Roll up, roll up, Hollywood Handshakes for all! Great British Bake Off 3rd Thread

[Myimaginarycathasfleas]

And we’re off

I knew as soon as they went in on Manon during the show stopper that Rahul was safe. They really overdid it.. clearly they think he is too good to lose, going on his past performance. It is unfair though.

Hello peeps, have had to watch on catch up so have been reading along with your comments. WTAF was that all about? Sandi must be seething - Danish week was a blimmin’ shambles. All of them in tears, no handshakes, dear oh dear.

Rahul did my nut in this week, How old is he? Five? You’re on the telly, man, seriously, get a grip.

May I just say, open sandwiches, though pretty, are a nightmare to eat. All the toppings fall off and you end up with a mayo moustache and bits down your top. Who wants to be fishing dill fronds out of their bra, even amongst friends? I note Hollywood and Leith had to resort to a knife and fork.

I must admit I liked the spherical Yorkshires, although it seemed like a lot of effort for essentially a bite of filled batter dipped in jam.

The pastry people were ridiculous, not appetising at all. I can’t understand why they ALL managed to burn them.

(Well, yes I can, I have this theory that while the contestants are off having a break, the production team go round sabotaging things, turning up the ovens, leaving the freezer doors open etc, like mean little kitchen goblins.)

Rahul was so lucky to stay, surely he can’t win? He’s done some good work but it would be a travesty after Danish Week.

I’ve always liked Ruby and she was exceptionally kind to the weepers this week, but I don’t see her as a winner. I think it’s Kim Joy’s to lose at this stage.

It’s been a funny old series this time. I feel my interest drifting...

I watched the rye bread and smorgasbord baking\making then I went to bed. and recorded the rest so you lot have surprised me! Though I do think Manon deserved to go because she totally did NOT bake a rye loaf (they were given time to practice at home so surely she'd ve found a proper recipe on line). She hasn't been perfect right through the contest.

I look forward to seeing the pastry people!

I was glad it was Manon even though Rahul annoys me.
Manon has had a few dodgy weeks and seemed to ignore the brief in the first round and was on dodgy ground in the last.
Kim joy and Rahul had nightmares but they didn't take any shortcuts.

Ruby was a surprise as star baker best of a bad bunch? Though she needs to stay as she's the only one who isn't weepy left.

Thoroughly depressing episode.

I'm surprised at the surprise on here - I thought Manon deserved to go. The fried sheets at the bottom of her pastry person looked terrible (although the chocs on top looked beautiful).

I do like Ruby these days.

Mel and Sue used to protect the bakers in the good ol' days so you never saw the negativity and upset in the same way. Some of the judging was quite brutal last night but we are near the end of the competition and Kim-Joy's decision to bake her show stopper before it had proved sufficiently was a strange one. She panicked instead of relying on her knowledge/expertise. It was very like when Terry put an enriched loaf in to cook when it had only proved for 15 minutes a couple of weeks ago. Even I know that those kinds of things take longer to prove than ordinary bread.

I’m watching on catch up but have seen the spoilers on thread.

Rahul gets right on my tits, been saying to DH for weeks that all his handwringing and deep sighing is just manipulative bollocks. It just gets worse every week. How he stayed in is anyone’s guess. He produced a slop sandwich for challenge 1, burnt balls for challenge 2 and then a burnt, messy disaster of a showstopper. WTF.

I’m not a Manon fan but she was robbed.

I love KimJoy. Her piping and decorative work is gorgeous. Bless her getting upset but taking the critique on the chin. She’s a good egg.

I know what previous posters mean about Manon making French bakes not Danish ones, that was probably what pushed the judges. I just can’t ignore the catalogue of fuck ups from Rahul. It was a choice between Manon making iffy off brief bakes or Rahul attempting the briefs with disastrous consequences in all 3 rounds.

Dweller, are you his mum?

I was about to post this VERY SAME THNG!

He reminds me of the really brainy kid at school who did all the "oh, I've failed, I just know I've blown it" shit after every test or exam. It wears thin, very quickly.

Yeah - the kid who always claimed they'd done NO REVISION for exams, and you knew they'd been cramming like buggery for weeks!

Who wants to be fishing dill fronds out of their bra, even amongst friends?

A good friend would fish them out for you

I think Manon has been lucky to last this long to be honest. And while Rahul has a nightmare week he did at least try to do Danish bakes! Manon just thought she could do whatever she wanted with the brief. So yes Rahul was crap and if Manon had done danish stuff she might’ve stayed. But I’m not sad to see the back of her!

Oh and Briony should have been star baker. But I’m liking ruby these days.

Oh god Ruby from a couple of years ago was such a simpererer (?!). I don’t know why Rahul doesn’t bug me in the same way but he’s nowhere near as irritating.

Oh and please let’s have happy KJ next week, it was like they were kicking a puppy

Thinking about it, a whole rye loaf should be allowed to rise very slowly, no one mentioned that it's also better to use a sourdough starter with a rye loaf. It's almost impossible to make a pure rye loaf in less than 24 hours, which someone did say, so either they needed much more time or it shouldn't have been attempted. Paul is a twit.

@AngeloMysterioso they make them wear the same outfits for editing purposes...I have a friend whose brother has edited episode of GBBO! 

Ruby would be far more tolerable if every piece to camera she did wasn't treated like an audition for her own TV show.

According to the RadioTimes, many viewers think that Manon was robbed.

I’m feeling more charitable towards Rahul since I read that he was badgered into applying by a work colleague. Poor sod’s browbeaten at every turn.

My kids tell me I should go on Bake off every time I make them anything more exciting than rock buns for their packed lunch. I just say yeah maybe next year. I don't apply and go through a gruelling audition process and give up all my weekends for weeks on end on the basis of some compliments by a work colleague. I don't know why people want to believe that a highly intelligent probably perfectionist nuclear physicist who travelled halfway across the world to fulfil his ambitions is a Brow beaten little lamb. I agree he's that pupil at school who goes on about how badly he did in exams so everyone tells them they were brilliant when they know full well they were brilliant.

Quite, Riversleep, quite.

Rahul is trolling GBBO

I do enjoy Ruby's style. It was hilarious when her family were all shrieking down the phone and she just commented "I told you I was the quiet one in the family."

@Biggreygoose, completely. At times it feels like "Great Ruby Bake Off". Hollywood is certainly championing the cause.

I made a cheesecake yesterday and my son gave me a handshake, he is really young so it made my day.

I do love the programme, but they were all crying last night, that's bad form. I think they are all getting tired and have worked so hard that the stress got to them.

Rahul has been great until now, but one bit of criticism, and he crumbled. (see what I did there)

That's cute @3luckystars. Incidentally, a pain au chocolat is a Danish pastry, also known as an example of Viennoiserie - they're all the same: it's the fact it's a yeast leavened dough that's the key.

Anyone else thought that Pru’s comment at the end that ‘Manon was a really good French baker but she is just not a very good Danish one’ with a smug smile was all a bit bitter, and a bit I have a chip on my shoulder? I bet she’d been practicing that line thinking it was very clever but it came out as so patronising. Hate the woman. Pru that is, not Manon.