I have a lot of dreams about Great British Baking Show. Admittedly, some of them take the form of nightmares about Paul Hollywood pinching a piece of my freshly made sourdough boule between his thumb and forefinger while hissing "underbaked." Or of my carefully rolled out laminations melting together in the hot, hot tent, before they can hit the oven and puff. Or of—oh god—my dough overproofing. (Please love me still, Paul. Please.)
But, the vast majority are pleasant ones, like where I'm sampling layers of a chessboard-shaped cake, tearing off a single "flower petal" on an intricately braided wreath bread, or biting the beak off of a meringue flamingo.
And with GBBS' “Collection 6” premiering on Netflix in the U.S. on Nov. 9 (shh, no spoilers in the comments please, U.K.!), I can only imagine what new dream-fodder's to come. In the meantime, here's a look back at 10 of the most insanely elaborate and impressive bakes from earlier seasons:
Martha's Chess-Themed Chocolate & Salted Caramel Dobos Torte, Series 5
I get anxiety just looking at those rooks.Photo by BBC
Paul's "King of the Jungle" Lion Bread Sculpture, Series 6
The king of the (bread sculpture) jungle.Photo by PBS
Beca's Spiced Butternut Squash & Pecan "Cheese" Cake, Series 4
Much less menacing than the mouse I suspect lives underneath my dishwasher. (I hear you squeaking back there!)Photo by BBC
Frances' Rainbow Picnic Pie, Series 4
Because two picnic cases are better than one.Photo by BBC
Steven's BLT Cake, Series 8
My two favorite things, sandwiches and cakes.Photo by Daily Mail
Nancy's Summer Pudding Alaska, Series 5
Meanwhile, here I am, piping a single sloppy rose out of a giant Ziploc.Photo by BBC
Chetna's Almond Liquer Dobos Torte with Chocolate Caramel Buttercream, Series 5
So. Much. Sugar-work.Photo by BBC
Luis' Dragon Biscuit Sculpture, Series 5
Not to brag on Luis' behalf, but all those pieces FIT TOGETHER LIKE A PUZZLE.Photo by BBC
Nadiya's Bubble Gum and Peppermint Religieuse à l’Ancienne, Series 6
A casual three layers of free standing choux pastries, in the shape of a nun.Photo by BBC
Yan's Bowl of Noodles Cake, Series 8
I'll take two.Photo by Daily Mail
And no matter what snack you prepare for the premiere, just remember: You're never too posh to dunk.
Ella Quittner is a contributing writer and the Absolute Best Tests columnist at Food52. She covers food, travel, wellness, lifestyle, home, novelty snacks, and internet-famous sandwiches. You can follow her on Instagram @equittner, or Twitter at @ellaquittner. She also develops recipes for Food52, and has a soft spot for all pasta, anything spicy, and salty chocolate things.
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