The Great British Bake Off 2019, episode 3 recap, Bread Week: Amelia's toast while Hollywood dishes out the handshake

Bread Week in the tent of doughy dreams and Paul Hollywood was in his element. But who would use their loaf and who would fail to rise? Here are all the talking points from the third episode…

Amelia deserved to be dumped in the bread bin

Farewell then, fashion designer Amelia Le Bruin, who became the first female baker to leave this year's contest. The likeable Yorkshire lass came close to elimination after disappointing during Biscuit Week. With a second poor performance running, the writing was on the marquee’s white canvas wall.

Her Chorizo Brunch Tear ’n’ Share loaf was irregularly shaped and made poor Prue Leith splutter with its overpowering paprika kick. Amelia came last in the burger bun Technical with small, squats buns and oversized, unmixed veggie burgers. She needed a barnstorming Showstopper to save her skin but her Caterpillar Transformation loaves were clumsily designed, lacked flavour and came out of the oven far too early. Nobody was very hungry for this caterpillar.

Amelia was toast - although frankly, we were still reeling from her monstrous revelation early in the episode that she hates cheese. That’s a sending home offence on its own in our book.

Michael got first Hollywood handshake of series

The coveted Paul Hollywood handshake had become slightly devalued over the last two series, dished out willy-nilly. For the past fortnight, though, the alpha male judge had kept his hands firmly shoved in the pockets of his bootcut jeans.

Now the class of 2019 finally broke their duck, with Hollywood congratulating Michael Chakraverty for his spectacular Keralan Star Bread during the tear ’n’ share Signature. It was cleverly conceived and eye-catchingly red in colour, with Michael’s trademark warming glow of chilli.

The Scot performed respectably in the burger bap technical, finishing exactly halfway at 6th out of 11, before wowing again in the showstopper with his Mediterranean Campfire decorative loaves. One had ripped and burst but the overall effect still worked well and his flavours impressed.

Michael was duly crowned Star Baker - the first male to win the accolade this series. Alongside Steph Blackwell, David Atherton and Michelle Evans-Fecci, he looks like one to watch.

Paul Hollywood dominated proceedings

As Noel Fielding said at the start of this show: “What Paul doesn’t know about bread can be written on a tiny crouton.”

The master baker duly spend this episode prowling the tent, psyching out the bakers by looking sceptical about their dough consistencies, kneading techniques and proving times, occasionally fixing them with his fearsome glare.

Hollywood even wielded his bread knife in an macho manner, gleefully hacking into their painstakingly created Showstoppers like a crazed butcher with a fresh carcass. Mummy, the beardy bread man is frightening me.

Narrow escapes for well-spoken pair

This year’s 13-strong field, fittingly a baker’s dozen, means that Prue and Paul can spring an entertainingly cruel double elimination one week. They flirted with it this time but ultimately, nobody joined Amelia on the bready bus home.

Big sighs of relief especially for struggling student Henry Bird and geography teacher Alice Fevronia, who almost suffered the fabled “curse of reigning Star Baker”. As if any extra tension was needed, the double axe dangles over the remaining 10 baker’s heads for another week. No pressure, people.

Innuendoes were in short supply

A slow week for double entendre devotees, who had to content themselves with half-hearted sniggers at the mention of baps.

“International health advisor” (we’re still unsure what this impressive-sounding job title actually means) David tried waggling his eyebrows while revealing “I like a pert bun” but his heart wasn’t in it. Please try harder next week, pun-slingers.

Prue won this week’s style wars

The opening skit saw Noel boasting about wearing “one-off fashion pieces” - before his three co-stars all arrived in the same shirt. Luckily, they got changed for the episode itself or it might have made awarding this week’s fashion plaudits rather tricky.

Paul was sporting a rather nice forest green shirt, and is gradually branching out from his familiar black and blue. Sandi Toksvig was in a navy jumper with white broken heart logo (no reflection of her emotional state, we trust).

Noel was resplendent in that red retro print shirt with on-point leopardskin pocket detail. But Prue just edged it with her abstract print tunic, beneath a red jacket with bracelet sleeves. Well played, Prudence.

Great British Milk-Off next time

Next Tuesday is Dairy Week, with a decorative Signature, a complex Tudor Technical and an intricate Indian Showstopper. See you back here to discuss which cat got the cream and who was lactose intolerant.