Baking & Pastry Arts — 2026-09-20
The culinary world turns its eyes to the kitchen tent as *The Great British Bake Off* Season 17 premieres this week, featuring Nigella Lawson’s highly anticipated judging debut. Meanwhile, the trend of "croissant sourdough" continues to dominate social media feeds, blending the structural integrity of laminated dough with the tangy complexity of wild yeast fermentation.
Baking & Pastry Arts — 2026-09-20
Trending
The Great British Bake Off Returns with Nigella Lawson The most significant event in the baking calendar this week is the return of The Great British Bake Off (known as The Great British Baking Show in the US). The new season, Collection 14, is set to premiere on Netflix on Friday, September 25, 2026. In the UK, Channel 4 broadcasts begin on September 22 at 8 pm.
This season marks a major shakeup in the judging panel with the arrival of Nigella Lawson, who replaces Prue Leith. Lawson joins returning judges Paul Hollywood and Noel Fielding, along with host Alison Hammond. The series will feature 12 amateur bakers competing for the star baker title.
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Viral Trend: Croissant Sourdough While the show brings mainstream attention to traditional bakes, TikTok continues to drive hybrid innovations. The "Croissant Sourdough" trend remains a top performer, where bakers use sourdough starter to create laminated doughs. This technique combines the airy, open crumb of artisan bread with the buttery, flaky layers of a croissant. Videos featuring this hybrid often highlight the "tri-fold" shaping method and the visual appeal of the shatteringly crisp crust contrasted with a soft interior.
Technique
Mastering Texture Contrasts in Laminated Doughs A key focus in contemporary pastry arts is the deliberate manipulation of texture. According to Executive Pastry Chef Megan Garrelts, there is a strong emphasis on "contrasting textures within a single baked good" in 2026 trends.
One specific technique gaining traction is hard-baking laminated doughs. Instead of baking croissants or puff pastries until they are merely flaky and golden, chefs are baking them longer or at different temperature curves to achieve a "shatteringly crispy" and caramelized exterior. This creates a dramatic juxtaposition when filled with soft elements like ricotta cream or velvety glazes, similar to the Italian sfogliatelle.
To achieve this:
- Ensure your butter block (beurrage) is perfectly pliable but cold during lamination to maintain distinct layers.
- Bake at a high initial temperature to maximize oven spring, then lower the heat to dry out the layers thoroughly for maximum crispness without burning the sugars.
Baker Spotlight
Nigella Lawson: From Cookbooks to the Tent Nigella Lawson’s transition from a celebrated cookbook author and television presenter to a competitive judge is a focal point of current baking discourse. Known for her intuitive approach to food and emphasis on flavor over rigid technique, her judging style is expected to bring a different perspective compared to Paul Hollywood’s technical rigor. Her debut has generated significant pre-season buzz, with fans eager to see how her "flavor-first" philosophy interacts with the technical demands of the Bake Off challenges.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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