Bake Off bread week

Bake Off bread week feels as if it marks the point in the series when the basics have been covered. We started with cake, followed with biscuits and now bread means that the things we’re all most likely to bake at home have been ticked off.

Desserts and pies are the only bakes you can say with certainty are going to crop up at some point between now and the final. Other than that we’ll be in the hands of the judges and whatever challenges they choose to set the bakers. After Japan week last season, we could be going far and wide.

When I first started to bake, bread always felt the most daunting of undertakings. It looked easy on paper, a basic loaf has probably the fewest ingredients of any bake. But the kneading, proving and amount of time which had to be committed to it raised serious concerns.

Since then I’ve learned that despite all this there is nothing more rewarding than a kitchen full of the scent of baking bread and the moment of success when a well risen crusty loaf comes out of the oven. I won’t claim it works every time. But believe me, it is worth the effort.

For this weeks show the bakers first challenge was to produce focaccia of their choice. This soft, flat Italian bread is often served plain, just with a covering of drizzled olive oil and salt. In this case, the judges were looking for toppings and this greek inspired focaccia is an example of what they came up with. My only experience of focaccia baking was one topped with grapes and herbs. It was a success but I’d forgotten how this bread needs to be eaten on the day it’s made. My bread was far too large for the two of us to manage and quite a lot was wasted.

This week’s technical challenge was a batch of breadsticks. To me, breadsticks bring back memories of those brittle, cellophane wrapped, tasteless items you often found on restaurant tables when you first sat down. Invariably eaten before any drinks or other food arrived, they weren’t very nice.

Thankfully what this recipe produces couldn’t be further from that memory. These are mini ciabatta, dotted with olives, cheese, and should you choose to add them, diced onions. 

I left the onions out of my bake as it felt like one flavour too many. The contrast between olives and cheese seems sufficient to my palate.

If you’re tempted to have a go at making some yourself, I have a few words of advice

• The full recipe will give you an absolute mountain of breadsticks. I halved everything and we still have eighteen. Unless you’re feeding an army I’d do the same.
• Don’t be tempted to make the individual breadsticks as long as they say in the recipe. Their suggested 30cm is far too long and it’s no wonder many of the bakers had trouble with them. I’d say no more than 20cm maximum.

Three shows in and I’ve made all of the technical challenges, can it last.