Tent Ready · The research
What the show actually tests
Before baking anything, I went through every challenge from 16 series, 461 of them, and counted which skills each one needed. This is what I am training, in this order.
The headline: sponge turns up in 33% of all challenges and 20 challenges in finals. If you cannot make a good sponge, you are not getting past week one.
- 1
Sponge (creamed, whisked, genoise)
33%Technicals: Victoria Sandwich, Coffee and Walnut Battenberg, Chocolate Roulade, Sachertorte, Fraisier Cake, 25 Fondant Fancies
- 2
Chocolate (ganache, tempering)
30%Technicals: Chocolate Roulade, Sachertorte, 6 Chocolate Teacakes, 18 Tuiles: 9 Original, 9 Dipped in Chocolate, Chocolate Soufflé, 12 Chocolate Mini Rolls
- 3
Shortcrust + sweet pastry
19%Technicals: Tarte au Citron, 6 Miniature Pork Pie, Treacle Tart, Hand-Raised Pie, 12 Egg Custard Tarts, 6 Mini Pear Pies
- 4
Basic bread (knead, shape, prove)
16%Technicals: Round Cob Loaf, Focaccia, Eight-Stranded Plaited Loaf, 12 Pretzel – 6 Savory, 6 Sweet, 4 Ciabattas, 4 Baguettes
- 5
Caramel + sugar work
16%Technicals: Crème Caramel, 18 Florentines, 6 Éclairs: 3 Raspberry & 3 Salted Caramel, 4 Sticky Toffee Pudding, 10 Caramel Biscuit Bars, 6 Pistachio and Praline Ice Cream
- 6
Construction + 3D showpieces
13% - 7
Buttercream, icing + decoration
11%Technicals: 12 Iced Fingers, 25 Fondant Fancies, 9 Fondant Fancies
- 8
Biscuits (snap, even batch)
10%Technicals: 24 Brandy Snaps, 18 Tuiles: 9 Original, 9 Dipped in Chocolate, 18 Florentines, 12 Viennese Whirls, 12 Fortune Cookies, 10 Ginger Biscuits
- 9
Enriched dough
10%Technicals: 4 Rum Babas, Jam Doughnut, Apricot Couronne, Savarin, Chocolate Babka, 6 Custard & Jam Finger Doughnuts
- 10
Meringue
8%Technicals: 6 Floating Islands, Hazelnut Dacquoise, Vegan Tropical Fruit Pavlova, Lemon Meringue Pie
- 11
Custard + crème pâtissière
8%Technicals: Crème Caramel, 12 Egg Custard Tarts, 6 Mille-Feuille, 6 Custard & Jam Finger Doughnuts, 12 Custard Creams
- 12
Steamed + traditional puddings
8%Technicals: Queen of Puddings, 6 Molten Chocolate Puddings, 2 Sussex Pond Puddings, 4 Sticky Toffee Pudding, Summer Pudding Bombe, 6 Orange and Ginger Treacle Puddings
- 13
Jam, curd + fruit fillings
6%Technicals: Jam Doughnut, 6 Custard & Jam Finger Doughnuts, 12 Sandwiched Jammy Biscuit
- 14
Mousse, jelly + set desserts
5%Technicals: Charlotte Royale
- 15
Laminated + puff pastry
5%Technicals: 12 Kouign-Amann, 6 Mille-Feuille, Danish Kransekage Cornucopia Cake, 8 Vegan Sausage Rolls, Dauphinoise Pithivier
- 16
Choux pastry
3%Technicals: 8 Religieuses, 6 Éclairs: 3 Raspberry & 3 Salted Caramel
- 17
Hot water crust + savoury pies
2%Technicals: 4 Cornish Pasties, 6 Miniature Pork Pie, Hand-Raised Pie
- 18
Batters (pancakes, puddings)
2%Technicals: Matcha Crepe Cake