fittingly at a garden party in front of family and friends, some familiar with the pressures of the tent.
Episode 11
58 mins
It's a battle of the soap opera stars as actors from Coronation Street (1960), EastEnders (1985), and Emmerdale Farm (1972) are in the tent for this annual Christmas edition of bake-off. For the signature (one who may not have a signature in admitting to never have baked), each of the five contestants will make a yule log, with Paul and Prue's hope that the flavors will evoke something about Christmas. Beyond those flavors, they will be looking for a perfectly rolled sponge and the perfect ratio of sponge to filling. For the technical, the bakers will be making a "forest" of meringue Christmas trees. This multi-component technical includes the meringue, a burnt honey cream, the bakers needing to ensure that they don't overcook the honey or overbeat the cream which may split if so, and a cranberry compote. And the showstopper will indeed be personal to each baker as they are each to create a scene made out of biscuits depicting something their soap opera character has faced at Christmas.
Episode 12
58 mins
This annual New Year's edition of Bake Off welcomes back six people familiar with baking in the tent. It has a twist this year in that what is being celebrated is Hogmanay, Scottish New Years, with the six being among the most popular Scots ever to have graced the competition tent, one who has the notable distinction of being one of the first ever to have competed, but who has the more dubious distinction of being one of the first ever to leave. In addition with kilts and tartan abounding, all three challenges will be Scottish in nature. The signature will have the six each make a black bun, which in Paul's layperson terms is akin to a fruitcake encased in pastry. For the technical, Prue has asked each to make a shortbread snowflake decorated with royal icing. The twist is that while she has provided the snowflake mold, she has not provided a recipe, every good Scottish baker in her estimation who should be able to make shortbread, the operative word being should. And for the showstopper, they will each make what is considered one of the most comforting of Scottish desserts, cranachan, but something presented in a freestanding form. One of the overriding questions of the weekend will be how far six Scots are wiling to stray from their Scottish roots in a Scottish themed competition in an effort to stand out from the crowd.