The Big Picture

Practice and experience are key to becoming a contestant on
The Great American Baking Show.

Organization is crucial for bakers on the show, improvisation is discouraged.
Follow recipes closely and consider getting a cookbook for baking success.

The Great British Baking Show won over American audiences over the past several years. Considered to be the warm hug of reality TV, fans love watching the series for the bakes and the bakers. Thanks to the popularity of the series with audiences in the United States, The Roku Channel became the home of The Great American Baking Show, bringing home bakers from the United States into that same magical tent, and it’s free for viewers to watch.

One thing that isn’t different from its predecessor from across the pond is the judges, Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood. Paul has been involved with the franchise from the beginning and has been the anchor for both the British and now American versions of the show. Prue Leith joined the GBBS in its eighth series and eventually joined Paul at the inception of the American series. Now, with a season and a few holiday specials under its belt, The Great American Baking Show is back for its second season, and Collider had the opportunity to speak with Prue about the show and get her tips for those who hope to one day compete on the show.

The Great American Baking Show Amateur bakers from across the United States compete under the big tent, showcasing their culinary skills in a series of themed challenges. Each episode tests their prowess in crafting complex pastries, decadent desserts, and artisan breads, all in pursuit of impressing a panel of esteemed judges.Release Date December 2, 2022 Cast Mary Berry , Paul Hollywood , Nia Vardalos , Ian Gomez , Johnny Iuzzini , Sherry Yard , Prue Leith , Ellie Kemper , Zach Cherry , Ayesha Curry Main Genre Cooking Seasons 2 Network CBS , ABC Franchise(s) The Great British Baking Show Directors Andy Devonshire , Jeanette Goulbourn Showrunner Richard McKerrow , Anna Beattie Expand

The Key to Becoming a Contestant on the ‘Great American Baking Show’ Is Practice and Persistence
Image via The Roku Channel

Prue has been very busy over the past several months, having gone from filming GABS directly to beginning filming for GBBS. With this in mind, Collider asked Prue about what it takes to become a baker on the series. The home bakers featured in the series are incredibly talented, making getting on their level seem impossible for kitchen novices. Prue said: “I think experience is what does it. I think you cannot be a baker by reading a lot. You have to bake a lot,” adding, “I think that the ones that get onto the show are really knowledgeable; because if you think of the technical, we often don’t even give you the recipe.” While Prue’s statement may seem like common sense, the key word that she mentioned was experience.

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It’s hard to get better at anything without practice, and baking is certainly no exception to this rule. Bakers who wish to be on the series must not only practice, but they must practice creating a variety of different bakes while gaining an understanding of the basics. “I mean, if we’re expecting you to make a frosting or buttercream or a sponge cake [in the technical], we might not give you the ingredients because we expect bakers at this level to be able to make those things with their eyes shut,” she said.

Organization Goes Hand In Hand With Practice For Bakers On ‘The Great American Baking Show
Image via The Roku Channel

Another key factor to get on the series is organization. Baking is very precise, something that Prue emphasized during her conversation with Collider. “In cooking, it doesn’t really matter if you’re not if you’re improvising a bit, you can adjust as you go along. You can taste something and think that needs a bit of zhuzh,” Prue shared. She elaborated further, saying, “You do have to be very obedient: follow the recipe and be very organized. A little less improvisation. Winging it is a bad idea in baking.” Prue’s biggest piece of advice for baking hopefuls is also straightforward. “The most important advice I’ve got; actually, this goes for cooking as well as baking, but it’s more important in baking, and that is to get a cookbook.”

For those who are self-taught, she says cookbooks are essential.“Get a cookbook by a well-known baker, e.g. Paul Hollywood, and take a simple recipe like brownies or cupcakes and just follow it blow-for-blow and it will work, I absolutely guarantee.”

Speaking of cookbooks, Prue has her own cookbook that will be released this fall called Life’s Too Short to Stuff A Mushroom. “It is [a book of] shortcuts and hacks and tips, but it’s also really good recipes, and they’re all proper food.” She went on to share that the book would be perfect for novices, saying, “They’re not complicated, and they’re not time-consuming. They’re quite simple food, simple food.”

To get more tips on how to become a worthy contestant on The Great American Baking Show, check out Prue’s full conversation with Collider above.

The new complete season of The Great American Baking Show is available to stream for free on The Roku Channel.

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