In a food column for Delish published on Friday a writer attempted The Great British Bake Off’s blue cheese and roasted grape flatbread recipe and struggled to finish cooking the items within the designated 60-minute time limit.
The technical challenge blind-tests contestants with minimal instructions, and this particular assignment drew sharp criticism. After bakers produced thick, raw flatbreads, judge Paul Hollywood defended the time frame while fans, critics, and former contestants argued the bakers were set up to fail.
- The online recipe specified a 60-minute time limit, matching the timeline given to contestants on the show.
- Rolling out filled dough proved difficult as juicy grapes burst, tore holes in the dough, and created burnt sugar patches on the pan.
- Out of eight portions, only five flatbreads were cooked in time, and the author ultimately disliked the strong blue cheese and grape combination.
The test began smoothly by placing a whole bunch of grapes in the oven and kneading bread dough for five minutes before a rest period, Delish reported. During the 15-minute dough rest, the author experienced the torturous technical downtime noted in the kitchen.
Contestants on the television program stayed busy cutting and roasting grapes during that phase. After 20 minutes, the grapes emerged looking somewhat raw since the recipe provided no specific color or texture indicators for doneness.
The dough was chopped into eight pieces without weighing, leading to uneven portions. The instructions required rolling each piece into an 8 cm circle, adding five roasted grapes and one-eighth of the blue cheese, pinching the edges, and rolling the ball into a 23 cm flatbread.
The insufficiently rested dough resisted the rolling pin by springing back. More critically, the juicy grapes burst under pressure, sending liquid to the edges and tearing holes in the dough.
After more than 15 minutes of stuffing and rolling, the workstation accumulated burst grape remnants. The widest flatbread reached only 18 cm rather than the target 23 cm, leaving three portions unrolled as the clock ran down.
Cooking the flatbreads produced oozing juice that burned into black sugar patches on the pan. Constant attention was required to prevent burning while the remaining dough pieces sat unrolled on the counter.
At the 60-minute mark, the kitchen contained five cooked, burst flatbreads on a sheet tray, three raw pieces on the countertop, and a smoking pan. Tasting the finished results yielded disappointment regarding the flavor profile.
“The blue cheese was WAY too strong, and the grapes felt like random pockets of juice in an otherwise savory flatbread,” the author wrote of the finished product. The overall experience left the writer discouraging others from attempting the viral television challenge.
| Bake Off Step | Planned Time | Actual Kitchen Result |
|---|---|---|
| Grape Roasting | 20 Minutes | Grapes emerged looking raw |
| Dough Rest | 15 Minutes | Created downtime before rolling |
