The wonderful Great British Bake Off is back on our screens and we're loving it. Series 15 kicked off on the 24th of September and it's been full of iconic moments and delicious bakes.
To share our love of Bake Off, we're going to be adding the top moments from each episode, as well as some products so you can recreate their tasty creations at home.
Get ready, set, BAKE!
The Great British Bake Off – Series 15's best moments
The Great British Bake Off episode nine: Patisserie Week
The semi-finals saw Dylan, Gil, Georgie and Christiaan battle out to make it to the finals. Their first challenge is one of the hardest signatures ever set in the tent – creating two laminated breakfast pastries.
Since it was a challenge fit for professional French patisserie chefs, the bakers were given an extra hour to make their dough and allow it to rest overnight. However, not all the bakers read that an additional hour had been given... Dylan, you are both talented and stressful to watch!
It's the semi-finals! No jokes, no laughs, powerful baking.
Noel Fielding
We loved watching Paul and Dylan stare each other out over proving times. The intensity was real. It turns out Paul was right as always. Dylan's croissants needed more proving and baking.
Gil was back with her northern portions, which caused her pastries to split a little. Both Gil and Georgie struggled with lamination, while Christiaan did well with his timings and flavours. His punchy flavours finally paid off!
Patisserie Paul set the technical challenge which was to create a layered opera cake. A notoriously difficult cake to make.
We really felt for Georgie because we have no idea how to make a jocund either!! We wanted to give her a huge hug but thankfully Alison was there for a pep talk. After a lot of stress, Dylan took the top technical spot with Gil following closely behind.
For the showstopper challenge the bakers had to make 12 fruit-shaped entremets. They needed to look good, taste good and be displayed elegantly. It was all kicking off in the tent with dropped items, freezing problems and a whole lot of semi-final swearing.
We loved all the fruit entremets. Gil's strawberry basket was adorable and Dylan's avocados and oranges looked hyper-realistic.
Christiaan wowed the judges with his orchard entremets. We wanted to take a big bite of those gorgeous green apples! Georgie's berries were the cutest looking entremets we've ever seen, they looked so bouncy.
Christiaan won the title of star baker for the first time and what a week to win it. Sadly the brilliantly talented Gil was sent home this week. What a star she is, we will miss her bubbly northern energy and homely flavours.
Just one week left until we discover the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2024!
Bake Off Essentials for Patisserie Week
Musical note moulds
Make your opera cakes with this fun chocolate mould!
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Watson & Webb cake decorating air brusher
Create life-like entremets with this high-tech air brusher.
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The Great British Bake Off episode eight: 70's Week
Things got groovy in the Bake Off tent this week as we rewound to the 70s. As Alison said: Who will revel in the past and whose future is hanging in the balance?
First up the bakers were challenged with reviving 70s flavours through a towering profiterole stack. We got very excited by the prospect of Christiaan’s Black Forest flavours, Dylan’s Sci-Fi structure and Illiyin’s ode to the Afro.
We did have a minor heart attack when Dylan told Alison he was born in 2004…. but we recovered thanks to this week's fashion show. Georgie's blouse and flower earrings, Christiaan’s shirt, Noel's shirt – so funky!
Iliyin had the taste and 70s colour but just fell short on her structure. Georgie & Gil created flavoursome profiteroles while Christiaan’s boozy Black Forest flavours were delicious if not strong. Dylan once again got himself a handshake, there's just no stopping him.
On to the technical challenge which was to create a buttery banoffee pie. Gil's underworked pastry put her banoffee pie in last while Georgie’s clinched the top spot.
Our favourite moment of the entire episode has to be Alison rolling over the top of the tabletop. She is the best most chaotic addition to Bake Off!!!
Going into the showstopper it was a battle between Gil and Iliyin. The challenge was to create a tiered, 70s gateau with impressive piping detail.
‘It’s going to look pretty hideous but it’s going to taste great’
Prue
Dylan created a powerful peppermint cake while Christiaan once again had a bit too much booze for the judge's liking. Gill’s extravagant cake took the judges straight back to the 70s with bold flavours and crazy decorations.
Georgie’s 70s cake was our favourite and the judges too as it won her Star Baker. Sadly Illiyin’s cake collapsed completely, sending her home this week.
Bake Off Essentials for 70's Week
Shortcrust pastry baking beans
Get the perfect pastry for your banffoe pie with these baking beans!
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Piping bag with filling tip
Fill your profiteroles with ease thanks to this piping bag with four nozzle attachments.
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The Great British Bake Off episode seven: Dessert Week
The tent was looking a lot more empty this week with only six bakers left! Dessert week was sugary sweet and saw some incredible flavour combinations and unique designs.
The first task was to create eight uniformed meringue nests with perfect stiff peaks and a consistency as light as air. Illyin was off to a winning start thanks to her Pina Colada-inspired nests – Paul’s favourite drink!
Christiaan's retro-looking nests were a delight to look at and we loved Dylan’s coconut-inspired meringues. How clever were they? The judges loved them too with Dylan receiving a handshake from Paul.
Then it was straight on to the technical challenge which was to make a British classic, Spotted Dick. This cheekily named dessert saw a lot of jokes from the two big presenter kids of the show...
The baker's moist suet sponges need to be steamed for an hour and a half making this a challenge of tight timings.
Gil struggled with her caramel and crème anglaise while Sumayah didn’t steam hers long enough, resulting in the soggiest cake bottom we've ever seen.
The show-stopper challenge was to create a tiramisu cake. This famous Italian dessert is made from three beautiful ingredients: mascarpone cream, lady’s fingers and coffee. What could go wrong?
We will be sending good bakers home from now on in...
Paul Hollywood
We loved Sumayah’s nod to Batik in her cake, it’s a craft technique we never thought we see on a baking show.
Georgie's Italian roots inspired her beautiful marbled cake so we must give a shout-out to her Aunty Stella's recipe. Christiaan's unique flavour combinations were a winner and Illiyin had the perfect coffee-to-cake ratio.
Gill also wowed over the judges with her extravagant cake. Those huge ladies' fingers around the outside were a true spectacle.
However, was Dylan who proved to be a triple threat this week as his clever concrete box cake won him Star Baker. A handshake, a technical challenge win and Star Baker? What can't he do!
Sadly Sumayah's tart lemon flavour outweighed her beautiful batik design and it sent her home from the tent.
On to the quarter-finals!
Bake Off Essentials for Dessert Week
Steamed pudding tin
Create your own classic British desserts with this steamed pudding tin.
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The Great British Bake Off: Comfort Bakes
Brush up your dessert skills with the new Great British Bake Off book!
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The Great British Bake Off episode six: Autumn Week
We're officially over the halfway mark of the series, and the competition is really heating up! Episode 6 celebrated the season with the theme of "Autumn Week", which had our mouths watering at the thought of traditional and comforting autumnal bakes. From pumpkin pie to sticky toffee pudding, autumn really is all about sugar and spice (and everything nice).
Nelly even came dressed as autumn - wearing a wonderfully festive orange and yellow maple leaf garland around her neck and a beautiful flower crown featuring foliage and pretty blooms in muted autumnal shades.
I think autumn is colourful. The tastes, smells... beautiful! Just like me.
Nelly
For this week's signature task, the bakers had to make a sweet, autumnal pie. The judges emphasised that the filling needed to have seasonal flavours and that the pastry should be light and “melt in your mouth”.
Baking a deliciously warming pie on a chilly autumn day might sound inviting, but with the time crunch and tricky blind bake, this was no easy task! A few contestants saw cracks in their pies and Illiyin's pastry was unfortunately still raw when served to the judges. Despite this, the judges adored Gill's blackberry and apple pie - Prue calling it "almost unimprovable" - and enjoyed the flavours of Christiaan's quince and pumpkin pie.
Then it was on to the technical, and the bakers were asked to make a vegan version of the classic Bonfire Night dessert, parkin. If you haven't heard of this cake before, you're not the only one, and it puzzled all of the bakers except Gill.
Despite being familiar with the delicious gingerbread cake (which is cut into squares and decorated with candied ginger on top), Gill made the disastrous faux pas of forgetting to add her baking powder. This resulted in her cake not rising, and Gill ended up placing last in the challenge.
The judges loved Illiyin's bake, though, and said she did "everything right". From the great taste of the cake to the perfect decoration, Illiyin really excelled in this task.
Finally, it was the big one - the showstopper task! Bakers were given the brief of making an imaginative cake based on an autumnal festival, but with a twist - they also had to incorporate vegetables. Sumayah claimed the star baker title with her stunning, two-tiered "Autumn Leaves Harvest Cake" and even won herself a famous Paul Hollywood handshake!
Dylan and Nelly were less fortunate. Dylan presented a slightly messy final bake after dropping one of his sponges on the floor and having to bake another, and Nelly's seven layer spinach cake also failed to impress the judges. Ultimately, fan favourite Nelly was sent home, but promised "you will not forget me" - and we definitely won't!
Bake Off Essentials for Autumn Week
Lattice Pie Top Cutter
We were really impressed with Illiyin's lattice pie top cutter, so we had to include one in our weekly recap. Buy yours and make the perfect lattice top in no time at all, then invite your loved ones over for a slice of pie and wow them with your professional-looking bake!
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Mandoline Slicer
We also saw this fantastic kitchen tool being used this week. Get yours today and make slicing vegetables and fruit easier than ever!
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The Great British Bake Off episode five: Pastry Week
Pastry week saw a lot of hats. Andie was sporting a yellow cap, Dylan had a graffiti-inspired hat on and Nelly was wearing a very iconic beret!
First up the bakers had two hours to get their tart on. Frangipani tarts were the task which saw the bakers creating beautiful shortcrust pastry with an array of fun flavours and toppings. The judges loved Georgie’s traditional flavours and Gill's delicate tarts.
Then Andie seemingly foretold the future when Filo pastry rose its tricky head for the technical challenge. As Paul told the bakers ‘Don’t underestimate the resting time’, a crucial bit of advice for avoiding soggy spanakopita.
Dylan took the top spot for his spanakopita with Christiaan placing second for the third time! We can only imagine how frustrating and rewarding that must be for him...
For the showstopper, the bakers had to create the famous French Paris Brest, a Choux pastry created in celebration of a race with the circular shape representing a bicycle wheel.
It was a precarious challenge, one of timing, balance and skill. Andie and Illyin's stands couldn’t hold up the weight of their Paris Brests, a crucial part of the challenge.
Meanwhile, Suymah created a beautiful, decorative stand and her Paris Brest was full of passion fruit flavour. Gill's Paris Brest looked the part and had classic Italian flavours winning her praise from Prue – ‘Tastes absolutely Devine.’
Sadly due to his shattering toffee stand and filo pastry woes, the lovely Andie was sent home. We will miss his cheeky chappy ways!
Bake Off Essentials for Pastry Week
Mini tart tins
Bake your own delicate Frangipani tarts with these handy tins. The removable bottom design makes it easy for you to take out your tarts without damaging your pastry.
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Pastry rolling machine
Roll your spanakopita pastry with ease thanks to this nifty machine! It's also a brilliant pasta-making device so you can host your very own Greek/Italian fusion dinner parties.
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The Great British Bake Off episode four: Caramel Week
Things got sugary sweet in the Bake Off tent this week! There were smashed glasses, biscuits based on childhood favourites and some unique flavours stretching as far as the Alfami coast.
First up the bakers were tasked with creating caramel shortbreads. Some bakers opted for the nostalgic route recreating childhood chocolate bars such as Snickers and Caramel Wafers.
Gill's billionaire shortbread impressed the judges (we love her Northern portion sizes) as did Dylan’s UFO biscuits and Illyins florentines.
We have to point out how great all the baker's laughs are. Dylan, Mike and Gills laugh, along with Noel and Alison, make us smile every time we hear them!
The technical challenge was set by Prue and she had two words for the bakers, timing and temperature. Making the pear Tarte Tatin with caramelised walnut ice cream seemed like an almighty challenge.
We didn’t envy them at all, this challenge required so many steps and two different caramels!
There was a brief Allison/Nelly dance break (sign them up for Strictly please) then Noel smashed Nelly's caramel off the side while playing pastry baseball with Andy... Only on Bake Off!
Georgie took the Tarte Tatin top spot and then it was straight on to the showstopper! Tasked with creating decedent mouse cakes with two caramel elements, the bakers had four and a half hours to pull off their masterpiece.
It was so satisfying watching the mirror glazes being poured over the mouse cakes and sugar creations being spun! That would be a TikTok account we'd follow.
Nelly’s professional toffee and white chocolate mousse looked delicious and Dylan was crowned the flavour king by Paul. Christiaan's wave and beach were works of art and Andie's candy floss tree looked like something from Willie Wonka!
It was Georgie who was crowned star baker as she excelled in all three challenges and was oh so close to getting a handshake from Paul. Despite Allison volunteering to send Noel home instead, sadly Mike was sent home. We will miss his energy and brilliant baking.
Bake Off Essentials for Caramel Week
Caramel biscuit mould
Make delicious chocolate caramel biscuits like Georgie and Andie with these handy moulds!
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Temperature thermometer
Make sure your caramel and spun sugar get to the right temperature with this handy thermometer.
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Prue: My All-time Favourite Recipes
Since Prue's pick of the technical challenge was so delicious we wanted more recipe recommendations from her! Pick up Prue's book and discover a host of delicious recipes.
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The Great British Bake Off episode three: Bread Week
Photo: Channel 4
Does anyone feel like the standards this year are higher than ever? Bread week left us truly amazed at the talent of the bakers. There were incredible flavour combinations, Hollywood handshakes and structurally impressive bread horns.
The bakers were first tasked with creating yeasted dough buns. Simple, right? Well, with the king of bread staring at them and the standard impeccably high, the pressure in the tent was intense.
Our favourites had to be Andy's lunchbox-inspired buns (maybe we're just big kids but they sounded delicious!), Gill's northern rolls filled to the brim and of course, Dylan's gochujang creations. We also loved Georgie receiving the lesser-known Hollywood pat for her Italian buns.
For the technical challenge, the bread king gave our bakers a live plaiting demonstration. The seven-strand pait confused all the contestants (us included), apart from the wonderful Nelly. We got emotional seeing her so emotional at her win.
Finally, the bakers had four and a half hours to create a huge bread cornucopia filled with two different types of bread. This has to be one of the most difficult challenges in Bake Off history yet there were some truly mind-blowing creations.
Georgie, Nelly and Sumayah all baked gorgeously glossy breads with delicious flavours. It was Dylan however who really impressed this week with his cornucopia, winning him star baker of the week and a rare 'you're a very good bread baker' compliment from Paul.
Sadly, Andy's bread just missed the mark and John's bagels struggled which ultimately sent him home. We shall miss him!
Bake Off Essentials for Bread Week
Bread baking supplies
If Bake Off has inspired you to create your own loaves then this kit is a great starting point. It comes with proofing baskets, a bread sling and a host of handy pieces of kitchen equipment.
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Paul Hollywood 100 Greatest Breads
Master bread making from Paul Hollywood himself with his latest book, 100 Greatest Breads. In this book, Paul shares simple techniques for bread baking, as well as a range of delicious recipes you can make at home.
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Digital kitchen timer
Perfect your proving and baking times with this handy digital kitchen timer. Ideal for precision baking, this timer has a one-touch stop/start button and a simple twist mechanism. Plus, it looks super sleek.
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The Great British Bake Off episode two: Biscuit Week
Biscuit week was full of drama. Sadly Jeff left the tent and there were some medical emergencies but we have to admit we found it quite funny when Dylan fell off his stool...
Back to the baking! The contestants were tasked with creating unique Viennese swirls, Viscount biscuits and elaborate, biscuit puppet shows. Andy's American-style Viennese swirls changed Paul's mind about PB&Js and Christiaan was called an 'alchemist' by Prue for experimenting with lavender and tarragon.
Sumayah wowed the judges again creating beautiful swan Viennese swirls and a delicate ballerina puppet theatre. Christiaan's moving, four-part theatre was also a standout, along with Gill’s tale of the gingerbread man.
Bake Off Essentials for Biscuit Week
Cookie cutter set
Are you cookie-mad? Get yourself this set of 30 cookie cutters all in different shapes and sizes. These are wonderful way to get kids interested in baking as they can make lots of imaginative cookies, ready to be decorated.
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Reusable piping bag set
A piping bag is a must-have if you want to get your Viennese whirls looking top-notch! This reusable piping bag comes with six nozzles so is suitable for a variety of piping projects. The bag itself is lined, so is really easy to clean too.
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The Great British Bake Off episode one: Cake week
Week one saw a return to the classics with the bakers being asked to bake three cake classics. A marble cake, Battenberg and a life-like cake sculpture were this week's challenges and the bakers thrived.
Iliyin wowed the judges in the first challenge. Her perfect cinnamon-roll marble cake earned her the infamous Hollywood handshake in her very first week. We also loved Nelly's retro-feel coconut cake and Sumayah's incredible halwa loaf.
We couldn't believe our eyes when it came to the technical challenge – no recipe at all! The bakers put their all into creating their Battenberg cakes and despite some very luminous-looking batter and crumbling marzipan.
The contestants' abilities were put to the test in the showstopper. Creating cakes which imitated real objects and animals, the baker's timings and decorative skills were imperative and boy did they thrive. We loved Sumayah's cake, a spitting image of her pet duck, and Mike's stack of books with incredible attention to detail.
Overall it was a brilliant episode and even better because no one went home! If you fancy baking the three cakes featured on the Bake Off here's some essentials to get you started...
Bake Off essentials you need in your cupboard
Kenwood electric mixer
Get your own Kenwood electric mixer in the Prime Day sale. Whip up your showstopping cakes with Kenwood's beautiful pastel mixer. A near dupe of the ones they use on the show, this mixer has a 5L bowl, a full set of non-stick baking tools plus a range of optional attachments for other mixing needs.
If you're looking for a beautiful mixer that performs like a pro, The Kenwood is for you!
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The Great British Bake Off 2lb Loaf Tin
Bake like you're in the tent with The Great British Bake Off's official cookware range. This cute duck egg blue cake tin will be ideal for loaf cakes.
Designed using Carbon Steel for optimal heat distribution for an even rise and consistent crumb – no soggy bottoms here!
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Living Nostalgia Mechanical Kitchen Scale
Grab yourself this beautiful set of scales made from cast iron to add a vintage touch to your kitchen. The set is both full of character and wonderful to admire but also a very practical addition to your baking kit.
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The weights for the scales are sold separately.
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MasterClass fluted cake tin
MasterClass’s Non-Stick Fluted Ring Cake Tin is manufactured from commercial-grade carbon steel finished with a double non-stick coating.
With its beautiful fluted pattern, your ring cakes will look as good as they taste.
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Create delicious bakes with Gathered
We can't wait to see what the bakers create next week. Check back every Wednesday to discover our thoughts and feelings on the previous episode of The Great British Bake Off.
We'll also be updating our article every week with lots of useful products which will have you baking like a pro. You'll be receiving a Paul Hollywood handshake before you know it!
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