Come and chat to Bake off's PAUL HOLLYWOOD, Friday 10 October, 10-11am

[RachelMumsnet]

On the week that TV's most hot-contested baking challenge reaches its climax, we're thrilled that Paul Hollywood is returning to Mumsnet Towers. Paul last joined us back in February 2013 when he gave us his tips on bread-making. This Friday between 10 and 11am he will be on hand to help out with all your baking conundrums and of course give us the inside story on this year's GBBO.

Paul's latest book Paul Hollywood's British Baking is published this week and everyone who joins the webchat will be entered into a draw to win a SIGNED copy. If you're unable to join Paul on Friday morning, post a question in advance on this thread.

@CaptainFatpants

Is that the 1198? If it's the sedicivalvole I'm well jel.

No it's an 1199! The panigale

Hi RabbitsarenotHares, I know this is probably not pc but I can recommend Christmas muffinswww.nigella.com/recipes/view/CHRISTMAS-MORNING-MUFFINS-5239

ABF, I reckon Sue would be Loki all the way.

I bet Paul wants to reply to every post but HQ are keeping tabs on who's already had a a reply

@DinoSnores

When do you decide the Technical Bakes? Was it a surprise to you and Mary (albeit not the production team) when Chetna baked a povitica? (Had to Google how to spell it!)

Yeah it was a surprised. We didn't know she'd picked it until she arrived.

We pre-pick the challenges and they're tested. Next year we might go back to the basics but there'll be a couple of tricky ones in there too. As proved in the final this year when we did go back to basics, it was quite a success! We had a lot of what we thought were simple challenges and they messed up!

No Joni, the best pies are from a butcher in Woking. Can't remember the name, soz.

Really keen to know how to tell my bread's actually baked through and not just lying to me...

@MinionDave

Do you think everyone has it in them to be a good baker? Or is it a case that some people are forever destined to make sunken fairy cakes

Everyone's got it in them to be a baker....... If they buy my books! Jokes aside, if they get a good recipe and follow it carefully, and get a good set of digital scales they'll be fine.

Couronne sounds like a delicious idea,thank you for answering my questions Paul !

Will have to think of something that could be slathered with brandy butter, perhaps ? Mmmmmmnnnn.

Oooh, I could seriously squeeze you !

Cheers !

@Everhopeful

What's the best way to check if a loaf of bread has baked all through?

I keep tapping it and take it out when it sounds hollow, as per what I was taught, but I can tell you for sure that this ain't foolproof by a yard! And I would very much like a copy of your book pretty please

As long as it's in the oven for no less than 25 minutes it WILL be baked. You've got to make sure about the proving before it goes in the oven, that's the trick. Make sure your dough is wet too.

@raindaisy

Ok spill the beans Mr Hollywood...who eats all the cakes? what happens to them at the end of each day?

We have 150 crew! At the end of each challenge it's devoured in seconds!

Very nice.

@JugglingFromHereToThere

For some reason I seem to have decided that baking is beyond me ATM (juggling too many other parenting/life type plates) though I have made the occasional cake in my time - victoria sponge at school, simnel cake once for Easter as a teenager

I like fruity healthy(ish) style cakes (that my lovely friends make and share with me) and we always have lots of apples from the garden (which sadly often get left for the birds, though dd(15) will sometimes make us a nice crumble)

So, do you have any nice recipes for an apple cake, or apple tart (I made a pretty one of those once, with cart-wheel pattern apple slices), or maybe a lovely tarte tatin (a good friend of ours makes delicious versions of this)?
Thinking something with cinnamon might be nice?

In fact I seem to be getting quite creative all by myself here, but any additional inspiration would be lovely and I can tell everyone that it's something Paul Hollywood personally recommended to me
Thank-you !

Normandy apple tart is a thing of beauty! And most of the recipes you can find online. It's worth a go.

Yay - thanks Paul! and a pint of Best

I do have trouble with proving - nowhere in my house is short of draughts, so I normally fetch up in the airing cupboard (well, the bread does)

Ohh she will be so chuffed you replied thanks! Ps she will listen to you rather than me and her dad ;)
She has been doing some volunteer work at a cake shop in the holidays and making her own cakes ( Jessica Ellie cakes and cup cakes is her face book page) for family and friends at home.
She also has done the odd day in a kitchen restaurant.
Have to say I was shocked that a full time college course was only 15 hours though, not really preparing them for the real world, but at least she can do some more work experience I guess.
Thanks again

@ClaraSky

Macaroons are my favourite, but I find them impossible to make (tried 3 times and failed) so I always buy them, which is ends up being expensive.

Any tips on how to get them right?

Also, why do you say 'macaRON' when Mary says 'macaROON'? Personally, I pronounce it the same way as Mary. Is it a like the scone 'scON' vs 'scOWN' debate?

Macaroons are different - macaron is French.

A note on SCON and SCONE. I call it a scon, Mary calls it a scon, the queen mother called it a scon – I'm sure the queen calls it a scon. End of conversation.

Back to macarons. The key thing is resting time. You've got to relax it and rest it for at least 2 hours, preferably in the fridge, then you'll end up with some great looking macaRONS.

Hello, hope you're okay, I just wanted to ask a quick question - How do you make the perfect buttercream icing for piping? I keep getting the wrong consistency. It's either too firm and doesn't stick to the cupcake or too runny it doesn't hold it's piped shape.. :S

Hello, Paul.

Who did you vote for in the last election, and do you regret it?

Hi Paul, it seemed like the contestants were under huge time pressure this year, more than any other series in the past, was that a conscious decision or were they just faffing too much?

I'm so disappointed we're without our weekly dose of bakeoff now!

@Spirael

Hi male judge! We eat a lot of Italian food in this house and make our own pasta, pesto and mozzarella. I was wondering if you could give a recommendation for a (garlic?) bread accompaniments I could learn to make to go with the meal?

Keep it Italian. Make a basic pizza dough and then once you've made it, treat it like a pizza in the oven. 5 minutes before the and of the bake, drizzle it with olive oil, bring it out and drizzle it again.

In How to Bake, there's a fantastic recipe using caramelised garlic.

@Starlingsintheslipstream

Our house was hooked on GBBO for the first time this year. The kids loved it.

We wondered how you manage to keep the winner a secret? Especially as all the families are present at the end. I'm amazed no-one blabs - don't think my kids could keep that one quiet!

I just keep my mouth shut and the others are all signed to secrecy until the final is aired.

Do you use a food mixer at all? And if so which one?

@djblanks

Hi Paul! Love the show!

I love baking anything and everything but my issue is there's always too much made and it usually goes bad before we finish eating it (or the coworkers say it's too much, ha). Is any baking worth freezing?

All baking is worth freezing! Just when it's gone cool, wrap it in clingfilm and pop it in the freezer. If you're making a cake, before it's decorated just pop it in the freezer. From a baking point of view, always freeze before decoration.

@Chimpola

Hello Paul, just wondering, did you used to eat the crust on your bread when you were a child?

Loved the show, not sure what I'm going to do on a Wednesday now

I did and I've still got straight hair!