GBBO: Anyone else think the technical bake is unfair?
pearlsandplums
Posts: 29,528 Forum Member
✭✭✭
Obviously i know the whole point is to challenge the contestants, but does anyone else think the technical bake is unfair?
Take last night, they had to zig zag chocolate onto the florentine. I have never seen a florentine, and if asked to zig zag chocolate on it, i would probaly have zig zagged lines over it with the chocolate, instead of with a fork. A couple of people did this and were "wrong".
Its unfair to be asked to make something you've never seen before, with vague instructions and no idea as to how it should look
Take last night, they had to zig zag chocolate onto the florentine. I have never seen a florentine, and if asked to zig zag chocolate on it, i would probaly have zig zagged lines over it with the chocolate, instead of with a fork. A couple of people did this and were "wrong".
Its unfair to be asked to make something you've never seen before, with vague instructions and no idea as to how it should look
0
Comments
Martha had marshmallows for decoration, Enwezor brought fondant icing for his biscuit rocket, so they must know what the subject is.
I doubt the judges mark everything everyone does and tot up the scores. It's all about the impression they make, so not knowing what a florentine biscuit should look like is unlikely to make or break their competition.
I agree.
They're also being tested on their intuition and baking "sense". Take this week - Enwezor cut out his florentines rather than leaving them to spread out. Now there were a fair few who had never baked florentines before, but they drew on their baking instincts to know not to cut them out. Similarly last week with the cherry cake - I imagine Martha probably hasn't made one before but she knew to dry the cherries before putting them in the batter, so they distribute evenly and don't sink. That's the point of giving the bakers a vague recipe, with no timings - they have to work things out for themselves and show they can apply their baking skills to a range of bakes, rather than just memorise certain recipes.
I think they're told in advance what the Signature Bake and Showstopper will be so they can practice it.
End.
Leonardo Da Vinci famously claimed the greatest test of an artist was not to paint a wonderful portrait or landscape, but to be able to draw a perfect circle. The technical bake is the GBBO equivalent of that.
This. ^^^
Also we get to see what P&M think without the baker standing next to them. I find that quite interesting just to see if a 'fave' gets an unfavourable review and vice versa. ;-)
Ruby did pretty well in quite a few of the technical challenges, highlighting the skill she had.
Its judged "blind" with the judges having no idea as to who has produced what so any prejudices don't come into play. Norman was the best of the blokes in the technical bake last week, but went because Paul just didn't like him!
Its intersting that Martha won the technical challenge 2 weeks running - and IMHO should have won star baker the first (bread?) week as she had 3 good bakes - but lost out to Richard... what does she have to do to win star baker???
It would be unfair if some were given more instructions/equipment than others, but as they aren't its quite obviously the fairest test in the show.
The other two bakes are more difficult to compare because of the variety produced according to what the contestant feels they are good at.
That may be true in some cases, particularly in the latter third of the programme when there are fewer bakers and the judges have a good grasp on their styles – but then take last week’s pears. I don’t think either of the judges would have guessed Richard’s pears were the worst in the technical considering his past performance in the show.
I think what is more telling is the contestant’s facial reactions to the comments Mary & Paul make. You can tell the contestants are trying not to give away that it’s their bake being judged, but it must difficult to keep a poker face.