West Yorkshire baker Tom has become the first contestant to win Star Baker twice this series.
Tom impressed judges on The Great British Bake Off during a challenging bread week, which featured a garlic bread signature, a tricky technical challenge, and an ambitious enriched bread showstopper.
Tom said: "I love garlic bread, it's probably my favourite type of bread."
For the signature challenge, he created cheesy garlic bread Chelsea buns using Black Bomber cheddar, a recipe he learned from his GCSE food technology teacher.
Judges praise flavour-packed Chelsea Buns
Nigella Lawson said: "I am very taken with the look of those, those golden bits are very appetising.
(Image: Newsquest)
"The flavour is lovely, the butter you've put on the top gives it a hint of fried bread."
Paul Hollywood said: "I love that cheese and the garlic level is about right.
"I think you've got a great flavour and texture."
Despite a hailstone thunderstorm briefly disrupting the challenge, Tom’s bake earned high praise from both judges.
‘The worst technical I’ve seen in seventeen years’
The technical challenge, however, proved to be a struggle for all contestants.
(Image: Pixabay)
They were tasked with making eight flatbreads filled with roasted grapes and blue cheese in just one hour—the shortest allocated time so far this series.
For the first time this year, bakers were given a recipe to follow during a technical challenge.
Tom said: "I don't know if they'll be cooked, they might still be raw."
After tasting Tom’s flatbreads, Paul said: "They're all the same size and raw dough."
He went on to describe the challenge as "probably the worst technical I've seen in seventeen years," later calling it "an embarrassment of a technical challenge."
Despite the difficulties, Tom finished fourth, with judges focusing on size and consistency rather than how well the dough had cooked.
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Second Star Baker win puts Tom ahead of the pack
Tom returned to form in the showstopper challenge, where bakers were asked to create a centrepiece from enriched breads, described by Nigella as a cross between cake and bread.
He was the only contestant to make three different breads instead of two, creating a Christmas gonk centrepiece that included Julekake, a Norwegian fruit bread flavoured with ginger and cinnamon.
(Image: Newsquest)
Mr Hollywood said: "It's highly effective, the design is great."
Ms Lawson agreed, saying: "It's rather wonderful."
Reflecting on the challenge, Tom said: "I got some really good comments, what a shock."
His efforts earned him the Star Baker title, making him the first contestant to win the accolade twice this series.
Tom said: "I can't believe that just happened."
Viewers will find out if he can continue his winning streak when Bake Off returns next week with Dessert Week.