Sugar and spice
American adaptation of a British favorite is back for the holidays
It’s back! “The Great American Baking Show” had an abrupt end last season when it was pulled after airing only two episodes, but ABC hasn’t lost confidence in the American take on the British favorite. After all, “The Great British Baking Show” is a huge hit, and the homegrown version gives Americans a chance to compete to be named a champion baker.
The fourth season gets underway Thursday, Dec. 6, with pastry chef Sherry Yard joining acclaimed British chef Paul Hollywood as the judges of this year’s competition. Hollywood has been a “British Baking Show” judge since the very beginning and was also one of the two judges in last season’s “American Baking Show’s” pair of episodes before the series was yanked due to allegations of sexual misconduct directed at his fellow judge, pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini.
This year marks a fresh new start for the competition, and unlike its British parent, the American version of the flour-filled series is all about Christmas. Former Spice Girl Emma Bunton joins former NFL player Anthony Adams (“Ballers”) as the hosting duo, who assign the cooks their challenges and provide witty commentary throughout the bakes.
Just like in the parent series, the contestants are all amateurs with above-average baking skills. In each episode they’re given three timed challenges to complete, after which Paul and Sherry decide who gets eliminated based on all three bakes — not just the last one.
First comes the signature bake, which gives the bakers a broad and open challenge and allows them to show off their own home recipes. Next up is the technical bake, in which the competitors are given a very bare-bones recipe that tests their knowledge, instinct and experience — the recipes often tell the bakers to proof their dough, but not for how long, or to bake a cake without giving any guidance about the correct temperature.
Finally, the bakers get one last chance to impress the judges in the showstopper challenge. It’s here that the big guns come out: towering cakes, perfectly sculpted chocolate and finely spun sugar all showcase a baker’s skill.