Episode 1: Cakes

For their first bake, the contestants were required to make a Swiss Roll as their signature challenge in 2¹⁄₂ hours. For the technical bake, the bakers were set the challenge of baking a cherry cake in 2 hours using Mary Berry's recipe. In the showstopper challenge, the bakers were given 3¹⁄₂ hours to bake their own choice of classic British cakes in miniature. The bakers needed to make 36 cakes of identical size, shape and texture.

Episode 2: Biscuits

In the signature, the bakers had 2 hours to bake 36 savoury biscuits. In the technical challenge, they had 1¹⁄₄ hours with Mary Berry's recipe for 18 florentines, which the bakers found difficult. In the final challenge, the bakers had 4 hours to make a 3D biscuit scene/structure.

Episode 3: Bread

In bread week, the bakers firstly had to make 12 rye bread rolls in 3¹⁄₂ hours. In the technical challenge, they were given 3 hours to make 4 ciabatta loaves using Paul Hollywood's recipe, with the advice from Paul that they should be patient. In the showstopper, the bakers were required to make a bread centrepiece in 4 hours. The centrepiece should be a filled-loaf that is spectacular and tasty, and would be judged on its appearance, design and crust, and should be well-baked on the inside.

Episode 4: Desserts

For the signature bake, the judges gave the bakers two hours to make 8 self-saucing puddings, meaning the sauce should come from the bake itself. The bakers may choose to make either a fondant or a sponge which creates its own sauce at the bottom. In the technical, they had to bake Mary Berry's own tiramisu cake recipe in 2¹⁄₂ hours. In the showstopper, they had 4¹⁄₂ hours to make baked Alaskas.

Many of the bakers struggled to make baked Alaskas, as it was the hottest day of the year so far, and two of five refrigerators were broken, resulting in a struggle among the contestants for enough freezer space.^[23] During the bake, Diana took Iain's ice cream and sponge cake assembly out of the freezer to make room for hers, mistakenly leaving it out on a counter in the hot tent. When Iain found it, the ice cream had melted and, frustrated, he threw the sponge cake and melted ice cream in the dustbin. (It was later stated by producers that the dessert was only out for one minute.) Paul and Mary chastised him for this decision, explaining that they would rather have judged sample pieces of each baked Alaska component or even a melted final product than nothing at all, and his decision to present Paul and Mary with nothing to judge contributed to his elimination. Viewers of the show objected on Twitter, attacking Diana.^[23] Iain spoke out against these online attacks,^[23] and Diana claimed that the editing had distorted the truth, "stitching [her] up". She subsequently withdrew from the show after suffering an injury from a fall.^[24]

Episode 5: Pies and Tarts

For signature challenge, the bakers were set the task of a family-sized custard tart in 2¹⁄₂ hours. The tart should have a crispy base and silky custard. The technical challenge is set using one of Paul Hollywood's recipes, and the bakers were required to make 6 mini pear pies, which are poached pears surrounded by rough puff pastry, to be completed in 5 hours. In the showstopper, the bakers were tasked with making tiered pies in 4¹⁄₂ hours. The pies needed to be able to support themselves, and should have at least 3 tiers and share a common theme.

Episode 6: European Cakes

For the signature bake, the challenge was to bake a European-inspired cake, but it had to be leavened with yeast. The bakers were given 3 hours for the challenge. The technical challenge was set using one of Mary Berry's recipes for a Swedish Princess cake, Prinsesstårta. The recipe is the most complicated yet, requiring 26 separate ingredients with 14 stages, and to be completed in 2¹⁄₄ hours. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a contemporary version of the Hungarian Dobos Torte in 5 hours. The cake should have at least two tiers, with particular emphasis on caramel sugar work on the cake.

Episode 7: Pastry

In their first task, the bakers were set the challenge of making 12 savoury pastry parcels, to be completed in 1³⁄₄ hours. The parcels can be of any type of pastries, but should be uniform in size, well-filled, perfectly cooked and well-sealed to prevent leaks. The technical bake was, for the first time that none of the bakers had heard of, the Breton pastry, kouign-amann, using one of Paul Hollywood's recipes. The bakers should make 12 identical kouign-amanns in 3¹⁄₂ hours. For the final challenge, the bakers were required to make 24 éclairs of two different flavours (12 of each) in 4 hours. The éclairs should be made of choux pastry and éclair-shaped, otherwise the bakers were free to do as they wished to produce a showstopper.

Episode 8: Advanced Dough

For the signature bake, they were given the challenge of making sweet fruit loaves that must be free form. They had 2¹⁄₂ hours for the bake which is challenging as the bakers were required to use enriched dough which takes longer to proof. In the technical, they had 2¹⁄₂ hours to make a povitica, which Chetna had made for her signature loaf. This technical challenge was particularly hard for most of the bakers, many of whose loafs were raw inside and deemed unsafe to eat. Doughnuts were set as the challenge in the final task, and the bakers were required to make 18 each of two different sorts, to be completed in 4 hours.

Episode 9: Pâtisserie (Semi-final)

For the signature challenge, the bakers had to make baklava, including their own filo pastry, with a time limit of 3¹⁄₂ hours to complete the challenge. There had to be two different types of baklava, and 24 portions in total. For the technical challenge, the bakers had to make a schichttorte, and had 2 hours to complete it. There had to be 20 layers in their schichttorte, and was one of Paul Hollywood's recipes. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers had to make entremets, very small and fine cakes put in a window of a French pâtisserie. They had to make two different types of entremets, 12 of each, and had 5 hours to complete the challenge.

Episode 10: Final

In the final signature challenge, the bakers had to make Viennoiserie in 3¹⁄₂ hours. They had to make 2 different types of the pastry. In the technical, the judges decided to bring things "back to basics" by asking the bakers to bake 12 Victoria Sandwiches, Tartes au Citron and Scones. The challenge, however, was that they had only 2 hours to make this with only 3 instructions. The final Showstopper was a Pièce Montée. The bakers were given 5 hours to make this, and the judges said it must be in some self-standing structure.

Masterclasses

Mary and Paul demonstrated how to bake the technical challenges that they set for the bakers as well as their own favorite recipes for some of the other challenges set in the series. They also gave some tips on baking techniques. The Masterclasses episodes were shown on BBC2.

"Bingate"

In the fourth episode of the series, there was controversy over the events that preceded the elimination of contestant Iain Watters. During the final showstopper round contestants were tasked with producing a baked Alaska. Iain's ice cream was shown as having not set, and in a show of frustration, he threw his bake in the bin. The editing of the show suggested that another contestant, Diana Beard, had caused the failure by removing the ice cream from a freezer for her own ice cream, and the perceived "sabotage" resulted in a furore on social media networks.^[25]

More than 800 complaints were lodged with the BBC, and some complained to the communication watchdog Ofcom.^[26] Some members of the cast, however, posted comments in support of Diana,^[27] and a BBC spokesman later issued a statement:

"As shown in the episode, Iain became the fourth baker to leave the tent because he didn't present Paul and Mary with anything to judge in the showstopper challenge and both judges were very clear about the reasoning behind the decision. Due to the extreme temperature in the tent that day, many of the bakers struggled to get their ice cream to set as seen in the episode. Diana removing Iain's ice cream from the freezer for less than a minute was in no way responsible for Iain's departure."^[28]

The claim that his dish was only left out for a short time was, however, challenged by Iain Watters, who said that it was left long enough to ruin the dessert.^[29]

Fellow contestant Jordan Cox criticized the show's production, claiming the freezers were not very good in quality, and were chosen only for their aesthetics.^[30]

Diana Beard left the show before the next episode was filmed due to illness.^[31][32]

Beard later gave an interview to BBC Radio Shropshire:

"I'm disappointed with the way it's been portrayed. I've been stitched up, haven't I? We were 12 amateur bakers, [there's] no prize money involved. Why would I sabotage Iain's Baked Alaska? This has made it look like some cutthroat competition. I think someone's culpable for the editing, really."^[33]

Beard also said that Iain's ice cream had been out of the freezer for no more than 40 seconds, and that her conscience was clear.^[33]

Innuendo

A number of viewers complained to the BBC feedback show Points of View in the fifth series about the "constant smutty remarks" from the presenters Mel and Sue.^[34][35] This series was seen as having more innuendos than previous ones; some reviewers noted the "extra pinch of saucy spice" and "the increasingly filthy-minded hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins",^[36][37] though Series 3 winner John Whaite argued that innuendo is part of what made the show a success,^[38] while Paul Hollywood described the innuendo as banter in the spirit of the Carry On films and is a part of British culture,^[39] a view shared by others.^[40][41]

Specials