So were down to the last two in this round of AFA Bake Off. STEP AWAY FROM YOUR OVENS! Lets see what weve got. First up, whats this? Youve gone for a batch of Old Salvatorians. This is a tricky bake, tough to get right. A rustic, earthy, provincial sort of recipe. Apparently simple on the outside, but can be conflicted through the middle. Theres also a definite risk of melt. Well, at first glance Im not really sure what to make of these Salvatorians. Theyre quite lumpy, and some of them are really quite large. Not really much to look at, if Im honest. Lets take a bite. Oh! Thats a surprise. A really great start. Dynamic and pacy, eager on the palette. But very quickly it takes a sour note. There is a little bit of flair in there, but really its flattering to deceive. The fancy, nimble flavours are overwhelmed by some clumsy technique. And look, this one at the back, the goalkeeper, see? Much too short. Ah yes, if you put a little bit of pressure on, just squeeze them a touch, they start to fall apart. Theyre all over the place. And this one I think has got just a bit too hot - you can see by the red - and needs to be removed from the contest. Whilst this one has sort of tumbled off the tray. Might even have a bit of a soggy bottom. Thats a shame. Good start, but a bit of a mess overall. Lets see what the Salvatorians are up against. Oh, very nice. Polytechnics. Much finer and more sophisticated than Old Salvatorians. I like this choice. But Polytechnics are notorious for consistency: they can be perfect one week, but terrible the next, and it can be impossible to work out why. There are lots of opinions and old wives tales relating to the moistness of the conditions, and the formation in which you set them out when preparing. This batch, however, look superb, very good looking. If we take out this one - it looks a bit hammy - then we have a consistent set of Polys. Lets dig in. Yes, thats decent. Competent if unspectacular to begin with, but solid enough. This one up at the front, maybe taken out of the oven a little soon, almost offside. But then - BOOM! - a bit of spice from the ginger in the centre, and then these Polytechnics really start to go to work. A consistent, tight crumb, all the flavours working in harmony. And thats really a delicious experience. I could eat all of these. So, the result. Its been great to have you all here. These Old Salvatorians were a game effort, but really no match for these beautiful Polytechnics. Well done! Your Polytechnics make you this weeks STAR BAKER!
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 14:39:50 +0000
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