Great British Bake Off - Week 3 - Bread

Bake Off was back with bread week, an old favourite which by now a lot of us should be experts with. Our jars of sourdough starters staring at us begging to be used again. Instead of the lockdown favourite pastime they started with soda bread but not just one but two loaves. Then onto rainbow bagels and onto the showstopper which was a festival bread plaque. 

Signature

Soda bread is a brilliant versatile snack especially if you make a savoury and sweet option whether for with a cup of tea or soup, this is a brilliant addition to any spread. 

For those looking for a basic recipe then we suggest the Paul Hollywood recipe on BBC Food which takes roughly an hour for a quick treat which is perfect topped with butter. If you want to push the boundaries a little more then we suggest this beautiful mixture of prosciutto, manchego and balsamic onions and reserve a little of each for a delicious topping - full recipe can be found here. 

Soda bread doesn’t have to be savoury though and with this year’s contestant Mark’s stout and chocolate recipe with chilli butter for a hit of heat. If you fancy something more sweet then we love the sixth season winner, Nadiya’s recipe which features caramel and chocolate - a classic combination. 

Technical

If you are looking to make dazzling rainbow bagels then look no further than Paul Hollywood’s own recipe. This will take a lot of effort and skill but worth it for these bright, bold and challenging bread. 

It seemed to be the downfall for many of the contestants but with a full recipe we all hopefully have a better chance. 

Showstopper

Although I won’t be making a harvest festival bread plaque in a rush however I think I can see myself making a focaccia and on the plus side it is super simple thanks to this recipe from BBC Good Food. Even better, it only takes 45 minutes of active time to make this classic Italian bread. 

Do you think you’ll be making any of these recipes soon?