great British Bake Off Challenge July: Eton Mess
When I started thinking about what GBBO bake we should do for July, I immediately thought something light, fresh, easy and perfect for summer. Eton Mess is all of that and more.
Read MoreGBBO Challenge June 2019: Schichttorte! Or Baumkuchen....
Welcome to our June GBBO! Now this dessert goes by two names: schichttorte (as introduced on the GBBO) and baumkuchen. The German cake was traditionally made on a spit over a fire, each layer being brushed on, baked, then another layer brushed on to bake on top of the previous one. The end result is a beautiful ringed pattern, reminiscent of the cross section of a tree. Over the years, a simpler version was invented where layers were brushed into a pan, then baked under a grill or broiler. The same intricate layers were created, but now horizontally stacked.
Read Moregreat British bake off challenge April 2019: cornish pasties!
For our April 2019 Great British Bake Off Challenge we thought we’d tackle something savory, since February and March brought you sweet treats.
I’ve never made a pasty (that’s pah-stee) before—let along a Cornish pasty—so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Obviously I turned to Paul Hollywood’s recipe for my inspiration, and then browsed a few others to get a sense of possible variations in method and technique. (I had some issues with Paul Hollywood’s GBBO recipe as it appears on BBC.com, so I had to do some research to get clarity. I think the recipe you’ll find below resolves the issues; see the note at the end if you are curious!)
Read MoreGreat British Bake Off Challenge March 2019: Kouign Amann!
It may seem like we have significantly upped the ante this month with our GBBO Challenge. But let me assure you, these are easier than you’d think. The dough comes together beautifully in a stand mixer and is a dream to work with — smooth, soft, and supple. There were several times during the process I was convinced I must be doing something wrong; it didn’t seem difficult enough to produce the insane goodness I’ve had at a pastry shop.
Read MoreGreat British Bake off challenge February 2019: Bakewell tart!
Ok we’re really excited about this: a monthly baking challenge based off of Great British Bake Off bakes. Basically the three of us have all watched all the GBBO episodes (some of them more than once … or twice …) and we’re always saying to ourselves and each other how much we want to try this or bake that. So then we figured, why not channel that into a blog feature? Our idea is basically to introduce the challenge on the first Sunday of the month. One of us will find a recipe, try it, write it up, and review it. Ideally the other two of us will try it as well - either as written or with adaptations/variations - and write up a little add-on at the end of the post. And then we invite you, readers, to try it as well and comment on your success! And if you do try it, please post it to Instagram and tag us or use our hashtag #beaneaththecrustGBBOchallenge! It will be so fun to see all your bakes! And we promise not to go all Paul Hollywood on any attempt. :)
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