Blog Post
Bake Off is Back!!

Sunday again folks – slight improvement in the weather.  Last week it was 13 degrees and raining and this Sunday as I write it is 15 degrees and cloudy.  I was so cold in bed on Friday night I got up to put a pair of socks on !!

As I say it is Sunday evening at 6.40pm and would you believe it its 22 degrees outside !

What I love about life nowadays is that it is unpredictable (bit like our summer weather).  Last week as I wrote my blog I remember thinking I may have to talk about gardening or the guinea fowl nest or bottling fruit – but had failed to grasp the fact that Bake Off is Back !

The frenzy started on Wednesday.  Details of the bakers for Series 6 had been released and the phone started to ring.  It started with local radio stations – I had a chat with Radio Humberside, Radio Leeds and Radio Lincolnshire then I received an invitation to have a chat with Adrian Chiles on Radio 5 Live.  Adrian was to be chatting with me and Ed Kimber (winner of Series 1) about Bake Off and how life had changed etc.  His chat with us was great – there is a shortened version of it on Twitter.

Best bit was “on air” – Adrian asked whether I have a sourdough starter.  I explained to him that I did have one but took it on holiday with me last year and it got smashed.  He then said he has one and would like to send me some.  Amazingly, two days later Adrian's sourdough starter arrived but it had exploded its container and was crawling all over the padded envelope it came in.  Not to worry I immediately rescued it and it is now safely growing again in my fridge.  Thanks Adrian.  By the way I have called my sourdough Adrian !

For those reading who have absolutely no idea what a sourdough starter is.  It is wild yeast and  bread made with it is absolutely delicious.  You may have eaten it – it has big holes and is a little waxy it its consistency but has a “sour” sort of tang to it.  Brilliant – you cannot get a better bread !  Once you have your own “wild yeast” or sourdough starter you need to regularly feed it by discarding half then feed the other half with flour and water.  Simple really but some commitment needed.

So – Bake off is back !  So exciting and I am busy polishing the baton ready to hand it to the next worthy winner.   Good luck to all the bakers but most of all enjoy it !!

My best bit of news this week is I have been appointed Bake Off correspondent by The Telegraph and I will be doing a weekly column talking about each week’s episode.

I think there is even a piece in tomorrow’s paper introducing me – look out !

Again – tying in with the return of Bake Off I have a feature in Fabulous Magazine each Sunday starting today for the next four weeks.  I will be sharing two recipes each week.  Give them a go – this weeks are really easy puddings.