Hello! My name is Garland and I love to bake.

I recently became addicted to the show The Great British Bake Off also known as The Great British Baking Show (to American audiences watching on Netflix).  I have always fancied myself a baker but after watching The Great British Bake Off, I have learned that I need to step up my game a bit! Thus I have decided to bake my way through every season of The Great British Bake Off.  I also reflect on the show in general and also comment on the upcoming seasons (hurry up please!).   To learn more about my motivation please read more here.

If you are unfamiliar with the show I will fill you in on the structure.  Each season begins with twelve bakers.  Though there are some deviations between the seasons (of which there are currently eight), typically a baker gets eliminated each weekend over a span of ten weeks.  The finale has the last three remaining bakers go head to head to claim the title of Britain’s Best Amateur Baker.  The winner of the show is awarded a bouquet of flowers and plaque of some sort. That’s it – no prize money.  I kind of love that aspect because it’s about prestige rather than just money.  I think this is part of the reason that people on this show are kind and helpful to one another.  It is something truly unique in a competition show and it utterly refreshing.   Also, I love how the bakers often become good friends and hang out after getting on to the show.  It gets at the true heart of baking in my opinion – sharing, showing love for another, and creativity.

With that said, there are three challenges in every episode: a signature, technical, and showstopper.  To judge each challenge are two judges Paul Hollywood (aka the best bread baker to live and breathe) and Mary Berry (the epitome grandmothers that can bake – you want to be at her house on Christmas).  They are the judges from seasons 1-7 (season eight features some different judges and hosts but more on that later).  The hosts of the show are Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.  The hosts and judges are both supportive and kind to the contestants, which I also find refreshing.

Sometimes after a long day of work you just don’t feel like listening to…

Don’t get me wrong – I love me some Gordon Ramsey, especially in his show Master Chef, but in times where television can be straight up depressing it is nice to have something that is upbeat. Especially when the news has me like…

 

I also enjoy the baking tips, historical insights, and the puns.  The hosts, Mel and Sue, are known for their witty baking puns and thus when naming this website I knew it had to include a baking pun of some sort, thus the name Baking Aficionadough.  This is obviously a play on the word aficionado.  I feel like this actually fits perfectly with the theme of my website because I’m anything but a baking aficionado, though I’d love to be one day.  I would like to think that Mel and Sue would appreciate the pun too.

Please feel free to follow me along on my adventure.  Let me know if you are inspired to bake any of the challenges as well or if you just have some thoughts you’d like to share.

Most importantly, I hope to eat great bakes!