Watch What Crappens – Episode #3009

Great British Baking Show Part Two: Bread in the Face

Date: September 24, 2025
Hosts: Ben Mandelker & Ronnie Karam

Episode Overview

In this lively and irreverent recap, Ben and Ronnie savor, skewer, and lovingly roast the second episode of The Great British Baking Show (GBBO) Bread Week. The focus is on the contestants’ bread challenges, the ever-present drama of under-proving, and the uniquely British mixture of understatement and high emotion in the tent. From questionable showstopper tributes to accidental donut mishaps, the hosts blend sharp wit with genuine appreciation for the bakers’ personalities and efforts. This episode dives deep into the symbolism of celebratory breads, the trauma-baking trend in reality TV, and, as always, plenty of laughs at Paul Hollywood’s foibles.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Signature Challenge: Monkey Bread and the Confidence Crisis

• Aaron’s Lack of Confidence ([02:36] – [04:30])
  • The hosts riff on Aaron naming his bread “Aaron’s Not For Everyone Monkey Bread.”
    • Allison: “I mean, come on now, you gotta lead with confidence.”
    • Ronnie: “You’re probably gonna hate this monkey bread. I’m sorry that this is terrible monkey bread.”
  • Bread is under-proved and under-baked, leading to both host mockery and a little sympathy.
  • Jasmine reacts to Aaron’s review with a “sorry face,” prompting Ronnie to joke about her hoping Aaron will keep his tears to himself.

2. Technical Challenge: Paul Hollywood’s Donut Obsession

• The Challenge Setup ([05:04] – [10:07])

  • Contestants are tasked with making Paul Hollywood’s glazed ring donuts.
  • Paul dubs donuts his “guilty pleasure,” which Ben and Ronnie mock mercilessly.
    • Ronnie: “Guilty pleasure is like, you know what I really enjoy? Giraffe hoof candy. A donut is not a guilty pleasure, Paul.”
    • Allison: “Thanks for that bombshell revelation that donuts are a guilty pleasure for you.” ([06:27])
  • Paul’s fixation on the “white band” of a correctly proved donut becomes a running joke.
    • Ronnie: “White band, white band. Where’s the white band? Hope it’s not. Oh, this wasn’t proven enough. There’s not a white band on this one. Fucking die in a fire.” ([08:30])

• Execution and, Predictably, Chaos ([10:07] – [14:47])

  • Several bakers struggle with donut glaze consistency and proof times.
  • The hosts dissect the various botched techniques (rolling, spooning, too thick or too thin).
  • Ben and Ronnie both acknowledge they hadn’t mastered donut glazing either, ultimately learning along with the bakers.

3. Technical Judging and Results

• Judging Donuts ([14:16] – [19:47])

  • The hosts riff on the bizarre appearances of many donuts (onion rings, bagels, shoe-shaped).
  • Jasmine innovates with spiral piping and is at first softly critiqued but ultimately impresses the judges.

• Rankings ([24:25])

  • 10th: Poiman (over-fried, underproved)
  • 9th: Leslie
  • 8th: Natalia
  • 7th: Jessica
  • 6th: Ian
  • 5th: Tom
  • 4th: Toby
  • 3rd: Aaron
  • 2nd: Nadia
  • 1st: Jasmine (for her “non-traditional spiral,” which “hypnotized” the judges)
    • Allison: “Her clever spiral... I think it helps, because they remember it. They’ve just looked at a bunch of misshapen squiggly things and they remember the spirals.” ([25:01])

4. Showstopper: Trauma, Weddings, and Bread Towers

• Showstopper Assignment ([26:31])

  • Make a fantastic celebratory bread tower (at least three tiers) with personal meaning.

• Showstopper Stories & Host Commentary ([26:54] – [38:08])

  • Aaron: Tribute to two deceased friends (flowers, marzipan, cherries). Hosts: “Most depressing, but actually very sweet. Very Aaron to pick the most depressing thing.”
  • Nadia: French wedding cake, though not married herself.
    • Allison teases her about her boyfriend: “What are you playing at, Daniel?” ([28:24])
  • Ian (Mullet): Samhain (Irish Halloween), turnip carving legend.
    • Allison: “I love that there’s a holiday where you carve a scary face into a turnip.” ([29:29])
  • Tom: Dedicates his bread to his boyfriend for loving autumn.
    • Ronnie: “People are giving it to dead people and all sorts of important things. Your boyfriend gets enough.”
    • Allison: “Negative five trauma score. Wow. A gay loves fall. I never... Gays famously never have any opinions on fall, ever.” ([35:40])
  • Jasmine: Midsummer flower crown, opens up about alopecia.
    • Hosts praise the depth, compare it to Tom’s lack of personal backstory.
  • Jessica: Rain dance-inspired pumpkin bread tower, based on experiences in Uganda.
  • Toby: Adds a snowman to a bread tower because he “loves Christmas.”
    • Hosts are unimpressed: “Wow, you’re a British person who loves Christmas.”
  • Leslie & Natalia: Both do Ukrainian korovai wedding breads—Natalia’s is a multi-generational family recipe.
  • Poiman: Rose and coconut bread; after a story of hating (then accepting) a rose bush at her house.

Memorable Quote—The Trauma-Bake Trend

Ronnie ([32:45]):
“On Top Chef... every story has to be, like, ‘I made these capri pants because my aunt passed away and loved capri pants. I’m dedicating these capri pants to my aunt.’ You build your trauma into it... do I have to have a fucking trauma with every little thing?”

5. Judging the Showstoppers ([45:03] – [59:10])

• Hosts’ Mini-Reviews

  • Jasmine: Midsummer flower crown—“Gorgeous,” “The braiding is perfect.”
  • Toby: Santa/snowman bread—“Not a triumph,” “It’s leaning,” “Reads more Pilgrim than Santa.”
  • Tom: Autumnal cinnamon roll tower—Hosts surprisingly approve of taste and visuals despite the bland backstory.
  • Jessica: Pumpkin bread tower—Hosts find meaning sweet but the bread “just looks like people climbing a mountain of pumpkins.” ([49:55])
  • Leslie: Ukrainian korovai—Cute daisies, “lopsided,” but praised for flavor.
  • Natalia: Generational korovai—Nice lace decoration, but “claggy,” underproved.
  • Nadia: Wedding cake—Visually beautiful, “petals look like real roses.”
  • Poiman: Understated coconut and cherry cake, strong flavors.
  • Ian (Mullet): Halloween-inspired—Hosts like the Halloween theme but lament sad, underbaked loaves.
  • Aaron: Flower-covered tribute—Hosts are wowed, “absolutely beautiful,” “should have won Star Baker.”

• Paul Hollywood Leaning Hazard

  • Allison ([45:03]):
    “Why does he always lean on that table like he’s about to do a 50-yard sprint?... You’re going to knock that table over one day!”

6. Star Baker & Elimination ([60:47] – [61:01])

• Poi Man is eliminated despite a strong comeback in the showstopper.
• Jasmine is awarded Star Baker, lauded for her technical win and meticulously braided bread crown.
• The hosts express delight at Jasmine’s performance and relief that “Mullet lives to mullet on.”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Aaron’s Habitual Meltdowns:
  Ronnie ([04:30]):
  “Please keep all the snot in your nose and all the tears in your eyes. All right, Leaky. Thanks.”

• On GBBO Trauma Competition:
  Allison ([38:08]):
  “Just to summarize, we have... My sack of bread is dedicated to my dead friends. Mine is to Ukraine, my homeland, which is being torn up by war. Here, I went to an impoverished community that would have to do rain dances. Here, I lost my hair at a young age. And here, my boyfriend likes fall.”

• On Glazing Donuts:
  Ronnie ([13:46]):
  “Well, you do know, because we learned something today, and that’s how this show is. We’re very educational.”

• On Judges and Decoration:
  Allison ([18:28]):
  “I will not have originality in donut odds. Damn it.”

• On Criticizing Paul Hollywood:
  Ronnie ([08:30]):
  “Where’s the white band?…Fucking die in a fire. All right, where’s the white band?”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Aaron’s Monkey Bread & Lack of Confidence: [02:36]
• Technical Donuts & “Guilty Pleasure” Rant: [05:47]–[06:46]
• Donut Judging, Jasmine’s Spiral Win: [15:05], [24:55]
• Showstopper Assignment & Trauma-Baking Discussion: [26:54]–[38:08]
• Judging the Showstopper Entries: [45:03]–[59:10]
• Star Baker & Elimination Announcement: [60:47]–[61:01]

Episode Tone and Humor

This recap is classic Crappens: loving but brutally honest, full of sly reality TV observations, running gags (the trauma-baking Olympics, Paul’s leaning, “stay hot!” advice), and playful affection for the show’s quirks and contestants’ neuroticism. The hosts never hold back on snark, but at heart, their critiques show genuine appreciation for both the bakers and British Bake Off’s gentle, quirky spirit.

For those who missed the episode: This is a comprehensive, irreverent, and affectionate take on GBBO Bread Week, where skill, sentimentality (sometimes forced), and the chaos of British baking create both beautiful breads and comedy gold. Jasmine’s clever braids and emotional vulnerability win the week, Poi Man cannot recover, and the phrase “trauma-bake” may never leave your mental pantry.