Rolling In The Dough -Week Three Of The At Home British Bakeoff

It's Bread Week in our at home version of The Great British Baking Show. If you don't know what I'm talking about read this post-Bamboozled By A Battenberg followed by this post-Waltzing In To Bakeoff Week 2 to catch up. 

This week's technical challenge had contestants baking a 7-strand plaited bread wreath in two hours, thirty minutes. They weren't given a recipe, just a list of ingredients. Paul demonstrated the plaiting technique before they got started and daughter2 and I agreed we'd probably watch that bit at least ten times before we tried it on our own. 

Okay, first of all we're not on the clock-ha! 

Secondly, we used a recipe. Our house, our rules. 

Neither of us are bread bakers on a regular basis and we were excited to try this. Plus fresh bread? Yes please. 

Not exactly like braiding hair, but it's the same general idea. Rolling out the 'octopus' was the hardest part of the process. I didn't feel like my strands rolled as easily as the contestant's did, but I got there 

Look at me all official with my proving bag.

my finished wreath

I have to say this turned out surprisingly well. I credit years of raising daughters who regularly wanted their hair braided. 

My daughter’s wreath 

I told my daughter she was star baker this week. 

Now,  did  I make a kitchen mess? You betcha. In fact hubs may have stated he hopes we don't do this again next year lol. Except I think he was serious? Whatever. He's not turning down freshly baked bread, and it's been fun baking with my daughter, comparing notes, trying something new, and realizing I could never be an actual contestant on the show-ha.  

I'm sure Paul Hollywood would say mine was 'slightly underbaked' but I tapped it like an honest to goodness contestant and it sounded hollow, which apparently is the sound you need. The texture was really good. 

Next up-caramel week. We're going to hold off on the actual bake for another week because we both have some travel scheduled and we don't need the extra pressure. Plus! we anticipate being in the same kitchen next weekend so our plan is to do the caramel bake together. Double the fun...

No doubt double the mess too. Enjoy your weekend everyone!