We get a Dan Levy shoutout in the intro. Man, I do miss Dan as host but Ann and Alan are doing a great job.

It is “Bread Week” and I used to say that bread was my baking Everest. But since the pandemic and we’ve been staying home, I’ve been making more and more bread that I am no longer intimidated by it. 

How about our bakers? Will someone other than Steve, Aimee and Vincent rise (pun intended) to the challenge? Let’s find out.

Signature Bake

The Bake: Babka – Sweet or Savoury but braided

The Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

What I would bake: Cookie Butter babka – this would be Claire Saffitz’s recipe. It is in her “Dessert Person” book. Topped with a speculous cookies and maple coffee glaze. 

What the contestants baked and judges thoughts:

Interesting that the illustration accompanying the bakes had no names of the bakes for each of the bakers. I wonder why that is?

Initially, I thought I wouldn’t like anyone’s babka until we got to Aimee’s savoury babka as I love sun-dried tomatoes. 

• Stephen: Chocolate hazelnut babka made with caramelized bananas and condensed milk glaze. Kyla said that it looked delicious and Bruno said it was tasty and nailed the challeng.
• Aimee: A savoury babka made with pesto and sun-dried tomato. Kyla loved the pesto flavour. 
• Dougal: Knotted babka made with raspberry jam, pistachios and white chocolate. Kyla and Bruno noted it was under-proofed and baked.
• Alina: Chocolate and walnut babka with an orange syrup. Kyla said that Alina was seconds from being baked. Bruno liked the orange flavour.
• Amanda: Christmas Eve Babka filled with sugared cranberries, pineapple, cherries and a white chocolate glaze. Kyla is not tasting the pineapple on its own but says it is part of the cranberry experience. Bruno called the cranberries tart with a creaminess to it.
• Steve: Christmas tree babka made with dark chocolate, cherries and pistachios. Kyla noted it looked under-proofed. Bruno said it was tasty but wished it was more pillowy.
• Vincent: Star shaped babka filled with chocolate, candied orange peel, and orange blossom. Bruno calls the flavours classic.

Technical Bake Another week has gone by and I still haven’t gotten to making any of the technical bakes this season. Last week’s technical of the spider-web cake was a non-starter for me to make because of peanuts being it and I keep a peanut-free kitchen. 

Also, to be frank, I’ve been baking so much these past few weeks that I just need a break for a bit. I actually might not bake again until December when I start my holiday baking. 

But this challenge makes me want to make it as I have eaten these a lot in my lifetime. I have never made these but want to try. As a kid, we called it Po Po Bao Bao. If I do make them, I won’t make the butter. 

The Bake: 12 Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao) and its own butter

The Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

How I would have fared: I actually think that I might do well on this. I’ve made a Tangzhong before for other bread bakes. The only problem would be the butter as I have never made butter. 

How the bakers did:

1. Alina
2. Vincent
3. Stephen
4. Dougal
5. Aimee
6. Amanda
7. Steve

Showstopper

The Bake: Elaborate Bread Basket with two kinds of bread and served in a edible bread basket.

The Time: 4 hours and 30 minutes.

What I would bake: Keeping with the Hong Kong baking theme, I would make wiener buns made from brioche and BBQ pork buns (to look like pigs). My bread container would be a sun-dried tomato, garlic and rosemary focaccia gift box. 

What the contestants baked and judges thoughts:

Everyone of these sound amazing and delicious. 

• Stephen: Rosemary garlic bread basket filled with pizza knots and gruyere and caramelized onion rolls. Bruno said the pizza knots could have used more baking but the gruyere and caramelized onion was baked perfectly.
• Aimee: A Vietnamese baguette over with scallion and coconut milk buns inside. Kyla is speechless and Bruno noted the lightness of the coconut bun.
• Dougal: Oatmeal molasses bread tray filled with poppy seed bagels and pecan caramel sticky buns. Bruno said the poppy seed bagel was very tight and hard to break apart.
• Alina: Garlic pull-apart bread filled with cream cheese filled brioche buns and brioche buns. Kyla finds the design distracting. Bruno liked the tast of the garlic bread but her brioche is lacking the richness.
• Amanda: A rosemary challah bread boat that will be filled with potato flatbread and stuffed lobster claws. Bruno called the potato flatbread tasty and Kyla liked the filling of the lobster claws.
• Steve: Grissini breadsticks in a boat shape filled with pumpernickel onion buns and rosemary-parmesan buns. Kyla noted some parts looked burnt but she liked the parmesan buns.
• Vincent: A woven bread basket filled with cinnamon rolls and orange zest dinner rolls. Kyla called the presentation cute. Bruno liked floral of the orange rolls. Kyla liked the cinnamon taste of the cinnamon rolls. 

Up for Star Baker: Vincent, Aimee, Amanda

In danger of going home: Dougal, Alina

Star Baker: Aimee

Going Home: Alina

Quick Thoughts:  Wasn’t surprised that Alina went home. Alina has struggled week after week. Also, not surprised that Aimee got Star Baker again. I am pretty confident in saying that the final three will be: Aimee, Steve and Vincent. My predictions on who will be going home next week is Dougal as he too has been struggling every week and hasn’t really shone in any challenge.