Great British Bake Off finalists make history as they leave the famous white tent to cook on open fires
THEY’VE survived every challenge from vegan meringues to spherical pancakes, but now The Great British Bake Off finalists are going where no contestant has gone before – outside.
In Tuesday’s final, the remaining three bakers make history by leaving the famous white tent for the first time ever to cook on open fires.
To make it even harder, hopefuls Ruby Bhogal, Rahul Mandal and Kim-Joy Hewlett have to make do without their usual fancy kitchen equipment — and cope with sweltering temperatures.
As our exclusive picture shows, bosses on the Channel 4 show had to provide the three with parasols during the episode which was filmed in the heatwave earlier this year.
It comes in the technical round, when bakers have to attempt a surprise recipe which they have had no chance to practise.
The other two challenges — making donuts for the signature bake and spectacular landscape-themed creations in the final showstopper task — happen back inside the tent in Berkshire’s Welford Park.
Sources say the recipe set for the outdoor bake — which they are keeping secret — is “deceptively simple”.
This year’s series, hosted by Sandi Toksvig, 60, and Noel Fielding, 45, started out with around 6.1million viewers a week, but this month the figure rose to 6.9million. More than one million more watch on catch-up.
And now in her second year as a judge, Prue Leith, 78, says landing the role on the programme has been as momentous as meeting her husband, retired clothes designer John Playfair.
She admitted: “I think I love working as a judge on Bake Off a little too much sometimes.
“That and meeting John, my husband, has been a life change for me in so many ways.”
Meanwhile, her fellow judge Paul Hollywood, 52, who is the only person to remain with the show since it began on BBC2 in 2010, revealed he gets sick of sweet bakes.
He said of his favourite challenge this year: “I enjoyed the pie challenge, when the bakers had to make a tiered pie, and we got something savoury in the tent. The savoury challenges are always my favourite.
“And I’ve loved filming with Prue, Sandi and Noel — we got on so well.
“The four of us are now completely gelled and we are hoping to get away to Copenhagen for a trip this year. Well, that’s the plan.”
Paul and Prue give their verdicts on the last three contestants still standing out of the original 12.
And below, Sun writer and baking novice Giulia Crouch sets herself a mission to recreate every single one of the technical challenges on the show so far this year.
Judges' verdicts
KIM-JOY, a mental health specialist from Leeds.
Prue says: “Mystical, sentimental, caring. Her strength is her individuality and her weakness is she can be vulnerable.”
Paul says: “A zany baker with great flavours, and amazingly creative.”
RAHUL MANDAL, research scientist, from Rotherham, South Yorks.
Prue says: “Intellectual, nervous, sweet. His strength is his skill, his weakness is a lack of confidence.”
Paul says: “A genius baker, softly spoken, very talented.”
RUBY BHOGAL, project manager on the Tube, from London.
Prue says: “Funny and clever. Her strength is her feistiness and her weakness is her impulsiveness.”
Paul says: “A perfect natural baker with edgy ideas and flair.”
Dough for it
EVEN the steeliest Bake Off contestant feels terror during the weekly technical challenges – so could they be attempted by a mere mortal? To find out, Giulia Crouch, who had only ever made lemon drizzle cake, set about producing every technical bake from this series and rating whether to bin it or bake it.
WEEK 1 – Wagon Wheels
Billed as “challenging” by Paul Hollywood. Nonsense. The biscuits, jam and even marshmallow are easy to make if you follow the recipe. Then it’s just an assembly job. Way tastier than shop-bought.
Verdict: BAKE IT
WEEK 2 – Le Gateau Vert
Monstrous affair coloured with spinach. There I was, squeezing wilted spinach through a muslin bag to collect its funky juice. Friends liked it, but I could only think of it as murky pond-water cake.
Verdict: BIN IT
WEEK 3 – Garlic naans
Thank God, some normality. And this version, made with baking powder and cooked under a hot grill, are simple. They’re also tasty, though not a patch on proper ones from an Indian restaurant.
Verdict: BAKE IT
WEEK 4 – Blancmange
A pink force of nature with a mind of its own. Calls for 750g of raspberries – FIVE packs. You’ll clear out your local store. The worst bit is flipping it on to a plate at the end. Attempt at your peril.
Verdict: BIN IT
WEEK 5 – Ma’amouls
You will not find the ingredients in Tesco. Middle Eastern biscuits contain things such as ground mahleb, mastic and orange blossom honey. If you can get hold of these things, the result is undoubtedly yum.
Verdict: BAKE IT
WEEK 6 – Puits d’amour
Not another French one. That can only mean precision and unnecessary steps – and both these things are boring. These weren’t actually as hard as I imagined, but the taste didn’t justify the time put in.
Verdict: BIN IT
WEEK 7 – Vegan pavlova
In my opinion, trying to make a vegan version of a pudding that is essentially just egg is a waste of time. Plus, the meringue made of chickpea juice is painfully sweet and un-marshmallowy.
Verdict: BIN IT
WEEK 8 – Aebleskiver
A Danish apple puff, requiring a special pan I couldn’t find here. So I put a muffin tray on top of a baking tray on the hob. Do not try this at home. It vaguely worked, but there was a LOT of smoke.
Verdict: BIN IT
WEEK 9 – Torta setteveli
A seven-layered cake with a 21-step, 800-word recipe that made me dizzy. But I did it. It took five hours and was my biggest baking achievement. So Paul, Prue – can I be on the show next year?
Verdict: BAKE IT