There’s only a week to go until The Great British Bake Off is back on our screens.
It hardly seems a year since the drama of Bingate, flustered student Martha fretting about her doughs, builder Richard with his pencil behind his ear and traditional baker Nancy claimed victory with her spectacular Moulin Rouge windmill cake.
But we can’t wait to get settled on the sofa again and see what tricky recipes Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood have in store this year as Mel and Sue shout “Ready, steady, bake!”
Here are some of the ingredients that get a rise out of us on Bake Off.
Bonkers bakers
We’ve already met this year’s contestants, and they look a great mix. But we’re yet to find out who will stir up the most controversy in the kitchen.
Who will be the crazy one who makes sweet things savoury, uses obscure food items and strives for wacky presentation? Who will stick to their great grandmother’s traditional recipe that makes Paul and Mary raise their eyebrows and shake their heads? And which contestant will get all panicked by the timings and end up with flour in their hair and food colouring all down their apron every week, only to pull it out of the bag with a wowing showstopper?
We have our eye on hipster Stu, Lithuanian Ugne and Michelin star restaurant-loving Dorret already. And then there’s Marie from Paris. How will her French traditions go down with Paul and Mary? And could she even be a plant from the French patisserie industry to show up our British baking standards?!
The proof is in the punning
When the BBC launched the show on BBC Two back in 2010, did bosses ever worry that a show about baking might be a bit boring? If they did they made the right decision by hiring comedy duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins to spice things up.
We love Mel and Sue’s gags, even if their appalling puns leave us groaning, we still can’t help but laugh. Their innuendo has even rubbed off on Mary and Paul.
From “slap those baps down,” to, “irregular balls”, and the now accepted baking lingo, “soggy bottom”, who knew cakes and biscuits could get so saucy?
We can’t wait to see what they pull out of the bag this year.
Paul Hollywood’s Blue Steel
Paul, 49, clearly likes to think of himself as the baking woman’s crumpet. We have the Paul Hollywood 2015 Calendar to prove it.
When he fixes contestants with his big blue eyes and bats his eyelids at them, sometimes it’s not even clear if he’s flirting or trying to make them feel uncomfortable. Or both.
This year our money’s on Ugne to become Paul’s flirting target. But will she fall prey to his charms or, like last year’s winner Nancy, forget his name as she remains focused on her food?
Let Mary Berry eat cake
At 80 years old Mary Berry is looking fabulous. But it is no surprise that all her teeth may no longer be her own.
So we love watching her get stuck into the challenge of getting her gnashers around huge layered cakes and crusty pies without dislodging her palate.
What chewy meringues and crunchy biscuits will she have to chomp her way this year? Only time will tell.
Mel and Sue lick the bowl
As well as being funny, Mel and Sue are also just great fun. We love watching them turn into little kids in a chocolate shop every week, drooling over sweet treats and sticking their fingers in where they’re not wanted.
One day they’re going to accidentally munch a key component of a showstopper construction, and we can’t wait.
Soggy bottoms
As entertaining and appetising as it is watching people get inventive and spectacular creations coming out of the oven, failure is one of the key components of reality TV.
It’s great when a crazy idea pays off – but it’s even better when it all goes horribly wrong.
Collapsed cakes, burnt biscuits, sunken bread – we love it when contestants end up baking bad.
Inspirational recipes
Have you ever noticed how during Bake Off your colleagues start to get creative in the kitchen? Suddenly everyone is bringing flapjacks and cupcakes into the office, because they just happened to do some baking and had some left over.
It’s no coincidence. It’s all thanks to GBBO. And long may it continue.
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