"As a bread baker, this is Paul Hollywood's de facto week, where all of the bakers are looking for his approval like he's the head judge when he's not. I wouldn't mind it so much if Prue had a week of her own, too, like South African Week, Statement Necklace Week, or Your MP Son Joins the Far Right Anti-Immigration Party Week."
"The one thing I don't like about it is that the monkey bread has to be savory. Ugh, no thanks. Who wants their monkey bread tasting like cheese, pears, and walnuts, which is basically what all of the bakers give us? I was a little sad there wasn't a New Yorker on the show to make a NYC pizzeria garlic knot monkey bread, which I would have demolished."
"No one seems to have a drastically difficult time with the challenge, and by no one, I mean everyone but Aaron and Pui Man. Aaron is attempting to make his version with onion, chili, fennel, and yeast extract, which you can already tell Paul hates. The problem is, even after proving it several times, it doesn't rise in the oven at all. It comes out of the oven like a bad stand-up comedy set: flat, ugly, and almost totally raw."
Bread Week centers Paul Hollywood's influence and creates a dynamic where bakers seek his approval despite him not being the head judge. The signature challenge requires bakers to produce a visually appealing monkey bread: a circular loaf of pull-apart balls. The challenge is framed as accessible yet elevated for competition settings. Producers required a savory monkey bread, prompting criticism for cheese, pear, and walnut combinations and a missed opportunity for a garlic-knot or sweet version. Most bakers complete the task, but Aaron's savory onion-chili-fennel loaf fails to rise and bakes flat and underdone, earning only minimal praise for flavor.
Read at Vulture
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