The Bake Down - Bake Off Reviewed

Only seven bakers remain in the tent as we experience Bake's Off's very first Halloween week. There's frights and delights as the bakers tackle Autumnal favourites with an apple cake signature, a hanging lantern showstopper and a technical guaranteed to leave you wanting S'more. So, join the terrifying trio: Jane, Dan and Howard, and Sarah, your ghostess with the mostest, as they discuss Halloween...

Only 8 bakers remain in the tent as this week they tackle desserts: a steamy signature, a tart technical and moussey showstopper. It wasn't all sweetness and light though, as the bakers had to deal with stodgy puds, rubber jelly and the dreaded soggy bottom! Join Sarah, Dan, Howard and Jane as they discuss the ups and downs of dessert week and try to find out the precise nature of 'chinchilla crea...

It's week 4 in the tent and we have the first of this season's international themes: Mexican week! The 10 remaining bakers brought their favourite Central American flavours to the gingham alter, as they were asked to bake Pan Dulces, Corn Tortilla Tacos and Tres Leches Cakes. With the potential of two eliminations looming and the promise of 'star baker' only a few challenges away, it was all to pl...

Bread week is here, and the bakers have been kneading, proving and rising under the watchful steely blue eyes of King of Bread, Paul Hollywood. Whether it’s crispy pizzas, fluffy pan au raisin or the show stopping Smörgåstårta, the remaining bakers were ready to roll up their sleeves and roll out their doughs. We hope you enjoy our bread week episode, and we’ll leave it up to you to deci...

Welcome back to The Bake Down! It’s biscuit week in the tent and this year gave us illusion Macaron signatures, Garibaldis for a technical challenge and spectacular biscuit masks in the showstopper. We had a new star baker and another sad exit as well as a double handshake. Join Sarah alongside former contestants Dan, Jane and Howard as they see which way the cookie crumbles as they discuss biscui...

***As mentioned at the start of the podcast we'd love you to join our free webinar this Saturday (9am PT / 11am CT / 12pm ET / 5pm UK) in memory of Her Majesty, the late Queen, Elizabeth II. The brilliant Howard Middleton (GBBO series 4) will be teaching live from Sheffield, UK all the skills you need to master his delicious Chocolate Tiffin, a treat believed to be a favourite of Her Majesty. Clic...

Hurrah! It's back again! Bake Off returns in the UK on 13th September and we hope we'll be your perfect accompaniment to the new series. Founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy is joined by Bake Off legends Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to assess our new dozen as we try to work out who the potential winners could be from the limited biographies and photographs that are shared ahead of the s...

Happy New Year to all of our listeners, we wish you all the best for 2022! As always the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy was joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on a wonderful New Year Special, where four stars from former series returned, with Kim Joy, Rowan, Hermine and Jon all back looking for bake off glory in the famous tent, as...

Merry Christmas to all of our listeners! We hope you had a wonderful day celebrating! As always the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy was joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on a wonderful Christmas Special, where four stars from the hit British TV Series 'It's a Sin' battled it out for bake off glory in the famous tent. We reflected o...

As always the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy was joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on carrot cakes, Belgian buns and a mad hatters tea party for a final that was too close to call until the end. We've loved doing the podcast for this year and we'll aim to be back for the festive specials. We’re so sad that Bake Off is over for ano...

WHAT. AN. EPISODE. If you're after brilliant baking, handshakes everywhere you look and drama until the final moments - then you simply couldn't have asked for more than what was served up in the tent for a memorable semi-final. As always the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy was joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on how our remaining...

The arrival of 'free from' week brought with it more cries of 'all about survival' as our final five bakers entered the tent, with identical dairy free ice cream sandwiches, vegan sausage rolls and a gluten free celebration cake all on the agenda for those that wished to advance to a semi-final. As always the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy was joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton,...

Welcome back fans of the Bake Down, it's a pleasure to have you with us once again, as we react to Caramel Week, which included a sharing sized caramel tart and most excitingly of all - a chance to see how to make your very own Twix bar - except they couldn't mention it was a Twix bar, we just had to listen to Matt refer to how it may usually belong in a golden wrapper! As always the founder of Ba...

Roll up, roll up, get your innuendo bingo cards ready after perhaps the most innuendo laden episode in Great British Bake Off History as our seven bakers were tasked with making some perfect pastry to keep themselves in contention of the ultimate prize. Founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy is joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on some lo...

Once again the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy is joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on the first ever German week, where it should have been home advantage for Jurgen! So excited were we about German week, that we've decided to run a FREE webinar this Sunday, 24th October, at 3.30pm UK where Dan is going to be teaching Eisenbahner...

Once again the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy is joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on dessert week, where we ended up with as many disasters as we did successes. Could our bakers make a promising Pavlova and what about their stupendous sticky toffee puddings... surely none of them would forget to put their flour... oh. Never mind....

Once again the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy is joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on bread week, where Lizzie was on hand with more surreal animal related stories to keep us entertained! Could our bakers make a stunning Focaccia and what about their ciabatta breadsticks - one so deserving the bread master himself Paul Hollywood e...

Once again the founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy is joined by Bake Off legends Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and Dan Beasley Harling to reflect on biscuit week as Series 12 continued with a superb episode of baking entertainment. We saw some wonderful Brandy Snaps created before the bakers were asked to make some Jammie Dodgers, albeit it seemed they weren't allowed to call them that! Child...

The wait is no more, as Paul, Prue, Matt and Noel were back on our screens to kick us off with what we're certain will be ten joyous weeks of baking. Fair to say we had a real mix of baking going on in the tent, but from 19 year old Freya to 70 year old Maggie, there's a wonderful cross section of British society represented and everyone will no doubt soon have their favourites - we all do. Founde...

Hurrah! It's back again to save us! Bake Off returns in the UK on 21st September and on Netflix on 24th September and we hope we'll be your perfect accompaniment to the new series, as once again Hollywood and his gang entered a COVID bubble so that we could all enjoy the big show and we'll be here to reflect on it each week! Founder of Bake With A Legend Josh Landy is joined by Bake Off legends Ho...

Hurrah! Four more celebrities arrived in the tent ready to impress Paul and Prue as TV presenter Anneka Rice, comedian John Bishop, pop star Nadine Coyle and wheelchair basketball player and TV presenter Ade Adepitan were ready to bake. They attempted decorative choux buns in the Signature before tackling financiers in the Technical and for their third and final challenge, they had to create a sho...

Hurrah! Four more celebrities arrived in the tent ready to impress Paul and Prue as YouTube Sensation KSI, Popstar Jade Thirlwall, Comedian Katherine Ryan and TV Presenter Stacey Dooley battle it out for the coveted Star Baker apron. There were some rather questionable baking in another fantastic celebrity episode. This special series is of course being aired to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer,...

Hurrah! Four more celebrities battling it out on our screens as rapper Dizzee Rascal, artist Philippa Perry, actor Reece Shearsmith and radio presenter Nick Grimshaw battle it out for the coveted Star Baker apron and incredibly we even saw a handshake this week! This series is of course being aired to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer, and if you'd like to join us in supporting this important cau...

The Tent swing open for four more celebrities arrived ready to show their baking credentials. James McAvoy, Anne-Marie, David Baddiel and Dame Kelly Holmes make signature decorative tarts, a savoury technical, and brought out their spirit animals in cake form in the showstopper! As ever, Bake Off legends Howard Middleton and Jane Beedle were on hand to give their expert opinion, as our new host Em...

Hurrah! The Tent has reopened once more as four celebrities found themselves behind the most famous of baking benches. Sci-Fi star Daisy Ridley joined comedian Rob Beckett, Bake Off Professionals host Tom Allen and X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke to put themselves through their baking paces. As ever, Bake Off legends Howard Middleton and Jane Beedle were on hand to give their expert opinion,...