I am a huge fan of the Great British Bake Off, and when Netflix announced that they would release one episode per week, I decided that it might be fun to attempt to bake along with the technical challenges in each episode. I wanted to get outside of my comfort zone and bake things that I normally would not choose. This challenge fits the bill perfectly.
Hats off to all of the GBBO contestants. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to attempt these recipes with limited instructions *while being filmed* for a baking show. They all remain upbeat, charming, and humorous no matter where they land on the spectrum of success to total baking failure. They are an inspiration not just in how they tackle unknowns in baking, but for attempting any new skill in life. I have the advantage of the full recipe, hearing Paul and Prue’s synopsis of the challenge, and I’ve viewed the entire episode (sometimes multiple times) before I tackle the recipe.
Great British Bake Off
Season 9, Episode 1: Cake Week
Technical Challenge: Prue’s Malt Loaf (Click for Recipe)
Since I’m located in the U.S., this recipe came down to readily available substitutions, and learning about British baking ingredient vocabulary. Starting at the top of the ingredient list, I used PG Tips black tea as a nod to the show, “England’s No. 1 Tea,” and I learned that flame raisins are not all that much different from our typical Sun-Maid brand found in grocery stores. Bicarbonate of soda is an interchangeable term for baking soda. The internet consensus was that molasses was a decent substitute for malt extract as well as black treacle. I added the gram measurements together and made my loaf with 190g of Grandma’s Original Molasses. I think that muscovado sugar is something that is available in stores here, but I already had dark brown sugar at home, so that’s what I used. I read the recipe several times, but I was surprised that there wasn’t any salt in the bread.
All told, did I really make Prue’s Malt Loaf considering all of the substitutions? I think what I made had the *spirit* of her recipe, but I’m sure that those who are familiar with a real malt loaf might take issue with mine. I am really curious to try the real thing now! It was a wonderful bread, easy to make, and tasted amazing freshly toasted with good (Kerrygold) salted butter. The molasses flavor was the most prominent, followed by the tea-soaked dried fruit. My favorite part was the crunchy, sweet exterior crust of the bread.
In the episode, the contestants had to make a candied citrus peel topping, and they had to make their own butter. These two things weren’t included in the official GBBO recipe, so I skipped them. I made butter once in third grade. That counts, right?
Difficulty Rating: 1/5
Taste Rating: 3.75/5
Would I make this again?
Yes, it reminded me of the brown bread that is typically served in the U.S. at Irish pubs.
Should I get a handshake for my technical execution?
No. Too many substitutions. Great fruit distribution in the loaf though!
THE FOOD ÉTUDE 