What the Great British Baking Show Taught Me About Teaching (219)

 This post is inspired by and mirrored around, the Great British Baking Show- a culinary masterpiece- from the UK and on BBC and PBS- the show is both mindful and constructive- like every classroom should be.

Preheating the Oven

It begins with a baker's dozen- 13 people from all walks of life, all areas of the UK. Each with a different approach and skill level to baking. All amateur, but some masters of cakes, other mavericks with pastries. Some prefer a butter cream frosting, while some love a nice royal icing. While, even others appreciate no glaze at all. These dedicated and brave contestants have the love of baking and the knowledge of alchemy, to help guide them on the nine weeks of culinary challenges. Every weekend a different ‘unit’, every week a different theme. Sound familiar? When the bell rings, what is your classroom dynamic?

This style of competition brings to the ‘tent’, the arena of confection and dessert creation, a wonderful mix of talents, interests and strategies. The challenges are the same for all, no matter their expertise. The playing field is leveled and the competitors nervous and excited, enter the tournament eager to impress. The process of the assignment might be similar, the final product shape the same: a doughnut or loaf of bread, but the approach, flavor and artistry of the eatery perfections, varies greatly. Guided by choice, making sure that the skill is measurable, and creativity is bountiful. While the technical is specific, the signature and showcase are more personal and freeform. This is learning and growth at their best.

Mixing Bowl and Recipes

The brief, as they call the individual challenges, or stages of the competition, come in three events: the first is the signature challenge, where bakers have practiced at home. Each week measuring a different skill set such as bread, batter and cakes. Each contestant brings to the 'gingham' table a unique recipe they have mastered. This is when the bakers bring in their favorite recipes, prior knowledge, and incorporate some new techniques. They must have the perfect consistency, or their custards will be flat, or their dough will not rise. Even with practice at home, in the comfort of their own kitchen, when they enter the tent, nerves rise, and mistakes can be made. This is trial and error, risk and reward, or risk and failure, pushing the bakers forward to try again with another challenge.

The second brief is the technical challenge, where they are literally left in the dark, including vague recipes that leave a lot of room for interpretation. This tests the baker’s wits. Can they put their culinary instincts to good use and overcome any hurdles that lie in front of them? Such as: How long to bake, do they need to prove the dough, and what the heck is a Bethmännchen? But more importantly, can they make something they have never seen or heard of before? It takes patience, confidence and perseverance. They do tend to get close though, they have the basic skill set of baking and they can reason things through.

Ultimately, they may be off on the size or consistency, but they usually get the recipe accurate. They can read recipes very thoroughly and successfully but without all the directions they are left to their own instincts to complete the task. This comes down to skill and baking prowess. Trusting in themselves. Each baker has had years of baking experience in their own kitchens, now they must take that knowledge and use it to excel at new recipes and techniques. This is problem-solving, critical-thinking and fortitude all crucial in baking and learning from our mistakes and being able to alter and change our plans according to the situation.

Finally, the third and final baking challenge of each week, is the showstopper, a grand and usually quite ornate display of baking mastery, where each baker has had time to perfect and practice their multi-skilled patisseries, cakes or puddings, over the last week. Whether they did or not is another story. Whatever the task, it tends to include multiple doughs, flavors and techniques. It requires multi-tasking, creativity and timing. Every task has a time-limit, but this event tends to come down to the wire because of its intricate nature. Forcing the bakers to keep the pace and stay meticulous. Some bakers shine in this round, while others just don't rise to the challenge. This is the weekly event that has the greatest impact on who is eliminated from the competition each week.

Tasty Confections

A gathering of learners, amateur bakers, with different skill sets. Creating a framework on which to measure craft, style and know-how. Provided with tools and ingredients and a venue. A process allowing for some personal elements and additives, bakers ultimately display their creative confectionaries for judging. They are given guidelines, but are also allowed to incorporate their strengths, preference of flavor and stay at their level of contentment. Each task or lesson pushing them a little bit out of their comfort zone. If they play it too safe, they will not stand out. If they take too big of a risk, they may present an under-cooked or unbalanced treat.

Taking a new approach, mixing new flavors, and constructing amazing center-pieces, may wow the judges and prove to themselves that risk is good. Risk is why we have the vast bakery of sweets we have in the world. Each country, culture and even individual family, have their own personal recipes, that make dessert so inviting. Concocting new recipes, trying new spices and different yeasts and diving in to new baking styles creates excitement and stirs new ingenuity. This is the Great British Baking Show, this is every classroom that challenges and welcomes adventure and failure. This is the luscious, sweetened, delicious result of learning and growth. Let's get baking educators.

As we bake our confections lets remember to preheat our oven, proof our dough and get creative with our flavors and spices. Each of our students are bakers in their own right, the more we step bake and let them experiment with their recipes and culinary masterpieces the stronger bakers they will become. Baking needs accurate measuring and defined ingredients- let students choose their own methods and their own flavor profiles- this prepares them for the real world- their own personal ovens. These ovens are where creativity, ingenuity and persistence rises and sets and with each baking challenge comes growth and a tasty adventure.