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The Great British Baking Show


gulfporter

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My partner downloaded both the Irish and South African versions of this show and we enjoyed them both.  

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Nice article about the show on Slate today.  I didn't realize that the only prize the winners get in a fancy cake stand.  And that is just another reason to love the show!

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  • 1 month later...

A new series of Great British Bake Off began last week.  For those in the UK the first episode is available via iPlayer.  My reason for posting here rather than in the UK forum is that I recently came across an app that appears to allow one to watch real time TV from around the world via iPad and other Apple devices. Not sure if it is also available for Android.

 

I installed this yesterday and with no VPN running I was able to watch French TV, usually impossible without VPN when not in France.  Numerous countries are listed.  The app is called FilmOn television.  Here is a screenshot showing part of the menu, in addition to listing countries it also shows items by theme, including cookery.

image.png

 

I think some of the stuff has to be paid for but to date everything I have looked at is free.  For clarity, I have no knowledge whatever about who created this app, I simply came across it by chance and was impressed on trying it, especially as one can use AirPlay to watch the content on a normal television.

 

If you have this, or VPN you might also enjoy the French 'La Meilleure boulangerie de France' that began last week on M6.  Not difficult to follow even if your language skills are limited and great for anyone interested in bread making.

 

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Along this same train of thought, I recently discovered Masterchef Australia and I love it for all of the same reasons I love the Bake Off. No interpersonal drama or abrasive personalities to artificially create said drama. Just a lot of normal decent people humbly learning about making food and pushing their limits. I used to really enjoy shows like Top Chef or Chopped, but now they feel like a circus compared to the refinement of the Bake Off and the Aussies cooking their lamb and beets.

 

Um, Nigella Lawson was on for a week too! 

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I found a whole stream of Masterchef Australia and then it disappeared. Reminds me to go looking for it again!

 

The first programme from series 7 of Bake Off was a good watch :) Bake Off Creme de la Creme looks worth a punt too, as it's pastry chefs competing in teams to do cool stuff.

 

Masterchef, Celebrity Masterchef and best of all Masterchef the Professionals are on my standard telly rotation. 

 

The Chef's Protege which aired a few years back was also excellent if you can find it.

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  • 1 month later...

A NYT piece on this:  ‘The Great British Bake Off’ Changes the Way the British Bake

 

The recent changes (sale of the show to Channel 4 with 3 of 4 judges quitting to remain loyal to BBC) are mentioned, but the piece is mostly about the effect of the program on British home cooks:

Quote

...As the show’s audience grew steadily, interest in home baking had a marked renaissance. Masses of people who had never held a whisk were now convinced that making marzipan-covered princess cakes was the most fulfilling way they could spend their weekend...

 

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Watching the Bake Off always inspires me to get into the kitchen and bake, something I don't do a lot of. For someone like me who is not anywhere near a pro, it is wonderful to see talented home bakers produce some truly remarkable food. Despite being not at all as capable as those nice people, the show has a way of stirring that "Hey! I can do that!" feeling which so often propels me towards my mixer and bowls. More often than not it's because I have never tried or even heard of some of the things they make, that discovery of something new through patient and diligent work is appealing to me. I am sad to see the group break up, that ensemble is a huge part of the draw, all that dry British wit and innuendo takes it from great baking show to great hour of entertainment. It feels like the same thing that happened to Top Gear, but at least that group was able to tent up at Amazon and continue their style of television albeit under a different name. I think the finale next week will be bittersweet... 

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Yeah, the cool thing about Clarkson, Hammond, and May is that they now totally control their show and can do things exactly as they want to. (I know from personal experience, but am contractually forbidden to discuss anything until Nov. 18, 2016.) So, hopefully, there are green pastures on the horizon for the 'Great Baking' team.

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39 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

I know from personal experience, but am contractually forbidden to discuss anything until Nov. 18, 2016.

 

Top Gear is one of my favorite shows of all time, I hope you will share any tidbits you have after the premiere date! I'm really excited to see what they came up with having the BBC leashes off coupled with an apparently gigantic budget. Wait, isn't this a cooking website? 

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22 minutes ago, Yiannos said:

 

Top Gear is one of my favorite shows of all time, I hope you will share any tidbits you have after the premiere date! I'm really excited to see what they came up with having the BBC leashes off coupled with an apparently gigantic budget. Wait, isn't this a cooking website? 

 

There was food involved...

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Yes, please update us when you are able to!

 

I can't help feel that Channel 4 have been sold a pup. They have basically spent an awful lot of money on a tent. But we shall see. I like Paul Hollywood, so at least they have him to carry over. They should get someone like Delia or Nigella in.

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  • 3 years later...

My Sweetie and I are re-watching the seasons available on Netflix. Even though I'm not really a baker I've learned something from egullet that applies to watching the show. Bakers don't understand how their practice bakes at home worked but now their dough is too slack or too dry. I figure that that's because of the variance of hydration of the flours they're using.

 

I like Prue Leith way better than Mary Berry.

Edited by Porthos (log)

Porthos Potwatcher
The Once and Future Cook

;

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I've been watching The Great British Baking Shows again as well.  I take such pleasure in just how nice the bakers are.  They work more as a team than nasty competitors...I've seen way too much of that on the Food Network.

I learn a lot from Mary and from Paul.  Overall, for me, it's just a feel-good show.  

 

 

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  • 11 months later...

I watched an episode last evening (recorded from an earlier broadcast) in which Paul and Mary were baking ciabatta, baked Alaska and so on.

I got inspired by the ciabatta and I have the dough rising in its square container

now.  So much fun to watch those two putting together such gorgeous recipes!

I hear that Mary has since left the show,; how sad, she's just so lovely to  watch.

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1 hour ago, lindag said:

I watched an episode last evening (recorded from an earlier broadcast) in which Paul and Mary were baking ciabatta, baked Alaska and so on.

I got inspired by the ciabatta and I have the dough rising in its square container

now.  So much fun to watch those two putting together such gorgeous recipes!

I hear that Mary has since left the show,; how sad, she's just so lovely to  watch.

I loved Mary.  Prue Leith (the new judge) is fine, but no one could really replace Mary for me.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
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