The Great British Baking Show Season 14 Episode 3 Recap: Bread Week

We have reached the epitome of anxiety when it comes to The Great British Baking Show. That’s right, it’s bread week. 

On The Great British Baking Show Season 14 Episode 3, “Bread Week,” the remaining contestants have to prove their worth. (Pun 100% intended.)

Christy: I’ve never been so stressed making bread. 

It’s not an exaggeration to say that this week is Paul’s week. “The Bread King” is ready to scrutinize all of their loaves and look for anything that is underproved or overbaked. 

It’s also not a stretch to say that this episode feels like one of the least stressful so far. While there is still intricate construction happening, there’s also a lot of waiting as the bakers wait for their bread to prove and then bake.

Signature Challenge: Cottage Loaf

For the first challenge, the bakers have to make a cottage loaf. Or, a loaf that has a smaller loaf on top of a bigger bread loaf. The flavors and style are completely up to the bakers.

They have two hours and forty-five minutes to complete the challenge. 

Although the challenge seems simple, Prue and Paul explain that this signature challenge does test all the skills that are really needed in bread making, including spending time mixing and developing the gluten. 

Prue: We want perfection. To impress us, they just have to bake good bread. 

The bakers get started on their loaves with flavors ranging from family favorites with special ingredients to four different takes on rosemary and garlic breads. 

A few bakers decide to use the mixer to knead their dough. In one case, this method goes awry, when Dana’s mixing bowl breaks and she has to remake her dough early on. 

Meanwhile, others, like Abbi are counting their hand kneads to make sure they’re exact.  

As all the bakers finish their dough, there’s a moment of levity as they wait for the dough to prove. Several lament that they should have brought a book to read and Tasha and Nicky start a game of tic-tac-toe with some flour.

On the more risky end of time-killing activities, Saku throws an orange at Alison after they determine they both love playing cricket.  

When their loaves finally get to the oven many opt to sit right in front of the oven to watch and pray that their cottage loaf turns out okay.

When the challenge ends, it’s time for Paul and Prue to taste their signatures. 

Some standouts include Josh’s pizza loaf, which has some considerable heat that Paul really likes. Tasha’s rosemary and garlic malted loaf also becomes a surprise favorite. 

Prue: I would be so proud fo that if I’d done it…I wish I’d made it.

A couple who had problems with their loaves include Nicky, who oversalted her paste. Abbi’s loaf failed to hold its shape and got the nickname “flat Janice” and her flavors were out of balance. Dan also had some problems distributing his flavors throughout his loaf. 

Technical Challenge: Devonshire Splits

For the bread week technical challenge, Paul Hollywood has asked the bakers to make eight Devonshire splits. A challenge Paul says,  “is all about the timing.” 

For this challenge, the judges are looking for eight identical buns made of enriched dough that are split and then filled with homemade strawberry jam and freshly whipped cream.

While chatting with Prue about the bake, Paul stresses that this is all about the timing with two proves of about 45 minutes each required. 

The bake moves through with the same baking anxiety as the signature challenge and some bakers begin to struggle with bits of the instruction. For example, Rowan finds that he can’t do the math to divide his dough evenly, and Dan realizes he forgot to put the caster sugar into his dough leaving him with small buns. 

When the challenge is complete and the buns are filled and decorated, it’s time for Prue and Paul to come judge them.

Paul immediately spots many of the splits that are underproved and many are just too small. It’s hard to tell which baker might pull ahead after the feedback.

Paul: The bun itself is excellent. You got a nice tension there. The flavor, in the mouth, is good, so it was well-proved. You did really well. 

When Paul and Prue rank the Devonshire splits, Dan comes in last. Prue says his rolls are “a bit small, underproved, a bit tough, good jam.” Rowan comes in 9th, with his buns looking perfect, until they’re turned over.

Abbi comes in eighth, Matty seventh, Christy sixth, Nicky fifth, Josh fourth, and Dana third. Tasha comes in second, and the judges note the absence of icing sugar on her rolls, which leaves Saku with first place. 

Showstopper Challenge: Plaited Centerpiece Loaf

For the final challenge, the bakers have four hours to bake a plaited centerpiece. The bakers all have to work on creating intricate plaits out of two different types of dough, but they’re allowed to show off their finesse with a variety of flavors and applications. 

Going into the showstopper, Abbi is in danger of elimination. She knows it, and she’s pulling out all the stops with an ode to her favorite tree. She foraged many of her ingredients including doc seeds for her dough and wild garlic.

Rowan is also working on a tree that intends to have a standing tree with bacon, parmesan, and marzipan flavors. 

Nicky is following up her beaver from “Cake Week” with a highland cow composed of corn meal and whole meal. Meanwhile, Saku is doing a peacock and hoping that the time she’s spent braiding her daughter’s hair will give her an advantage. 

Other contestants have decided to make bread modeled after their favorite foods. Dan is modeling the word “pizza” in a five-piece showstopper that will feature some favorite pizza toppings.

Meanwhile, Dana is working on a picnic basket with green chutney dough and wholemeal bagels. 

Christy, on the other hand, is keeping with her theme of honoring her ancestors. For this challenge, she’s elected to make an eight-strand challah bread with a traditional almond babka to represent her Jewish grandfather. 

On the other hand, Tasha is going with an ode to Greek myth, with the likeness of Medusa. 

Elsewhere, in the tent Matty and Josh are working on odes to their two favorite sports teams. Matty is saluting “The Hammers” and Josh is working on the tiger mascot, complete with a plushie helper. 

While the bakers have four hours to complete the challenge, some start to struggle.

Dan’s ambitious five-piece showstopper is already causing him to run behind, meanwhile, Rowan is having trouble with the trunk of his tree. During this time, Alison remarks that the air is tense and Christy has an idea why.

Christy: It’s because of Paul. He’s the bread king. 

As the bakers enter crunch time, Dan realizes he is out of dough and can’t make two of the final letters for his ambitious bake. 

Showstopper Judging

First up in the judging is Josh. His tiger mascot plaited dough is praised for his choice of dough and presentation and the way he’s been able to achieve the same texture in two doughs. 

Josh’s tiger is followed by Nicky’s Highland cow which looks lovely. However, when the judges taste it, Paul can’t find a pecan or date and Prue says that the loaf “is lovely if you get a pecan.” Her second bread has a similar problem of having no bacon. This is reminiscent of her signature on “Biscuit Week” which had no jam. 

Matty’s “The Hammers” shield gets a laugh from Paul. When they try the bread they find that one is dry, however, the second has a very good texture.

Next is Saku’s peacock. The large display is striking, but Paul immediately spots an underproved loaf. When Paul and Prue taste her loaf they find that the bread if bone dry and somewhat disappointing to eat.

Rowan’s tree is next, and white it stands impressively his wholemeal curry dough is bone dry and his second dough doesn’t fair much better. His marzipan trunk turns out fine, but not enough to compensate for his overflavoring. 

Rowan’s over-flavored tree is followed by Dana’s picnic basket. Prue praises her plaiting, and her flavors, but Paul says she should be mindful and take her bread off the bowl to cool or it will go soggy. 

Christy’s double bread presentation doesn’t impress because she couldn’t get her babka to sit inside her challah. However, the judges liked the flavor of both breads. 

Next up is Abbi’s favorite tree. Paul calls her design rudimentary and says that while he likes her flavors there are points where she could stand to make them stronger. 

Dan’s “pizza” is up next, and Paul immediately spots an underbaked loaf. Dan admits to running out of time, but when the judges taste the loaf they find both to be a bit too doughy, even though they have the makings of a good loaf. 

Last in the judging is Tasha’s “Medusa.” The technical skill behind the presentation is praised by Paul and Prue, but Paul notes that some of the snakes are a little bit too dark. Both her breads earn high praise from Prue and Paul.

Paul: Stunning…Never seen anything like that before. The flavors are good. The textures are good. You understand bread, and I like that. 

Elimination

With the judging and the rest of bread week out of the way, it’s time for the judges to decide who will go home. The judges deliberate, and the main contenders this week are Rowan, Dan, and Abbi. 

Prue goes to bat for Abbi, saying that she loves her foraging, but Paul says that while her flavors are unique it comes down to texture. On the other hand, Josh and Tasha are head-to-head for Star Baker. 

After some deliberation, Alison announces that Tasha is Star Baker for the second week in a row. 

Neil gets the job of announcing the baker who’s leaving this week, and it’s Abbi. She will be missed, but it’s also puzzling when you consider that Dan delivered an incomplete and underbaked loaf to the judges. 

What were your thoughts on this week’s episode of The Great British Baking Show? 

The Great British Baking Show airs new episodes Fridays on Netflix. 

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