MasterChef cooks feel the heat in Loaf bakery
Aspiring MasterChefs took up the challenge to learn the ins and outs of bread making from bakery legend Sean Armstrong on Tuesday (5 March 2012).
The drama-filled episode of MasterChef saw contestants running on little sleep with pressure reaching a yeasty high as they faced the daily demands of a baker.
The red team had a disastrous start by contaminating gluten free mixes and having their ciabatta explode through the oven. However, they managed a miraculous recovery to come out clear winners of the night earning 214 points compared to the blue teams 185.
The two winning products on the night were the seeded batard described by judge Ray McVinnie as "the best thing since sliced bread" and the apricot pinwheel as "Superb. Sticky, moist, delicious".
Seeded batard is a classic batard style loaf baked in the deck ovens with all the goodness of wholemeal flour, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and linseeds. The apricot pinwheel is a sweet treat filled with apricots, chocolate and custard.
"The contestants were definitely out of their comfort zone in the bakery," says Sean Armstrong, owner of Loaf Bakery.
"There were a few hiccups along the way which is to be expected when you're running on empty but it was great to see them learning from their mistakes. As I said to them at the beginning, they needed to be mindful about what they put in their bowl. At least now all New Zealand knows why we get up so early in the morning - it's demanding, but I love it."
Loaf Handcrafted Breads are available from Nosh Food Markets, Farro Fresh, selected New World supermarkets and other speciality stores around the country. Loaf's range of sweet treats are also available in Moore Wilson's in Wellington, Good Food Trading Company at Mt Manganui and Bellatinos in Havelock North.
For more on Loaf's products shown on MasterChef and their stockists visit www.loaf.co.nz
About Loaf Loaf is the work of celebrated chef Sean Armstrong. His vision of producing high quality artisan breads and baked goods led to the opening of Loaf bakery in 2004. Sean was executive chef and owner of Auckland's Prime Bistro when he became increasingly frustrated with the city's lacklustre bread offering. Spotting the gap, Sean leapt in backed by a mission statement to "produce the highest quality, artisan breads for the Auckland restaurant scene and beyond". Use your Loaf and visit www.loaf.co.nz