6 things you need if you miss 'The Great British Baking Show'
From aprons to coloring books, here's everything you need.
Credit:
Etsy / PonyChopsDesign / "The Great British Bake Off"
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The 11th season of The Great British Baking Show airing on Netflix earlier this fall was a beacon of hope, levity, and drool-worthy baking in a year when we needed it most. This highly bingeable series pairs cakes, scones, and all things baked with unscripted British charm, and if you've somehow made it this long without watching, do yourself a favor and start from the beginning.
But once you finish the latest season, maybe watch a holiday special or two, what do you do to fill that showstopper-bake-sized hole in your life? You read, bake, sip, and color your way to the next season using the items below. And while you're at it, maybe consider a rewatch because hearing the many variations of "On your marks, get set, bake!" truly never gets old.
1. Contestant cookbooks
Ruby Tandoh, Kim-Joy, and Chetna Makan are a few of the former contestants who've written cookbooks.
Many former contestants have launched successful careers after their time on the show—Season 2 winner Frances Quinn opened a custom cake businesses, Season 3 winner Nadiya Hussain baked Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday cake, and quite a few alumni have gone on to publish cookbooks. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Get Baking with Kim-Joy: Cute and Creative Bakes to Make You Smile by Kim-Joy at Amazon for $22.20
- Get Flavour: Eat What You Love by Ruby Tandoh Amazon for $34.61
- Get The Cardamom Trail: Chetna Bakes with Flavours of the East by Chetna Makan at Amazon for $22.38
2. Baking essentials
Make sure your kitchen is equipped with baking gear before you bake.
Bring some of the baking tent to your kitchen and host a virtual bake off with friends. To prepare for the main event, make sure you've got the basic tools for baking bread, cakes, and perhaps a pie or two.
- Get the Staub 5.5-Quart Cast Iron Round Cocotte Dutch Oven at Amazon for $259.95 (check out more options here)
- Get the Chicago Metallic Commercial II Non-Stick 9-Inch Round Cake Pan at Amazon for $13.35 (check out more options here)
- Get the Emile Henry Modern 9-InchClassics Pie Dish at Amazon for $50.52 (check out more options here)
3. The perfect baking outfit
Layer your love for The Great British Bake Off with this shirt and apron combo.
Sure, you could wear a chunky sweater à la host Noel Fielding, or you could dress to impress in this unofficial merch.
- Get the On Your Marks Get Set Bake Shirt on Etsy for $16.54
- Get the Star Baker Apron on Etsy for $26.90
4. Ready-to-eat treats for when your at-home bakes fail
If you can't be bothered to preheat the oven, order a pre-made baked good.
In case your bakes don't go as planned (never forget Iain's Baked Alaska meltdown), consider ordering one of these pre-made treats as backup. It'll be almost like you're sampling the finished bakes in the beautiful English countryside! Almost...
- Get the Angel Food Bakery Big Ass Jumbo D'oh!nut on Goldbelly for $49
- Get the Breads Bakery Chocolate Babka 3-Pack on Goldbelly for $49.95
5. The official Great British Bake Off coloring book
The illustrations in this coloring book look good enough to eat.
If you'd like to skip the actual baked goods all together (not sure why you'd do this, but to each their own!), snag a copy of the official GBBO coloring book. And don't forget the colored pencils!
Fun fact: Each illustration is drawn prior to the actual bake, based on the baker's description rather than the final product. This is done so that the illustration depicts the best possible outcome of the baking process so viewers can see the baker's dream bakes even if they don't always translate into a perfect bake.
Get 'The Great British Bake Off' Coloring Book by Tom Hovey at Amazon for $17.86
6. A slightly judgey pair of mugs
These mugs are perfect for sipping tea while your goodies bake.
Sip tea while you wait for your bake to finish like a true contestant, or enjoy your morning cup of coffee in one of these mugs. Quippy commentary not included.
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