1359 – Japanese Week | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E6
Scoots will unwrap an old gingham mystery as he slides into the Gherkin Zone with a dash of chuffed chat.
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Episode 1359 – Japanese Week | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E6
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time, bakers, to get ready. On your marks, get set…what do they say? On your marks, get set, bake? Count down to baking? I don't know what they say, but I know you're welcome here. Welcome to Sleep With Me, the podcast that’s here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep. This is a podcast that’s here to be your friend in the deep, dark night, your goofy friend talk…giving you the most meandering and incomprehensible recap of a episode of Great British Bake Off for your pleasure, your sleeping pleasure or your chilling pleasure so that you could drift off into dreamland. It’ll probably take me forever to get started.
That’s the plan as usual. But I’m really glad you're here. If you're new to the show, welcome. This is a very different podcast. It’s a friendly podcast, and I’m here to…I’m not…you don’t have to be my friend. That’s the great news. I’m only here to present myself as an applicant, to be a friend that you don’t need to listen to, a friend that’s only here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep. So, I think that’s a pretty decent offer, though you might…may want to think about it. Most people…it takes two or three tries to get used to the show. If you're having trouble sleeping, I want to meet you where you are, because I’ve been there.
I was there last night, and I know what it feels like for me, and if it’s like that at all for you or you're tired during the day or whatever, I really want to help if I can. That’s what I’m here to do, is help you out, and it’s…it is a kind of thing where you say, okay, this may work for me; it may not. Just give it a try and see how it goes. But if you're new, I really appreciate you checking the show out and seeing how it goes. Regular listeners, holy moly, am I glad to be here with you. It really is my honor to try to help out, because it’s never easy getting sleep. It’s not a easy time to get…right now we're here together, right? So, we're here…that’s what’s really important.
So, anyway, I’m glad you're here, and if you're new or you're a regular listener and you need a reminder, what we got coming up is support so paying for the podcast is optional, then a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime, not so much to put you to sleep but to kinda slowly turn the volume down on the day, and then later on will be a bedtime story. So, I’m really glad you're here, and I work really hard, and we're able to do this…when I’m recording this, never more so than the people that actually opt in.
Those people…if this show is a part of your life and you opt in during…you say, I want to support the show directly or I want to support the sponsors or I want to spread the word about the podcast, those are the people we're here because of, and I know a lot of people just rather kinda of listen to this ad-supported version passively. But I just want to remind you active people, you active listeners…that this show is a part of your life, that you're a part of the life of the show, and I want to thank you, because now more than ever, I couldn't do it without you. Everybody’s grateful 'cause so many people get to benefit from this podcast. So, thanks so much, and if you say, wait a second, I want to opt in; this podcast makes my life so much better, here’s a couple ways you could do it.
INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do or alls you could do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. It could be thoughts on your mind, things you're thinking about, thoughts about the past, the present, the future, things you're…thoughts. It could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally, could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, you could be going through something, maybe you work a different schedule.
Right now I’m finishing this…I’m recording this episode right after the time change and some travel. So, man…so, yeah, my sleep has been impacted. But I’m here to make that a soft thing, whatever’s keeping you awake. The only reason I go through some of that stuff is because you're not alone. I know this is a podcast. I know you could say it’s pseudo or whatever, but the thing is, whatever it is that’s keeping you awake, I think I can relate to how it feels. But even if I can't, there is someone out there listening right now somewhere in the world that can really relate to how you feel, that’s a regular listener of the show, and they are rooting for you. They're saying, holy cow, I really hope this podcast can help you out like it helped me out, because I’ve been there. I know what that’s like.
Alls they hope for you is that you get a good night's sleep, and maybe one day you're the one rooting for the new listener. You're important. The other reason is you deserve a good night's sleep. You deserve a bedtime where you could get the rest you need so your life is more manageable, where you don’t have to dread bedtime. So, that’s why I make the show. I’ve been there, I know what it’s like for me, and I can kinda relate to maybe what it’s like for you, and I know you deserve…you want to live your life, right, and you want to get the rest you need without having all that stuff, right, at least some of the time. That’s been my experience. So, that’s why I make the show. The way the show works is I send my voice across the deep, dark night.
I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents, which means I go off topic, I get mixed up, then I forget what I was talking about, then I repeat myself, then I’m like, wait, what, what, what? I use filler words, kind of…or, not kind of. I definitely use filler words. Fill ‘er up with filler words. If I had a station, that’s what I’d…you’d say, come on in. Well, I guess I would go…I guess…no, I would go to the station, right? They'd say, how you doing, Scoots? Well, believe it or not, some…and they'd just laugh 'cause they know…you don’t need any filler words, Scoots. You got plenty. Well, I’m running low. Really? Well, we’ll fill ‘er up with filler words just like you say, but I think you're covered. You say…I’d be like, wait a second, I’m covered in filler words? How come nobody told me?
Then they would laugh again. I’d say, well, let me look in the mirror. I got…where do I got filler words? On my back or on my…stuck on my hair? I got filler words in my nose? They said, no, we were speaking…I don't know, figuratively? I have no idea. Well, I thought you said I was covered in filler words. That’s pretty specific, actually. That’s a great idea, though, for…if I ever started making my own outfits for the show, I could be…I could wear…what are those called? I already have one, so I don't need another…I don't actually have a Snuggie. I have a puffy blanket that I like that can be…it can…it snaps and it has a hood. So, I guess I could add filler words to that, bespoke…I could have a bespoke…yeah, I want…so, I always…now I am…actually, you're right; I am covered in filler words. Those are called bumper stickers. Yeah.
They say, uh…now, I’m not a popular bumper sticker, so…I got them on sale. Uh-huh. Say, those bumper stickers never sold, eh? So, yeah, what was I saying? Fill ‘er up with filler words. That was the pointless meanders and superfluous tangents. All of it’s to create a podcast that you don’t really need to listen to, but you could listen to it, and that takes some while…that takes some time to get used to. Particularly if you found your way to the show, you're like, wait, it’s like background noise that I could listen to, like a TV on in the other room or something? I say, yeah, it’s kinda like that. There he goes. That wasn’t even gratuitous filler words. Or, those were organically gratuitous filler words. I may hear from the Council Against Filler Words. Holy cow, Council Against…CAFW? Is that…? Council Against Filler Words; CAFW.
Or, you know, what about Cousins Against Filler Words? That would be the same, Council Against…that’s…so, it’d be the same initials. I’m here on behalf of the Cousins Against…we're your cousins that are against filler words? Whoops. The last one was on purpose, but the other one was natural. Okay, so…oh, it takes some getting used to for the show, 'cause if you found the show through a search or a recommendation and then you started listening, you probably had some idea of what a sleep podcast might be like, right? This show kinda defies expectation in a way that’s great for some people and not so great for others. So, it just takes a couple tries to get used to, 'cause of course you're skeptical or doubtful. You're tired. If you're like me, when I’m tired, I’m grouchy.
So, if you're in any of that kinda…if you're feeling that way, that’s okay. I’m glad you're here. Just give the show a few tries and see how it goes. Now, if you discover you don’t like me or the podcast, that’s fine, too. You gave it a few tries and you said, no, not for me. I say, okay, well, I got a website set up, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, and that has other sleep podcasts and sleepy stuff on there that you could check out. So…'cause you still deserve a good night's sleep. So, it’s a podcast you don’t really listen to, it takes some getting used to, it’s also a sleep podcast that isn't made to put you to sleep. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with this show. That’s the reason the episodes are over an hour, is so you don’t have to think about when you're gonna fall asleep.
I’m gonna be here to the very end of the show whether you're awake or asleep, because there’s people listening who can't sleep at all or who need a break during the day. So, this is a sleep podcast that’s here to keep you company while you fall asleep versus putting you to sleep directly. It’s just a mild distraction. My job is not to be some guru or some instructor or anything. It’s just to be your friend, your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bor, your bore-bie, your bores, your Boris Borlaf, your best bore-friend f’eva, your bore-sib, your bore-cuz, your bore-bruh. I’m here to keep you company while you drift off, which is a very different role. So, see how it goes if you're new. Or, a regular listener, what’s up? How do you like…how do you feel about me being your Boris Borlaf? I don't know.
You’re saying, okay, I don't know. I don't know what that is. I say, great, we're already on the same page. So, that’s a couple things you need to know. The other thing I like to talk about is the structure of the show. The show’s structured in a very specific way to benefit the most amount of people it can. It is adjustable and there are other versions of the podcast, so let me just explain it, 'cause when people get here at first, they may get confused, right? Or…I just want to give you some reassurance in case you say, I don't know about that part. So, the show starts off with a greeting. Almost everything we do — or I think everything we do — starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in and you say, okay, I can check that part out.
This show sounds friendly. A lot of times I say something silly or goofy. You say, okay, I get it. It’s supposed to be lighthearted. So, that’s the first part of the show. Then there’s sponsor support so that paying for the show is optional. If you prefer something without sponsors, you could get that on Sleep With Me+ or some of the platforms where you listen to the show. But most people like this free, ad-supported version, and they listen to it linearly. Some people set a sleep timer in their podcast app; some people don’t. So, after the support, though, is a long, meandering intro totally separate from the support. It’s a show within a show.
It usually goes about fifteen to twenty minutes long where I explain what the podcast is, but instead of me just introducing the podcast, I tend to go off topic, and I follow a similar structure every time, but I go on different tangents every time so that it’s familiar but it’s also different every time, 'cause I think that’s just one of the parts of the things…the parts of me that keep me awake, they like something that’s unique every time. They don’t want something predictable. They want something reassuring and familiar, but not predictable. I mean, kinda like a movie or something. You go to a movie; you want something that…in a genre you like, but that’s…you know. So, it’s not that different an idea, except that this is meant to put you to sleep and be barely listened to. So, that’s why the intro is different every time.
Why does it take fifteen to twenty minutes for you to explain what a podcast is? I say, well, great…that really is a good question. Well, there’s also another purpose to the intro. One, I really struggle to get to the point, but the reason it takes fifteen to twenty minutes long is to ease you into bedtime so that you could listen while you're winding down or getting ready for bed or getting comfortable or you're doing some other chill activity. The intro’s not meant to put you to sleep. A small percentage of people fall asleep, but most people…it’s like a buffer between being awake and asleep. Now, if you decide you want a show without intros, we have that version of the podcast out there, ad-supported as well, so you don’t have to pay for it if you don’t want to, and that’s called Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me.
So, you could check that out if you just want the stories from the show or if you want even more variety. But most people like the intro and like getting eased into bedtime so much so that people support the show to get all-intro episodes twice a month. But you'll…if you're new, you'll kinda just test…test and see what happens. But again, we really put a lot of thought into this. So, then after the intro is support, then after the support…tonight we’ll be covering a episode of the Great British Bake Off. All told, we’ll be here about an hour, and I think that’s it. I’m really glad you're here. I really work hard. I yearn and I strive. I appreciate you coming by. So do a bunch of other people that work on this show.
We just really want to help you out because a lot of us have been there and we know what it’s like, and you really do deserve a good night's sleep. So, I’m glad you're here once again. If you decide that this show will be a part of your regular routine, a part of your life and it improves your life so much that you feel something, you can give back to the show. In fact, we could use it. So, you could support the show back directly or support our sponsors or spread the word about the show. That costs you nothing, you know?
So, yeah, it’s…those of you that feel so much and get so much out of the show that we also count on, too…you count on us; we count on you, and it’s a beautiful thing because then all these other people get to benefit as well, people that aren't in a position to support the show or that kinda just want to passively be there. That’s okay, too. Yeah, so…yeah, I’m glad you're here. I appreciate you coming by, and if you decide you want to be a part of something special like this, here’s a couple ways you could do it.
Alright everybody, Scoots here. We're talking about the Great British Baking Show, baking you off to sleep show, Week 6. It’s Japanese Week. Collection 8, Episode 6. It opens with Noel dressed as a character…I say, who is that? It doesn't look like the character I’m thinking of right now, but I’m doing my first retro play-through of a game called Chrono…Chrono something, which is a roleplay…anyway, it’s an old roleplaying video game. The character’s hair is a little bit similar, but it’s reddish in Chrono, though I renamed Chrono. I can't remember who was…if I gave Chrono my name. There was a lot of Scoots 'cause I couldn't figure out how to use capital letters. So, there’s Scotts and Scoots also. But Noel is not Chrono or Scotts. He’s got…so, he’s wearing a paper mache outfit? I don't know, a helmet with very blue eyes.
But then Matt comes and he’s wearing a mango. He says, did you say dress like manga? He says, no, manga. Mango? Mango. Mango? So, he’s dressed like a mango. Matt the Mango Man. Well, he says ‘old mango head’. So, it was a pretty funny opening just 'cause…especially if you didn’t know what the joke was, which I didn’t. I said, wait a second, Matt’s…he almost looked like somebody from some sort of interesting comedic group. Okay, then we do the talking heads. Rain…walk in…there’s mist. Coats are on. Excited…Matt’s shirt got an exclamation point. First time ever, they're doing Japanese Week on the show. So, that’s good, right? I say, okay, this is gonna be interesting. Yeah, a couple people have umbrellas when they come in. The coats are coming off. It’s Japanese Week. Who would have thought?
Mark with a K is excited. One of the guys whose names I forget is excited. Lottie’s saying, yeah, we're on a pretty level playing field. So, that’s…Noel’s got a really nice sweater. Oh, Matt has a nice shirt. I just like the color. I like the shirt on him. It’s a plum…I think he’s wearing a plum-colored shirt, but it’s a print shirt. But I liked it. Not my colors, but it looks good on Matt. Okay, so, they're supposed to do eight soft Japanese buns, sweet or savory. Two different versions, though. So, two different soft Japanese buns. Two hours and thirty minutes. On your mark, get set, bake. Steamed buns, sorry. So, everybody’s…Prue’s got matching…holy moly, Prue. What was that timing? Let’s just pause it for a second. Pause on Prue; can we, producer? Sure, I can do that. It’ll probably take me two or three tries.
Okay, 'cause…okay, so we have Prue talking. She has on a…I don't know…what’s…I don't know what fuchsia is, but she looks spectacular, and she’s in the wind and her hair even looks good. But so, she has on a winterish coat that’s a…not magenta, either. A version of pink, a really nice pink. Then her lips, her earrings, and her glasses, they don’t match the exact shade of the coat, but they're a red…they're all in the reddish-pink spectrum. Even on pause, it works. Then she has on a scarf that has three different stripe…three different kinds of pink in it. There’s…usually you'd say…it’d be…at least in my opinion, I’d say it would be jarring, but there’s…even though her glasses, I think, are red, her frames…I can't tell if her earrings are…I think her earrings are pink. It just works, and she looks very snuggled in.
So, that’s a bonus. Okay, so, they got…they say, surprise us with the fillings. We don’t want regular fillings. Paul says, yeah, it must taste good, and the bread better be good, too; a soft, chewy roll, but not too chewy. Paul also has a nice coat on. Delicious inside…but this is a bun challenge. Dave; that’s the guy’s name. He’s putting turmeric to make his…change the color of his dough. Everybody’s making character buns. Katsu curry buns are his, and they're gonna kinda look like cartoon chickens. Katsu…Matt makes a joke about it. Some people are doing their cooking in the bun, steaming everything. So, he’s doing it. I think Lottie later is doing it. Good luck, Dave. Did I say his name’s Dave? He’s not the only one making character-based buns. See, character-based buns; CBBs. Hermine’s…oh, that’s Laura.
She’s making piggy buns. Quite a fun challenge. She’s excited. Peter’s making wee lambs, and he’s gonna…oh, he’s steaming in the bun, too, cooking in the bun. Soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, cumin. Oh boy, I like that. I’m not a fan of…oh, mints. So, cabbage, spring onions…a stir-fry, almost. How are you gonna infuse the flavor in? Well, I’m gonna stir-fry off the aromatics first, then I’m gonna mix it through. Soy sauce and fish sauce…and then, yeah, I’m gonna split my dough in two so I can do the right colors for each one. Wee shapes; he likes saying wee, wee. They're gonna look quite cute, he says. Okay, everybody’s doing their window-pane tests, which I’ve still never been able to do even though I make my own bread and pizza dough. Gotta prove it, man. If it’s unproven, it’ll…under-proved, it’ll split.
Hermine wants double size. Don’t want it to collapse and be flat. Domed, shiny buns…Dave’s hoping for triple in size. Then it’s filling-making time. Everybody’s taking their inspiration from different places. A Japanese bun…but Laura’s using…doing a Chinese-flavored pork. She’s gonna cook and then put it in the bun, 'cause she’s like, yeah, I don't think mine would work steaming it. So, she’s doing eight little piggies go to market. Sticky sauce, caramelized hoisin, oyster, and a bit of honey. Ticks all the boxes, Paul says, all the flavor. This one she says…she’s practiced it, so she’s confident. Then Marc’s doing some flavors from India. He’s made this with his…he’s made some curries for his daughter, Jasmine, and she made this dal. He’s like, it was really good.
So, he’s like, mm, dal steamed bun, after they had his daughter’s dal, and they said, mm, it’s good. Smoked paprika, onion, apple, lentil, magno…mango chutney. Sounds lovely, they say. Just gotta make sure I get them right…folded, right? They laugh. They say, good luck, Marc. That’s Marc with a C. This is Mark with a K. He and Lottie are doing cheeseburger buns, which you can get those…they're different, I think. But that’s one of our favorite things to get at…in Avatar land. Well, it was one of our favorite things, but then the noodle bowls are so good there. So, Mark’s got mints, onion, and gherkins. Paul doesn't eat gherkins, though, and…which are pickles, I guess, apparently. So, no…so, he says, okay, you better do one without gherkins, then. Paul’s so strong on…and I say, man, I don't know, man, you may be missing out.
Maybe you're just not a sweet gherkins guy like me. You say, I need a pickle. I don't need a sweet…sweet pickles are for books and advertisements on TV. Yeah, don’t give me a sweet pickle, just to be clear for me, Scoots. I’ll have a pickle, so long as it’s not a sweet pickle. I’m looking for a dill or a sour pickle. Lottie’s also working on cheeseburger buns, though hers are gonna look a little bit more like cheeseburger buns. Hers are gonna be steamed in the thing. Sundried tomato and gherkin relish? Whoa, I didn’t even notice that the first watch. She’s making chips just to make them, even though she can't include them in their food. Paul wants one without a gherkin. Lottie’s like, maybe I’ll do it. I don't know. Which, I like that move. He goes…she goes, okay, I get it. No gherkin. Fine. A lot of gherkin talk. So, then we go back.
Everybody’s still working on their ingredients. You gotta be careful with moisture, they say. So, you gotta…it’s tough to keep it dry and wet and keep the bun…I mean, this is where it gets complicated. It’s gonna get steamed on top of it. I’ve never steamed a bun before. I’ve bought frozen steamed buns, but…okay, Hermine’s putting some oyster sauce in right now. She’s doing some Japanese flavors. She’s working on chicken…her buns are gonna look like pandas. Spiced chicken, shiitake mushrooms, chili…fresh chili. So, they go to her. You've been very consistent, huh? She goes, thanks for the vote of confidence. They say, yeah, well…she goes, it’s been a learning journey. But she goes, yeah, I like to do French and…Japanese and French-influenced cooking.
So, I have good knowledge of patissiere, so…which I had to look up last week. Okay, so they say, good luck. She goes, yeah, I’m the most consistent. Isn't that lovely? Paul complimented me. Hopefully…I better get back to work. Okay, then we're…no soggy buns. We're halfway through. Umami…pandas for…proven doughs must be uniform. Some people are eyeballing it. Some people are winging it. No relish for Paul. You don’t want your dough to split when you're…when moving on to the next phase. Everybody tries to start assembling their buns and their fillings. It’s very challenging. So, yeah, I’m watching here. Berry challenging? No, very challenging. Not very many berries in this one. You got Mark V. Lottie, so that’s a little bit of competition. But yeah, you don’t want it spilling out of the dough. Two-thirds filling? I don't know.
How much? Is Paul gonna like it? Yeah, if you put too much filling in, it’s gonna be disastrous. Who’s that? Is that Peter? He’s put too much in. So, he said, one of them does…is the right amount. So, maybe they’ll just eat that one. Plump sheep is…you gotta keep them airtight for, what, fifteen minutes? How long do you steam them for? Steamed chips? Lottie making chips? You gonna steam them? No, I don't think so. Gotta be precise. But she’s actually making crisps. Aren't chips crisps? Fries are chips and crisps are chips. She’s doing steamed…she’s joking about that. She’s not making steamed chips. Then everybody has to decorate their buns. Pre-steaming…so, some people are steaming; some are not. Full steam ahead, somebody just said.
It’s got…oh, by the way, you can't open your steamer once you…change the cooking time, right? It’ll let all the air out. I’ve never used one of these traditional steamers before, these bamboo steamers. Now that I’m seeing them in action, I say, why haven't I? So, let’s see, Laura’s steaming. Who’s that? One of the Marks, I think, is steaming. Lottie’s steaming. Noel’s talking about…yeah, you won't know how good your buns came out, 'cause if you open it, it’s a no go. Ten minutes left. Steaming’s…Noel pretended…Matt pretended he was…they did a voice switcheroo. Everybody’s just kinda sitting there letting their things steam. Everybody’s using a different type of technique; a wok, a pan, a frying pan, whatever that’s…some other pan. Not a pot…a pot. Wok, pan, pot…however you wish.
Noel starts interviewing Lottie. Cakes are boring. So, I’d rather do something like this. She’s working on her chips. Who’s that? Peter? Is that his name? He’s checking his. Marc’s with a C are very big, puffed up. One minute left. Everybody’s taking them out. Again, these edits, they do it for excitement, for the viewer. Now, Laura’s did not come out very well. Hers kinda changed. Something in them changed, or I guess because of the dough, the filling’s showing through. But a lot of them…Dave’s look really good. Laura’s look tasty; they just don’t look fancy. Okay, so step away from your buns, even the sheep. Only one…okay, so they go…they puffed up. We start with Hermine. These eyes are a little bit bigger than we expected, or they should be bigger…of her pandas. They look untidy, according to Paul or Prue.
Prue loves it, though. They do need bigger eyes; that’s what they say. Once they get into it, Prue loves it. Soft, chewy, delicious, full flavor, packs a punch. Paul’s big on pointing out to everybody the doming and the stuff with the bread. But lovely, delicious filling. So, it really goes well for Hermine. Shaping could be neater, but flavor’s good, so, that’s how they leave it there. Paul’s hand’s in his pocket. They go to Mark with a K; burger buns. They go, smooth top, actually. Some of the sesame fell off. Well, I put a P on yours. It doesn't have a gherkin. Paul loves sesame seeds. Paul’s gotta…whatever. They say, okay, nice filling in the middle. Bready look. Good flavor, but the burger’s dry. It needed mayonnaise or ketchup, tomato ketchup, actually. Taste is good. Bun’s good. Chewy, smooth top, baked all the way through.
Simple but effective, but a little dry. We go to Laura’s. They go, you got some issues with the dough; seepage. Too much filling, probably. Irregular. You could see the arch. It’s come through. Bread’s bursting. Too much…I don't know, something like that. Smells fantastic. Tastes lovely. A bit dry. Tastes wonderful. Flavor’s wonderful, Prue says. Meat’s tough, though. Needs more sticky sauce. Very, very dry. Then we go to Marc with a C. Mm-dal, like mm-bop. Look lovely. They touched one another in the steamer 'cause they were so big. Lost their shape a bit. Color and decoration look good. They take a bite of that. Lentil dal apple…okay. It’s got a bit of a bite in the apple, which is unusual. Paprika works well. Curry in the middle…carrying the flavor. The only issue is the size, but Prue says, well, I like these size of buns.
Then Dave’s up. I like the color. Great. I like the marking. Okay, but the filling tried to push through, but it did a little bit maybe in some spots. Nice and shiny. Got the arch, flavor, as Paul says. Love the chicken. Texture’s great. Bread’s lovely. Bun…but needed more filling or stronger curry. Yeah, you managed to get the flavor, the arch through. That’s delicious, but it’s not coming through enough. Then we go to Peter. They say, okay, creases…the air pockets had a little shrinkage, but they do look round. Aromatic…okay. It’s tightened up around the meat, though, so you're pulled away. There’s very little dough, more meat than dough, Paul says. Too much filling. Tastes wonderful. Love the flavor. Flavors are great. Just watch the buns. Then Lottie’s up. It looks like a burger, and…but it’s…spot on, but dry.
No gherkins in yours, Paul. Decoration’s nice. It’s got everything in there. Steamed it in the bun. Better taste good. Prue says that. She likes it, though. Having a dry burger, but nonetheless a burger. Flavor’s spot on. Can't believe you cooked it in there. It’s difficult steaming, but you got the right…you did it. Probably needed a little bit more fat, Paul says in there. Maybe that would have made it more balanced. We go to talking heads. Lottie’s pleased. She says, the relish is what…why it wasn’t dry, so…Mark is chuffed. So, he’s like, but I’ve been in this position before. I want to keep this momentum up and push through the next two challenges. Peter’s like, man, I got bad feedback, but I better pull it back. I’ve been relatively good, so hopefully I can continue.
We get some outside shots…go back to a gingham…the gingham mystery. Shrouded in gingham. Only guess what awaits them…the only gingham mystery. I mean, what if the gingham things were gone? That would be the mystery. Prue’s thing…any word of advice? Read the recipe and do not worry. This is gonna be…Paul and Prue won't be here, so…they're gonna leave the tent. Don't worry, they say. That’s…it’s a matcha crepe cake. Twelve matcha-filled crepes stacked on one another, layered with strawberries, white chocolate ganache, buttercream, and topped with fruit and edible flowers in two hours. On your mark, get set, bake. They say, what? I never made crepes. What is a matcha crepe? A lot of people don’t like matcha. Okay, what could go wrong, though? The other people are like, I’ve made crepes before.
So, then we see it. It looks like…very fancy. It looks like something that would be more savory than sweet. Very thin layers, very thin strawberries, but you get the matcha with the strawberries and it kinda…the sweetness and the bitterness cut each other. So, how do you think this is gonna work? Well, consistency’s gonna be tough. Yeah, you gotta make thin crepes and you gotta…you only have enough to make eleven or twelve. Then you gotta make sure it gets set. So, they say, man, I could eat this all day. Okay, so, batter, milk…you got stuff cooking. Put in some eggs, put in some butter. Don’t overcook it. Then, yeah, a lot of people are like, man, I’m not sure about this matcha. It’s too grassy. Do you reckon? Too green and not appetizing look.
Hermine says, yeah, I like to drink it, but I don't know if…about baking with it, but I’ll do my best…or whatever. I don't think this is actually baking. Then you gotta make the buttercream, Swiss meringue, hot sugar. What do you…what does that mean? Hot sugar? I don't know. Heat up your eggs and sugar on a bain-marie until it all dissolves, and then you froth it up, Peter says. You're looking for a particular temperature? 34.6? No idea, Lottie says. Mark with a K has got peaks. Whisking the butter ‘til it’s light and fluffy…some people are doing it by hand; other people are using the machine. Laura has to start her butter…with a new batch of butter. Okay, is it light and fluffy? Add the chocolate ganache. Add in the meringue. Or, those might be the same thing. I have no idea. You gotta keep the air in.
So, do you whisk it or do you fold it? That’s what people are trying to figure out. How thin are you gonna cut your strawberries? Mark, yours are too thick, man. He’s like, well, yeah, it’s hard. Him and Lottie are giving each other a hard time. It’s windy outside, then it’s sunny outside. Halfway through. Matt has cupcakes, but Noel does not want one. It’s about precision. So, these crepes are super thin on some sort of crepe pan. This kind of set…Noel seems to be encouraging bad behavior here, 'cause he keeps telling people to flip their crepes on their own, like a pancake in an American movie. I don't know if the contestants really need that kind of thing. He says, hey, let me flip it. Are you gonna use it? First he does it to Laura. It seems really difficult, especially on the first crepe, 'cause each crepe’s gotta get smaller.
Or, I don't know, some of them are smaller; some of them are bigger. Do you need to flip it? I don't think you do, actually. Peter’s falls apart, 'cause it’s supposed to look like…a little bit like a green tortilla when it comes off. Like a large pancake? Well, it’s gotta be thinner than that. So, yeah, everybody’s like, man, this is tough. Am I gonna have enough mix left, is the question. That is the question. Noel’s trying to get people to flip it. If you flip it by hand, it depends on how strong your construction is. Who’s that, Peter? It’s Dave and Peter, right? I get those two…then you gotta use…you make one big one and then eleven 24-centimeter ones. You only have enough stuff to do it, so…oh boy, am I gonna have enough layers? I don't know. Mark’s counting his layers. He has six right now. Everybody’s gonna be close.
Noel’s trying to get Dave to flip one. He’s thinking about it. Say, man, focus on your cooking, man. Hit the road, Jack. Mark’s trying to stretch his out, both Marks. Dave does do a one-handed flip. So, Noel says, you should win. Mark’s got up to seven or eight, but he’s…I don't think he’s gonna get twelve. Laura’s not gonna have enough, either. A breeze is picking up. A half-hour left. Then you gotta cut baking paper by…50 x 10. Oh, to make your crepe carrier. Then you start spreading on the filling. You start to layer it, right? Fillings and layers…and everybody’s like, I don't understand how thick to do it and all that. Then strawberries, then frosting, then crepes, then frosting. The last crepe…then use your crepe carrier to scoop it up and put it on…put it in a bowl. It looks very spinach-tortilla like.
Then you gotta put it in the fridge. Or, I don't know when you take your paper out…or freezer; it looks like people are putting it in the freezer. Mark with a K is having a real tough time. Then we see the outside looks good. Ten minutes left, ten minutes left. So, you gotta take the cake out, then you start to decorate it. You gotta put flowers and stuff on there, according to Prue’s instructions. Some people’s are leaking out the side. Other people’s look self-contained. Let’s see, then you put more matcha powder on the top. Crescent shape…a crescent of fruit. Is that like a half crescent moon? Yeah, that’s what it is. You sure? I don't know. One minute left. There’s more decorating. I don't know, Dave says. I got all four seasons, I guess.
Everybody’s doing their final touches with the edible flowers, cleaning their thing, and the time is up. Looks like a crepe cake. Game, set, matcha, Peter says. Okay, so then we start the judging here. One minute…okay, so they start with Mark. No…and folder are tea thick…too-thick strawberries. Flavor’s not bad. That’s Mark with a K. Semicircle looks okay. Oh, not perfectly unfolded. Yeah, it looks kinda like a cream-cheese type…it’s something you'd have at brunch. That’s savory, for sure. I mean, maybe you could do a savory version of it. He says, yeah, your flavor’s not bad. Then Dave’s up. Looks okay. Very nice, but not a semicircle on the top, so…ganache looks okay. Strawberries are thin. Okay, white chocolate flavor…just not well decorated. Then Hermine; full circle. It’s a bit a mess, but layers are nice and neat.
Inside better than the outside. Light ganache…Lottie’s a bit neater. Too much coconut on top. It’s supposed to feature the matcha. It cuts well. Pretty neat on the inside. Tastes good. Ganache is delicious; silky smooth. Then Peter…I quite like this one. This is what it should look like. Let’s have a look inside. Very nice. Good flavor of ganache. I like it. Very good. Then Laura…this is a little small, thin…let’s take a look inside. Not very many layers. Not very thick. A bit chewy, too. Then the last one is Marc with a C. A bit mess…a bit mottled. Not too many layers. Very thick. Not a lot…too much filling, 'cause there’s not enough pancakes. Then we go…seven; Laura, six; Marc with a C, five; Mark with a K, four; Hermine, three; Dave, two; Lottie, and one; Peter.
They kinda run through…come on, you gotta cut your strawberries thinner and have enough layers, and it’s gotta look nice. So, it would eliminate me on all counts. So, yeah, it’s a good thing I’m not on the show. Alright, then it’s time for the showstopper, right? First we do talking heads, though. ‘Chuffed’ is said multiple times. For this episode, it’s a lot of chuffing. Oh, they're still talking about Peter’s thing. Great job, dude. He’s like, okay, I was at the bottom of the pile this morning. I needed a strong performance. I’m absolutely chuffed. I think I’ll sleep better tonight. Mark with a K is disappointed. It’s tight margins, miniscule. Laura’s like, I didn’t want to come in last, but I have no love for matcha. She’s like, it’s like a swamp. Then we see some sheep outside. The sun’s setting or rising.
Everybody goes back into the tent. Some have coats; some do not. We walk in, then we go to table talk. Paul, you were just in Japan. How do you find our competition going? He goes, I’m surprised how good it is so far. It’s quite difficult to do the steamed buns and the crepe. Most achieved it. So, let’s see what the showstopper brings, right? Lottie and Dave are doing well. They're in line for Star Baker. At the bottom is Laura…struggled in the technical and the signature. Hermine’s in the middle. Mark L…that’s Mark with a K. He goes, as a judge, you gotta put your…take your opinions on flavors like gherkins and put them aside. He doesn't say that, but…they say, yeah, what about the…? Do you not like gherkins or matcha or green food? Noel says, I just like looking at the stuff. They all have a laugh.
Then we go back to the tent. They say, okay, morning, bakers. Welcome back for the showstopper. The judges want you to make a kawaii cake. Remember kawaii from…? It’s a style rooted in Japanese culture. It means all things cute and charming, according to Noel, cute and charming like me and Matt. He says, I thought we were little and often. Okay, so, sponge something…sponge and stuff should be…take your inspiration from Japan. Four hours. On your mark, get set, bake. So, then people are starting to make their eggs. Kawaii means cute. Different people are going in different directions with it. Paul says, think animation. Think cartoon. Chiffon or angel cakes…it’s gotta be light. Prue would like Japanese flavors; yuzu, matcha, sake.
Colorful, vibrant, neat, is what Paul wants…sharp, professional, look cute, taste good. So, Mark with a K is up first. Tell us…he’s making a avocado cake, two avocado halves that look like kawaii-style emojis with smiles or something. So, it sounds cute. Marshmallow fondant, ruby biscuits, and even a little surprise. Tempered milk chocolate…so, a lot of treats there. They say, oh, wow, interesting. Okay, you're really ready, Mark. They all have a laugh. You gotta do this cake. Marc with a C is doing soybean. You gotta have a balance of flavors. Dave’s using matcha and rosewater. Matcha’s earthy. Floral flavor to complement it. He’s doing his dog, which is a Shiba. Vanilla buttercream, apple jam…his dog…yeah, he has a Japanese dog. Shiba inu, Yoki, for Yokohama, the city in Japan.
Dave’s not the only one with a canine companion or alliteration. Marc with a C is doing Hamish, his border terrier, who’s cheeky. So, he’s doing it like his dog, which his is really cute. Lemon Swiss meringue buttercream, two sponges, ginger, tahini, ginger and soybean. Is it gonna look like a dog, they ask him? He says, yeah, it’s gonna look like a dog. Is it gonna have fondant, though? What if it…concert…something…the cake? That’s one of Paul’s focuses this judging round, like leakage into the cake or cake compression. Alright, so, cake Castella…fairly robust cake, like a kitchen sponge. Yeah, you don’t want your cake to buckle under the weight of decoration. So, yeah. So, that’s like, the pressure’s on there, too. Lottie’s doing a jiggle cake, cotton jiggle cake in a toadstool. Jiggle is a souffle.
You gotta jiggle it to see if it’s cooked. It could be top-heavy if it’s a toadstool. Yeah, I’m going for it, though. It will have a face. So, it’s a cute, red toadstool. Fudge pebbles, black cherries, whiskey fudge, pulled sugar candyfloss, biscuit bamboo. So, you got a lot going on. That’s ambitious, Lottie, Prue says, okay? Careful. Hermine…a little closer to home, her inspiration. When she worked in Slough, there was a lovely Japanese garden there where you could go in and have lunch…and walking around. It inspired me. Peaceful, calming…so, Hermine’s hoping the simplicity of her vanilla sponge with fresh strawberries…Genoise, marshmallow fondant tree…tranquil Japanese garden, cherry blossom…gonna be some modeling chocolate for the tree and the blossoms, and then someone with a flowing gown.
It’s gotta…it might look good, but it better taste good, Paul says. So, then everybody’s putting their stuff in the oven. Some people are using a water bath, a warm bath. Who doesn't prefer a warm bath? Sponges in the oven. Now you gotta make your fillings. Yuzu curd…lime and yuzu curd. Japanese lime is a bit more tangy. Japanese whiskey, somebody’s putting in. Lottie…Peter’s using pears for the filling, poached pears. He’s doing Dizzy the shuttlecock. Really cute, he says, anthropomorphic shuttlecock, 'cause him and his brother play badminton. So, that’s a cute one, too. His is gonna have Castella sponge, chopped, poached pears, a bunch of different color layers. Noel says, do you think you could teach my daughter, Dali, to play badminton? Too young. She’s two. Yeah, we have a boy who is three, though.
Then they talk about geese and shuttlecocks and all that stuff. Fun facts. Talking about flying birds and stuff. Noel’s like, you're going…what’s going on with you, man? You're like a sleep podcaster today. You got fun facts and everything. He goes, I love it, I love it. Then we have Laura. Kinda pressure’s on. It’s a big one for Laura, so…doing a pineapple, an upside-down pineapple cake. This is brilliant, but the pineapple’s what’s gonna be upside-down. Kawaii pineapple…I feel like this is one of the ones that actually gets the kawaii style. Swiss meringue, buttercream, poached pineapple, chiffon…it’s upside-down, standing on its head. She goes, yeah, I gotta do it or I’m gonna go home, so…she goes, I need the positivity. So, yeah, okay. We're halfway through. Yeah, like a pineapple handstand. Matt’s positive for her.
Paul’s watching her, though, like a hawk. She goes, hello, Paul. Thanks for staring at me. Get some more alliteration; decorative details. One hour left. Stacking and decorating layers…bang on…as everybody’s trying to put everything together. There’s fondant issues. Laura and Dave, they're having the fondant issues. Dave on Mark on loving brathon? Tears at fondant? I gotta wait ‘til this catches up. Keep going, keep going. Not bad. So, there’s definitely…oh, Laura’s…Noel’s like…or somebody’s helping Laura; just be like, keep going. You can do this, 'cause her fondant’s having a hard time…'cause everybody’s bringing their stuff out of the stuff, stacking their cakes as fast as they can. You gotta put your buttercream on there. Eight layers per avocado. How ambitious have we been?
Can we get this completed? There’s ten minutes left. Spirals…the jiggly cake, it seems like…Lottie’s is coming together, though. Bang…oh, she’s the one that says, bang on. What’s his name? Peter has to shape his like a shuttlecock. Laura hates fondant. Trying to take a break…I mean, it’s tearing, but I don't know, I think it’s fixable. So, the fondant’s basically like a dough that you gotta put over the cake. Marc with a C, his goes on smooth. Dave’s goes on pretty smooth, but…Skill Mcgill, Matt says. Laura’s like, yeah, fragile fondant, but hers seems to go on. There’s a couple tears, but I think they're fixable. I mean, compare…I mean, if I had to do it…so, she gets upset. That’s when Noel’s like, don't worry, just follow through. Get this done. Let’s get this done. He’s like, honestly, it looks good.
Honestly, you can do it, you can do it. Mark’s working on his avocado. His cake’s a little bit green. There’s ten minutes left. Everybody’s hurrying, like decorating the faces and making the shapes and trying to get the final touches on there and putting chocolates or whatever you can to make it all very decorative. What’s his name’s pretty happily…with himself, Peter. But other people are really…Laura can't remember what hers is supposed to look like, but…and Hamish looks good. There’s one minute left. So, everybody’s trying to get theirs to come together. The time is up. They say, okay, well, that’ll do it. Step away from your showstoppers. Everybody’s like, holy cow, that was intense. Then we go outside the tent. We see the break area. We see all their cakes; seven kawaii cakes. We see all of them. Peter goes first.
His even has sparklers as an effect. He’s got a story about Dizzy the shuttlecock…wee bump. They say, it’s lovely, funny, cute, a bit wild. Let’s take a look on the inside, though. Oh, wow, look at those layers. Never had a cake with that texture before. Delicious, chewy, but that’s the style. It needs more punch, though, 'cause the sponge is in your mouth for so long. But the right taste of flavors. Then Dave’s up. They say, okay, I like the theme of it. It’s got the feel. The creases are a bit of a letdown. You want to see a little bit smoother, but you got good layers. They're all straight. No shrink…crushing. Those are big cakes. They take a bite. Prue’s surprised. I wouldn't have thought rosewater and matcha were a combination, but they are. Beautiful buttercream, apple…this impresses me, Paul says. Baked really well.
Done a decent job. Then Lottie’s up, and they take a look at hers. It does jiggle. Okay, well, technically it jiggles. I love the concept. I just thought the head would be more…it’s delicate, though, and it’s stunning, the taste. Really good. Sponge is amazing. Perfect texture. The candyfloss is really good. Even Matt likes it. Or, Paul says, I haven't had something like this since…it’s cherry-drop candyfloss, which is cotton candy. But Paul says, I haven't had a cake like that since I was in Japan. Hermine goes next. They say, it’s a charming cake, but it’s not cute. So, I don't know about it as far as the assignment. Maybe some more colors. Fondant’s a little bit thick and the buttercream’s thick, but the flavors are great. You make a lovely Genoise sponge. You're a very good French baker, but not Japanese enough.
Then we have Marc with a C and Hamish the dog. Fantastic job. Looks amazing. Quite the character. You could see this in a bakery. I like the look of the inside. There is a bit of concertina crush. Top’s light, beautiful. Okay, tahini’s strong. That’s a surprise, but nice. Prue likes it. Ginger and lemon work well together. Nice two-top flavors. Thank you, Marc. Then we have Laura. Hers looks really cute, in my opinion. It’s the cutest one. I mean, Hamish is pretty cute, and the shuttlecock. It’s a very character…a bit like…I mean, it’s the most kawaii of the cakes, I believe. Okay, a little bit of a smushing 'cause of the weight of the fondant. It pushed down everything on the bottom, but it tastes amazing. Delicious, happy cake. Citrusy…pineapple’s there, strong. Sponges are light. Even the one on the bottom tastes good.
Flavor’s very good. Well done. Then we go to Mark. Avo…the avocados. It looks a little bit…cute, but scruffy and witty. Now it’s just gotta taste good. Accurate layering, but it’s a bit tight, the sponge. You got yuzu in there? Yeah. Okay, I get that, but there’s no other flavor, and it’s dry. There should have been oil from the avocado in there. It should be silky smooth. That’s too bad. Mark says, try the cake at the bottom. They say, no. He thought it was gonna be better. They were like, yeah, it might be worse. They even say it might be inedible, which is not very nice. Only your biscuit is good, but that’s only one percent of your cake. So, then they go to talking heads. He’s like, that did not go well. They used the word ‘inedible’. It’s Week 6, you know? Lottie’s chuffed. More chuffing, you know? Cotton jiggle…okay.
Lottie says, I’ll take it. Laura’s like, I was worried, but I did good on this one, so at least I did what I could control. Okay, then we see the breeze, then we go to the talking…this is the first week, Matt says, I’ve been here that every showstopper was great to look at. Yeah, Mark E, he’s in line to be Star Baker. Dave did pretty good. Lottie did good. Her sponge was incredible. Paul says, in eleven series, I’ve never tasted sponge like that. Mark L was a disappointment, though. He got the kawaii part, but the cake wasn’t good. Laura, she did well. She dropped an ace with that last cake. Yeah, that’s the first time we’ve seen her do that. So, we gotta look at all three over well…over all. Mark K, Laura, and Hermine’s not doing great either today, or this week. This is Paul’s 100th episode. They say, how about some bubbly?
He goes, more than a glass. A bath of bubbly, Noel says, for you. Then we head out. We got a lot of frown…Laura and Mark L…or Mark with a K are frowning. Paul’s hands are in his pockets. This was a joy. Japanese Week was a joy. The showstoppers were fantastic. Noel gets to do Star Baker, and he says that person is…he doesn't say ‘uh’ though. He just pauses for a while…Lottie. She shakes her head, kinda humble, you know. But you could tell she’s happy. Then Matt means…that’s…means I gotta give you the not-great news. This is somebody who always has a smile, somebody I bonded with, Matt says, I adore…we're all gonna miss. That baker who’s headed out is…they pause again.
I kinda knew…this one you kinda know who’s going home, I mean, I felt like. Mark L…just 'cause Laura did so good. So, they give her hugs around. There’s some tears. Well, when you know, you know. He goes, I thought it was my time. They're happy tears, as well, though. Made it to Week 6 of Bake Off. He should be proud. He’s very charming, too. Made a bunch of friends and baked new things. It was a great experience. Brilliant start to finish it has been. So, yeah. Then he’s got tears. He did good. Prue says, it’s…then Prue says, yeah, so sorry for Mark. Thought Laura was gonna go, but she did a great showstopper, so…one bad cake.
That’s it. Changed everything. Matt even says, Laura, I thought you were gone. Laura was like, yeah, I thought, should I pack? Should I take the M25, the M2 or the A4 home? What a relief. Lottie’s like, final six. I can't believe it. Game on. None of us thought we’d make it this far. Whole new ball game. So, we got a lot to do in the practice tent, all of us. The episode comes to a close. I’ll say goodnight, bakers. Sleep well. Ready, set, goodnight from Scooter to all of you. Goodnight.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)
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GBBO
Grammar Police
https://www.the-emigre.com/column/dont-defund-grammar-police
GBBO C8/S11 E6 Review
https://www.vulture.com/2020/10/great-british-baking-show-episode-6-recap-japanese-week.html
Kawaii
https://www.ejable.com/japan-corner/japanese-culture/kawaii-culture/
https://candyalpacas.medium.com/brutally-cute-kawaii-as-a-form-of-rebellion-91ba30a8c931
Matcha
https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/relentless-rise-of-matcha
https://www.teaandcoffee.net/feature/35258/ceremonial-to-tiktok-trending-the-evolution-of-matcha/
DOWN TO BUSINESS
On your marks, get set…what comes next?
The most meandering incomprehensible GBBO bake off
For your sleeping and chilling pleasure
You don’t have to be my friend
I was there last night
Right now we’re here together
PLUGS
Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline; Referral Program
SPONSORS
Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Quince; Mint Mobile
INTRO
I’m recording this episode right after the time change and some travel
Pseudo or Whatever
Somewhere out there can really relate to how you feel
Maybe one day you’ll be the one rooting for the new listener
Of course you just want to live your life
I definitely use filler words
Going to the Filler Word Station
Fill ‘er up with filler words
Covered in filler words
If I ever start making outfits for the show, that’s a good idea
Bespoke Filler Word Snuggie
Covered in bumper stickers
You don’t need to listen to this, but you could
The Council Against Filler Words (CAFW)
Defying expectations in good or bad ways
It’s fine if you don’t like me
sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
No pressure to fall asleep
I’m not here to be a guru, just your bore friend
How do you feel about me being your Boris Boreloff?
Explaining the show structure
A buffer between being awake and asleep
Hopefully it can be part of your regular routine
And then you can support the show back
You count on us, we count on you
STORY
Week 6, Japanese Week
Noel is dressed like some sort of character
I’m doing my first retro play through of Chrono … something
A papier mache helmet
Dressing like a mango, wait a manga
Old Mango Head
First time ever doing Japanese week
It’s a new thing – a level playing field
Signature Challenge
8 soft Japanese steamed buns, 2 different kinds
Holy Moly Prue’s Outfit
I don’t know what fuschia is but it looks great
A lot of stuff on the reddish-pink spectrum
Usually it would be jarring but it works here!
Dave – Turmeric to change color of the dough. Katsu Curry Buns
Character-Based Buns (CBBs)
Laura is making piggie buns
Peter is making wee lambs
Cooking in the bun through steaming
Peter likes saying, “Wee”
The Windowpane Test
I’ve never been able to do this
Filling-making Time
All kinds of inspiration
Laurie – Chinese flavored pork
She’s gonna cook it and then put it in the bun
Marc is doing flavors from India for his daughter
Daughter’s Daal
Mark and Lottie are both doing cheeseburger buns
I do love the cheeseburger buns from Avatar Land
Paul doesn’t eat gherkins
I don’t like sweet pickles to be clear
Whoa, Lottie has sun-dried tomatoes
Lottie maybe won’t include gherkins
A lot of gherkin talk
Lottie is making chips but she can’t include them
You have to be careful with moisture
I’ve never steamed a bun before
Hermine – Japanese flavors, her buns will look like padas
Spiced Chicken, shiitake, chili
She likes French and Japanese cooking
Always consistent is Hermine
Umami pandas
Assembling buns and fillings is very challenging
Mark v Lottie in Cheeseburger competition
Don’t want too much filling
Peter put too much in his plump sheep
Fries vs Chips vs Crisps
Full Steam Ahead!
You can’t open the steamer once you close it
Why haven’t I used a bamboo steamer before?
Wok, Pan, Pot, however you like
Lottie works on her chips
Marc’s are very big
Laura’s did not come out very well
The filling is showing through
Dave’s look really good
Hermine – eyes should be bigger, look untidy, Prue loves the flavor, delicious feeling, need better shaping
Mark – smooth top, no gherkin for Paul, Paul wants sesame seeds, nice filling, burger is dry, needs sauce
Laura – too much filling caused dough seepage, good dome, good flavor, a bit dry
Marc – look lovely, lost shape because they’re too big, a bit of bite to it, good flavor
Dave – great color, marking, good arch, great texture and flavor – needed more filling or stronger curry
Peter – a little shrinkage, air pockets, more meat than dough, good flavor, not great buns
Lottie – spot on but dry, good decorations, tastes good, good steaming in the bun, needed more fat
Lottie is pleased
Peter is rattled
Technical Time
The Old Gingham Mystery
12 Matcha Crepe Cakes with white chocolate ganache buttercream
It looks like it’d be more savory than sweet
Matcha matches with strawberry
They only have enough dough to make 12
Don’t overcook it
Matcha is too grassy, according to most people
Hermine likes to drink it, not bake it
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Hot sugar? What?
Mark has peaks
Laura has to start her buttercream over
Do you whisk it or fold it?
How thin do you cut your strawberries?
Halfway Through
Super Thin Crepes and Cakes
Noel keeps encouraging bad behavior with these crepes
I don’t think you need to flip it, Noel
Peter’s fall apart
Green Tortilla
Will there be enough mix left?
One big one and 11 slightly smaller ones
It’s gonna be close
Hit the road, Noel
Dave does a one handed flip!
Laura won’t have enough
30 minutes left
Making a crepe carrier
Spreading the filling
Crepe, Strawberry, Frosting
Scoop it up and put it in a bowl, then chill it in a fridge
Mark is having a tough time
Decorating time
Some cakes are leaking
More matcha powder on top
A crescent of fruit
Time is up
Game Set Matcha
Mark – too thick strawberries, not bad flavor, okay shape, not perfectly enfolded
Dave – looks okay, very nice, not great shape, not well decorated, good flavor
Hermine – full circle, a bit of a mess, nice layers and flavor
Lottie – neat, too much coconut, cuts well, neat inside, tastes great
Peter – what it should look like, great flavor, very good
Laura – small, thin, not enough layers, a bit chewy
Marc – a bit of a mess, a bit mottled, too much filling
Laura is last
Peter wins the Technical!
A lot of chuffing for this episode
Peter is chuffed
Mark and Laura are disapointed
Paul has been pleasantly surprised so far this week
Lottie and Dave are doing well
Laura is currently at the bottom
Mark and Hermine are in the middle
A Kawaii Cake
All things cute and charming
Different definitions of cute
Prue wants japanese flavors
Paul wants it neat, colorful, and vibrant
Mark – Avocado cake with kawaii emojis, marshmallow fondant, ruby biscuits
Marc – Hamish, his border terrier, lemon swiss meringue, ginger and soybean
Dave – doing his shiba inu dog – matcha and rosewater
Paul is really focused on cake compression
Lottie – Cotton Jiggle Cake, a toadstool souffle, could be top-heavy
Black cherries, whisky, fudge, ambitious
Hermine – modeled on a Japanese garden, peaceful, calming, simple
Vanilla sponge with fresh strawberries, cherry blossom trees
Some people use a water bath for their bakes
Time to make filling
Lime Uzu Curd
Peter is using poached pears – Anthropomorphic Shuttlecock
Peter loves badminton
Fun facts about geese AKA a real sleep podcaster conversation
Pressure is on for Laura
An upside down pineapple cake
This one truly feels like kawaii
Pineapple Handstand
Stacking their cakes as fast as they can
10 minutes left
Lottie’s is coming together
Laura hates fondant
Marc’s fondant goes on smooth
Dave’s fondant goes on smooth
Laura has some fragile fondant
Laura gets upset and Noel keeps her going
Decorating cute faces
Peter is pretty pleased with himself
Marc’s dog Hamish looks great
Time is up!
Peter – His has sparklers! A story about a shuttlecock, lovely, funny, cute, delicious, chewy, needs more punch
Dave – great theme and feel, should be smoother, big cakes that didn’t crush, beautiful flavor, great bake, a decent job
Lottie – it does jiggle, but it’s delicate, stunning taste, perfect texture, great candy floss
Hermine – charming cake but not cute, fondant and buttercream too thick, great flavors, not Japanese enough
Marc – fantastic dog Hamish, looks amazing, a little bit of concertina crush, strong tahini flavor, nice flavors
Laura – I think hers is the cutest, a little bit of smushing, tastes amazing, delicious, happy, light sponge, very good flavor
Mark – cute, but scruffy and witty, sponge is a bit tight, not enough flavor, a bit dry, should be smoother, might be inedible, only the biscuit is good
That did not go well with Mark
Lottie is chuffed!
Laura is relieved with her work
Talking Heads
Marc is in line to be star baker, as is Lottie
Mark L is a disappointment
Laura dropped an ace with that last cake
Hermine didn’t do well this week
Some bubbly for Paul’s 100th episode
Lottie is Star Baker!
She’s humble but happy
Mark L is going home (not a big surprise)
A lot of happy tears
Laura was planning her route home
The Final Six!
Sleep well, bakers
SUMMARY:
Episode: 1359
Title: Japanese Week | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E6
Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline; Referral Program
Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Quince; Mint Mobile
Notable Language:
- Pseudo or Whatever
- Filler World Station
- Fill ‘er up with filler words
- Bespoke Filler Word Snuggie
- The Council Against Filler Words (CAFW)
- Boris Boreloff
- Old Mango Head
- Reddish Pink Spectrum
- Character-Based Buns (CBBs)
- Wee
- Daughter’s Daal
- Umami pandas
- Full Steam Ahead!
- The Old Gingham Mystery
- Green Tortilla
- A crescent of fruit
- Game Set Matcha
- A lot of chuffing
- Kawaii
- Cake Compression
- Anthropomorphic Shuttlecock
- Pineapple Handstand
Notable Culture:
- Great British Bake Off
-
- Snuggie
- The Council Against Filler Words (CAFW)
- sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- Boris Karloff
- Chronotrigger
- Avatar Land
- Kawaii
Notable Talking Points:
- I’m recording this episode right after the time change and some travel
- Pseudo or Whatever
- Somewhere out there can really relate to how you feel
- Maybe one day you’ll be the one rooting for the new listener
- Of course you just want to live your life
- I definitely use filler words
- Going to the Filler Word Station
- Fill ‘er up with filler words
- Covered in filler words
- If I ever start making outfits for the show, that’s a good idea
- Bespoke Filler Word Snuggie
- Covered in bumper stickers
- You don’t need to listen to this, but you could
- The Council Against Filler Words (CAFW)
- Defying expectations in good or bad ways
- It’s fine if you don’t like me
- sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- No pressure to fall asleep
- I’m not here to be a guru, just your bore friend
- How do you feel about me being your Boris Boreloff?
- Explaining the show structure
- A buffer between being awake and asleep
- Hopefully it can be part of your regular routine
- And then you can support the show back
- You count on us, we count on you
- Week 6, Japanese Week
- Noel is dressed like some sort of character
- I’m doing my first retro play through of Chrono … something
- A papier mache helmet
- Dressing like a mango, wait a manga
- Old Mango Head
- First time ever doing Japanese week
- It’s a new thing – a level playing field
- Signature Challenge
- 8 soft Japanese steamed buns, 2 different kinds
- Holy Moly Prue’s Outfit
- I don’t know what fuschia is but it looks great
- A lot of stuff on the reddish-pink spectrum
- Usually it would be jarring but it works here!
- Dave – Turmeric to change color of the dough. Katsu Curry Buns
- Character-Based Buns (CBBs)
- Laura is making piggie buns
- Peter is making wee lambs
- Cooking in the bun through steaming
- Peter likes saying, “Wee”
- The Windowpane Test
- I’ve never been able to do this
- Filling-making Time
- All kinds of inspiration
- Laurie – Chinese flavored pork
- She’s gonna cook it and then put it in the bun
- Marc is doing flavors from India for his daughter
- Daughter’s Daal
- Mark and Lottie are both doing cheeseburger buns
- I do love the cheeseburger buns from Avatar Land
- Paul doesn’t eat gherkins
- I don’t like sweet pickles to be clear
- Whoa, Lottie has sun-dried tomatoes
- Lottie maybe won’t include gherkins
- A lot of gherkin talk
- Lottie is making chips but she can’t include them
- You have to be careful with moisture
- I’ve never steamed a bun before
- Hermine – Japanese flavors, her buns will look like padas
- Spiced Chicken, shiitake, chili
- She likes French and Japanese cooking
- Always consistent is Hermine
- Umami pandas
- Assembling buns and fillings is very challenging
- Mark v Lottie in Cheeseburger competition
- Don’t want too much filling
- Peter put too much in his plump sheep
- Fries vs Chips vs Crisps
- Full Steam Ahead!
- You can’t open the steamer once you close it
- Why haven’t I used a bamboo steamer before?
- Wok, Pan, Pot, however you like
- Lottie works on her chips
- Marc’s are very big
- Laura’s did not come out very well
- The filling is showing through
- Dave’s look really good
- Hermine – eyes should be bigger, look untidy, Prue loves the flavor, delicious feeling, need better shaping
- Mark – smooth top, no gherkin for Paul, Paul wants sesame seeds, nice filling, burger is dry, needs sauce
- Laura – too much filling caused dough seepage, good dome, good flavor, a bit dry
- Marc – look lovely, lost shape because they’re too big, a bit of bite to it, good flavor
- Dave – great color, marking, good arch, great texture and flavor – needed more filling or stronger curry
- Peter – a little shrinkage, air pockets, more meat than dough, good flavor, not great buns
- Lottie – spot on but dry, good decorations, tastes good, good steaming in the bun, needed more fat
- Lottie is pleased
- Peter is rattled
- Technical Time
- The Old Gingham Mystery
- 12 Matcha Crepe Cakes with white chocolate ganache buttercream
- It looks like it’d be more savory than sweet
- Matcha matches with strawberry
- They only have enough dough to make 12
- Don’t overcook it
- Matcha is too grassy, according to most people
- Hermine likes to drink it, not bake it
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Hot sugar? What?
- Mark has peaks
- Laura has to start her buttercream over
- Do you whisk it or fold it?
- How thin do you cut your strawberries?
- Halfway Through
- Super Thin Crepes and Cakes
- Noel keeps encouraging bad behavior with these crepes
- I don’t think you need to flip it, Noel
- Peter’s fall apart
- Green Tortilla
- Will there be enough mix left?
- One big one and 11 slightly smaller ones
- It’s gonna be close
- Hit the road, Noel
- Dave does a one handed flip!
- Laura won’t have enough
- 30 minutes left
- Making a crepe carrier
- Spreading the filling
- Crepe, Strawberry, Frosting
- Scoop it up and put it in a bowl, then chill it in a fridge
- Mark is having a tough time
- Decorating time
- Some cakes are leaking
- More matcha powder on top
- A crescent of fruit
- Time is up
- Game Set Matcha
- Mark – too thick strawberries, not bad flavor, okay shape, not perfectly enfolded
- Dave – looks okay, very nice, not great shape, not well decorated, good flavor
- Hermine – full circle, a bit of a mess, nice layers and flavor
- Lottie – neat, too much coconut, cuts well, neat inside, tastes great
- Peter – what it should look like, great flavor, very good
- Laura – small, thin, not enough layers, a bit chewy
- Marc – a bit of a mess, a bit mottled, too much filling
- Laura is last
- Peter wins the Technical!
- A lot of chuffing for this episode
- Peter is chuffed
- Mark and Laura are disapointed
- Paul has been pleasantly surprised so far this week
- Lottie and Dave are doing well
- Laura is currently at the bottom
- Mark and Hermine are in the middle
- A Kawaii Cake
- All things cute and charming
- Different definitions of cute
- Prue wants japanese flavors
- Paul wants it neat, colorful, and vibrant
- Mark – Avocado cake with kawaii emojis, marshmallow fondant, ruby biscuits
- Marc – Hamish, his border terrier, lemon swiss meringue, ginger and soybean
- Dave – doing his shiba inu dog – matcha and rosewater
- Paul is really focused on cake compression
- Lottie – Cotton Jiggle Cake, a toadstool souffle, could be top-heavy
- Black cherries, whisky, fudge, ambitious
- Hermine – modeled on a Japanese garden, peaceful, calming, simple
- Vanilla sponge with fresh strawberries, cherry blossom trees
- Some people use a water bath for their bakes
- Time to make filling
- Lime Uzu Curd
- Peter is using poached pears – Anthropomorphic Shuttlecock
- Peter loves badminton
- Fun facts about geese AKA a real sleep podcaster conversation
- Pressure is on for Laura
- An upside down pineapple cake
- This one truly feels like kawaii
- Pineapple Handstand
- Stacking their cakes as fast as they can
- 10 minutes left
- Lottie’s is coming together
- Laura hates fondant
- Marc’s fondant goes on smooth
- Dave’s fondant goes on smooth
- Laura has some fragile fondant
- Laura gets upset and Noel keeps her going
- Decorating cute faces
- Peter is pretty pleased with himself
- Marc’s dog Hamish looks great
- Time is up!
- Peter – His has sparklers! A story about a shuttlecock, lovely, funny, cute, delicious, chewy, needs more punch
- Dave – great theme and feel, should be smoother, big cakes that didn’t crush, beautiful flavor, great bake, a decent job
- Lottie – it does jiggle, but it’s delicate, stunning taste, perfect texture, great candy floss
- Hermine – charming cake but not cute, fondant and buttercream too thick, great flavors, not Japanese enough
- Marc – fantastic dog Hamish, looks amazing, a little bit of concertina crush, strong tahini flavor, nice flavors
- Laura – I think hers is the cutest, a little bit of smushing, tastes amazing, delicious, happy, light sponge, very good flavor
- Mark – cute, but scruffy and witty, sponge is a bit tight, not enough flavor, a bit dry, should be smoother, might be inedible, only the biscuit is good
- That did not go well with Mark
- Lottie is chuffed!
- Laura is relieved with her work
- Talking Heads
- Marc is in line to be star baker, as is Lottie
- Mark L is a disappointment
- Laura dropped an ace with that last cake
- Hermine didn’t do well this week
- Some bubbly for Paul’s 100th episode
- Lottie is Star Baker!
- She’s humble but happy
- Mark L is going home (not a big surprise)
- A lot of happy tears
- Laura was planning her route home
- The Final Six!
- Sleep well, bakers
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