The Bake Down - Bake Off Reviewed

It's everyone's favourite time of year: Bake Off's back! So grab your favourite blanket and your Pumpkin Spice Latte and settle in for a new series of The Bake Down Podcast, hosted by Sarah Taylor, and joined by Howard Middleton and Jane Beedle, as well as some very exciting special guests. Let's welcome the class of 2024. The big news once again from Bake With A Legend is that not only are we sti...

Twelve started, three remain. Andrew, Jane and Candice have fought their way to the Bake Off final where they must face three final challenges to be in with a hope of being crowned 2016's winner. In a final inspired by Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday, our finalists must complete a meringue crown signature, a Victoria sandwich technical and a Royal picnic showstopper. With over 150 items to bake...

It's the semi-final and that means Patisserie week! The four remaining bakers must face three French-inspired delicacies to secure themselves a place in the elusive Bake Off Final. This week they must take on flaky pastry palmiers in the signature, a booze-soaked savarin in the technical and a batch of delicate fondant fancies in the showstopper. Who will pass the penultimate test and who will fal...

It's the quarterfinals and this week in the tent sees the very first Tudor week. The merry band of bakers must face the royal judgement of Sir Paul and Lady Mary as they take on a savoury pie signature, a jumbled biscuit technical and a mad marzipan showstopper. Who will be crowned the next Star Baker and who will be banished from court? Join Sarah, Jane and Howard as they discuss Tudor week and A...

It's desserts week in the tent and the remaining bakers are facing another hot day and another three challenges to help propel them into the quarter-finals. Paul and Mary have to judge a family-size roulade signature, a nutty meringue Marjolaine technical and a mini mousse cakes showstopper. Who's sponge will rise and who's mousse will fall flat? Join Sarah, Jane, Howard and special guest Andrew S...

It's a first in the tent this week as the seven remaining bakers face three botanically themed challenges under the watchful eyes of the judges and the burning heat of the sun! The contestants must face a citrus meringue pie signature, a herby fougasse bread technical and a tiered floral cake showstopper in their bid to become the next Star Baker. Join Sarah, Howard and Jane as they leaf through t...

The remaining eight bakers tackle a troublesome challenge: pastry week. The heat is on and the butter must stay chilled as our intrepid contestants face a Danish pastry signature, a classic Derbyshire technical and a fiddly filo showstopper. Who hasn't laminated their layers? Who's dough has lost its rise? And who's got a soggy bottom? Join Sarah, Howard, Jane and special guest Val Stones as they...

It's Bake Off's very first batter week and the remaining contestants are whisking up a storm in their attempts to be crowned the next star baker of the 2016 series. This week the bakers face a flavoursome Yorkshire Pudding signature, a delicate piped pancake technical and a devilishly hot churros showstopper. Join Jane, Howard and Host Sarah as they look back on batter week and discover how laid b...

Bread week is upon us and with Paul Hollywood's steely blue eyes judging all of our bakers' doughy creations, everyone kneads to up their game to impress. The remaining ten bakers take on a chocolate loaf signature, a German Dampfnudel technical and a plaited multi-flour centrepiece showstopper. Join Sarah, Howard, Jane and special guest podcaster Tom Gilliford (GBBO series 7) as they discuss the...

It's time for biscuit week where our 11 remaining hopefuls have to tackle a whole biscuit barrel of tea-time treats: an iced biscuit signature, a Viennese whirls technical and a 3D gingerbread scene showstopper. Join Sarah, Howard and Jane as they take a look back over biscuit week and question if you can ever be too ambitious with your biccies. Who will be the next baker to crumble? This year we'...

It's cake week, and Howard Middleton, Jane Beedle and host Sarah Taylor are looking back to the first episode of Series 7. A new batch of bakers are ready and rearing to go with a citrus drizzle signature, a juicy Jaffa cake technical and a smooth mirror glaze showstopper. Who will win the first coveted Star Baker award and whose cake has fallen flat? This year we're also bringing back our Bake-Al...

The Bake Down returns for another series, going back over past Bake Off seasons, and this time, it's the turn of finalist Jane Beedle. Join Jane and Bake with a Legend host Sarah as they look back over Series 7, remembering the highs and lows, the burnt bakes and the flat cakes, the handshakes and the star bakers. This year we're also bringing back our Bake-Along classes where you can bake some de...

As we prepare to welcome in the New Year, four returning bakers are back to whip up some delightful dishes to take us in to 2024. Mark, Maxy, Maggie & Jurgen are back in the tent and taking on three new challenges: a religieuse signature, a galette des rois technical and a smash-cake showstopper. Paul and Prue are ready with their tasting forks and Noel and Alison are on hand to deliver the Ne...

It's Christmas time, and this year we have 6 ghosts of bakers past 'haunting' the tent. Sophie, Carole, Amelia, George, Linda and our very own Dan all return to face three challenges set by Paul 'Scrooge' Hollywood and Prue 'Festive Cheer' Leith. A mince pie signature, snowflake puff pastry technical and a redemption cake showstopper are all that stand between one returning baker and the Festive B...

Thanks to our amazing listeners who have sent in so many fabulous questions that we had to do another episode just to answer them all! Join Sarah and she puts your questions to Dan, Jane and Howard in a bonus episode to round off season 14 of the Great British Bake Off. We have many virtual classes on sale now for you to enjoy and learn from the comfort of your own home, including plenty of Festiv...

We've made it to the final and with only three bakes left, it's nearly time to crown one baker the final winner of Bake Off 2023. Dan, Josh & Matty have to present a classic éclair signature, an old school lardy cake technical and a jaw-dropping origin cake showstopper. Who will pull out all the stops to stand out from the rest and be declared the winner of Bake Off's season 14? Join Sarah, Da...

With one more week to go before the final, the tent is hotting up and it's Patisserie that's on the cards this week for the final 4 bakers. Paul and Prue are looking for perfection in the financier signature, tarte aux pommes technical and Millefoglie showstopper. Who will fall at the final hurdle and who will be series 14's final star baker before next week's nail-biting finale of Bake Off 2023....

Dig out your platform heels, top up your body glitter and do the Locomotion...cos it's party week! The remaining 5 bakers face a Conga line-up of three challenges that stand between them and a place in the semi-finals. Josh, Dan, Matty, Christy and Tasha are tasked with whipping up the perfect sausage roll, a cheeky caterpillar cake and a beige-is-banned buffet. So join Sarah, Howard, Dan and Jane...

With only six bakers still in the running, desserts are on the menu this week. With a wobbly creme caramel signature, a steamy treacle pudding technical and an explosive meringue bombe showstopper, all the bakers are in danger of being the seventh baker to leave the tent, but only one can grab the elusive star baker title. So join Sarah, Dan, Jane and Howard as they talk desserts and reveal how lo...

Over halfway through and only seven bakers remain to take on the second ever Botanicals week. Drawing flavour inspiration from the natural world, the magnificent seven whip up spiced buns in the signature, lemon & thyme drizzle cakes in the technical and floral entremets desserts in the showstopper. Whose flowers will flourish and whose spices will leave a bad taste in the mouth? Join Sarah, J...

It's pastry week and the remaining nine hopeful bakers tackle a trio of tricky tasks involving three different kinds of pastry: hot water pastry picnic pies, rough puff dauphinoise pithiviers and sweet shortcrust decorative fruit pies. Who will create picture perfect pastry and which two bakers will be in hot water in a double elimination? Join Sarah, Howard, Jane and Dan as they pick apart pastry...

The hottest day in the tent can only mean one thing: it's chocolate week. The remaining nine bakers faced three challenges choc-a-block with everyone's favourite treat, including a European torte signature, a white chocolate cheesecake technical, and not forgetting the chocolate box cake showstopper spectacular. Who kept their temper and who was melting under the pressure? Join Sarah, Howard, Dan...

The dreaded bread week is upon us, and as Paul prowls the tent, the bakers are faced with another three challenges to test their skills in week three: a cottage loaf signature, Devonshire Split technical and plaited centrepiece showstopper. Will there be any more handshakes awarded, or is everyone in deep dough? Join Sarah, Howard, Dan and Jane as they discuss Paul Hollywood's favourite week, and...

Biscuit week is upon us, and all the bakers are hoping not to snap under the pressure. The eleven remaining bakers are tasked with whipping up a marshmallow biscuit signature, a classic custard cream technical and a beautiful biscuit illusion showstopper. Who will be the next lucky contestant to win the second Star Baker title, and who's cookie has well and truly crumbled? Join Sarah, Dan, Howard...

And so it begins...cake week starts off another year in the Bake Off tent as 12 new hopefuls don their aprons and whip up three new challenges for Paul, Prue, Noel and new host Alison. We had split buttercream, lopsided cake and runny ganache, as all the bakers tried to hold their nerve in Bake Off's 14th series. Join Dan, Jane, Howard and Sarah as they discuss the Vertical Roll cake signature, Ch...