GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF SEASON 11

 I cant even tell you HOW EXCITED I AM  for Season 11 of GBBO to hit netflix this Friday!

I am a HUGE fan.   Across the pond they will have access to it 3 days earlier every week, which is going to be SO HARD TO IGNORE SPOILERS!!

What we know so far (here in America anyways)

Steely Eyed Silver Fox and King of Bread Paul Hollywood, and queen of bright color blocking and chunky necklaces Prue Leith are back as main judges.   SO watch out for the claggy bakes, soggy bottoms, booze up the desserts and make those calories worth it!

Everyones favorite shag haircut emo comedian Noel Fielding is returning as host.  A familiar face we are missing this year is sweet little Sandi Toksvig, who left GBBO to focus on other projects.

Replacing Sandi is a familiar face to some, Matt Lucas. (my family knows him as Nardole from Dr Who).  Apparently he is a GBBO enthusiast and rumor has it that on first day of filming made himself sick taste testing everyones bakes! 

Format will remain the same . Round One, signature bake.  Each contestant makes their best version of whatever that weeks theme is.  

 Round 2, blind technical.  Paul and Prue choose a rather difficult item for the contestants to make (sometimes it is quite obscure), give them limited instructions (usually it will just say "bake", but no temps or times.  Or Make creme pat but no recipe...really testing contestants knowledge of baking) and then blind taste test each one and rate them on how well they understand the science behind baking.  

3rd Round is showstopper. Each contestant goes all out and really wows the judges with their creations.  (remember Paul Jagger's  bread lion everyone??)

Each episode one contestant gets awarded star baker, and one contestant goes home.

So here is the lineup for season 11:

DAN: AGE 30. Armoured Guard from Hampshire  Strengths lie in bread and clean decoration

HERMINE:  AGE 39.  Accountant originally from Benin, West Africa, currently living in London. Love of high end patisserie!

LAURA: AGE 31.  digital Manager from Kent. Loves strong flavors and putting modern twists on old favorites.

LINDA: AGE 61.  Retirement Living Team Leader from East Sussex. Strengths are classics and home comfort cooking

LORIEA: AGE 27. Diagnostic Radiographer from  Durham. Rarely follows a recipe and makes jamaican food

LOTTIE: AGE 31. Pantomime Producer from East Sussex with a dark sense of humor and is a perpetual perfectionist

MAKBUL: AGE 51.  Accountant from Greater Manchester. Great at pastries and loves to incorporate honey from his own hives into his baking.

MARC: AGE 51  Bronze resin sculptor from Cornwall. After losing a leg in a motorbike accident, took up baking bread as a form of therapy. 

MARK: AGE 32  Project Manager from Liverpool. His baking style is influenced by his irish heritage and he has an affinity for african and asian flavors as well!

PETER: AGE 20  Accounting and finance student from Edinburgh. Also a competitive badminton player, Peter has been cooking seriously since he was 12. He loves to use traditional scottish ingredients whenever he can.

ROWAN: AGE 55 Music Teacher from Worcestershire. Passionate about french patisserie, he also has a love or recreating 18th century Georgian era recipes. He loves to use flowers in his decorations.

SURA: AGE 31. Pharmacy Dispenser from London. iddle eastern and asian influences is a hallmark of her food. Loves to improvise and inject personality into each recipe and particularly enjoys fragrant floral flavors like cardamom, rose and orange blossom.

Looks like a great bath, cant wait to watch and have a follow up blog post tomorrow!!