The Great British Bake Off series 4

The fourth series of The [Great British Bake Off] began airing on 20 August 2013. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins again presented the show and Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges. As with The [Great British Bake Off |series three], the competition was held at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.
13,000 amateur bakers applied to appear on the programme, and 100 were selected for screen test, with the best 60 advancing to a three-day audition. From these, 13 contestants were chosen this year so the judges could eliminate two people whenever they wanted.
The winner of the Great British Bake Off 2013 was Frances Quinn.
The fourth series was broadcast as the second season on PBS in the United States.

Bakers

Baker	Age	Occupation	Hometown	Links
Ali Imdad	25	Charity worker	Saltley, Birmingham
Beca Lyne-Pirkis	31	Military Wives' Choir Singer	Aldershot, Hampshire
Christine Wallace	66	Director of an engraving company	Didcot, Oxfordshire
Deborah Manger	51	Dentist	Peterborough
Frances Quinn	31	Children's Clothes Designer	Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Glenn Cosby	37	English Teacher	Teignmouth, Devon
Howard Middleton	51	Council Worker	Sheffield
Kimberley Wilson	30	Psychologist	London
Lucy Bellamy	38	Horticulturist	Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Mark Onley	37	Carpenter and Kitchen Fitter	Milton Keynes
Robert Smart	54	Space Satellite Designer	Melbourn, Cambridgeshire
Ruby Tandoh	20	History of Art and Philosophy Student	Southend, Essex
Toby Waterworth	30	Web Programmer	Reading, Berkshire

Results summary

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Episodes

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Episode 1: Cakes

The bakers were given 2 hours to make a sandwich cake with filling of their choice for the signature challenge. For their first technical challenge, the bakers were required to bake an angel food cake using Mary Berry's recipe in hours. For the showstopper, the challenge was to make a chocolate cake using at least two types of chocolate to decorate the cake. They were given 4 hours for this bake.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Ali	Rose and Pistachio Cake	11th	Chocolate, Raspberry and Passion Fruit Engagement Cake
Beca	Grapefruit Sandwich Cake	8th	Chocolate Cherry Indulgence
Christine	Strawberry, Vanilla and Rosewater Summer Basket	3rd	Chocolate and Orange 'Fripperous' Hat Cake
Deborah	Pineapple Cake	9th	'Coffee Time'
Frances	Giant Jam Sandwich	7th	Secret Squirrel Cake
Glenn	Strawberries and Cream Cake	4th	Almond and Espresso Chocolate Cake
Howard	Passion Fruit and Coconut Cake	6th	Black Forest Revisited
Kimberley	Blood Orange Cake	10th	Chocolate, Raspberry & Basil Layer Cake
Lucy	Timperley Early Cake	2nd	Thyme 'Wildwood' Cake
Mark	Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake	5th	Chocolate Monster
Robert	Pecan and Apple Cake	1st	Raspberry Chocolate Cake
Ruby	Rhubarb and Custard Sandwich Cake	12th	Chocolate and Ginger Night Sky Cake
Toby	Spiced and Iced Carrot Cake	13th	Two Tiered Chocolate Cake

Episode 2: Bread

The bakers were asked to make, in 2 hours, 36 breadsticks, all made using yeast, of at least in length, and the breadsticks should be crisp and produce a good snap. For the technical challenge, the bakers have to make 8 English muffins using Paul's recipe in hours. For the final bake, an elaborately decorated loaf was set as the showstopper challenge to be completed in 4 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Ali	Italian Grissini	9th	Sweet and Savoury Yin Yang Bread
Beca	Fennel and Chilli Breadsticks	11th	Five Strand Christmas Wreath
Christine	Mediterranean Breadsticks with Oregano	4th	Double Plaited Loaf
Deborah	Fennel and Chili Breadsticks	8th	Walnut Fleur Loaf
Frances	Giant Matchsticks	2nd	Sailor's Knot
Glenn	Rosemary and Parmesan Grissini	7th	Harvest Crown
Howard	Moroccan Breadsticks	10th	Picasso Sun Bread
Kimberley	Nigella Seed and Parmesan Breadsticks	1st	Peace Bread
Lucy	Grissini with Salt	12th	Roasted Tomato Bread
Mark	Rosemary & Raisin Breadsticks	6th	Sage & Garlic Plait
Robert	Twisty Rye Bread Sticks	5th	Tribute Loaf
Ruby	Mexican Breadsticks	3rd	White Chocolate and Orange Peacock Bread

Episode 3: Desserts

For their signature challenge, the bakers were asked to make a trifle of their own choice, using ladyfingers, sponge or biscuit for the base and either jam or custard for the middle layer, to be done in 3 hours. For their technical challenge, the bakers were required to prepare, in hours, 6 floating islands using Mary Berry's recipe. For the show-stopper, the bakers were set the task of making 24 petit fours, 12 biscuit based, and 12 sponge based, to be finished in 3 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Ali	Coconut, Raspberry and Lemon Meringue Trifle	5th	Vanilla Latte Mini Cakes Lime & Mint Shortbread Pops
Beca	Orange and Ginger Trifle	10th	Limoncello and Blueberry Bursts Millionaire Shortbread
Christine	Caribbean Pina Colada Trifle	4th	Ninety Niners Sachertorte Parcels
Deborah	Tropical Trifle	9th	Canelé Cherry and Chocolate Cakes Rose Cookies
Frances	Apple and Blackberry Crumble Trifle	8th	'Ballet Bites' Ginger Nutcrackers Sugar Plum Fairy Cakes
Glenn	Raspberry and Almond Trifle	1st	Billionaire Bouchées Orange Financiers
Howard	Caramel and Apple Trifle	7th	Black Coffee and Cardamom Cakes White Stilton and Pear Biscuits
Kimberley	Peach, Almond and Ginger Trifle	6th	Chocolate Pistachio Financiers Lemon Bergamot Biscuits
Mark	Ginger, Mango and Passion Fruit Trifle	11th	Rose and Pistachio Macarons Chocolate and Raspberry Bites
Robert	Rhubarb and Orange Trifle	2nd	Almond Friands Turón Macarons
Ruby	Desert Island Trifle	3rd	Lemon Shortbread and White Chocolate Seashells Blackberry and Chocolate Layer Cakes

In this challenge, Deborah accidentally used Howard's custard. As a result, Howard used Deborah's custard in his trifle. This switch was revealed to Paul and Mary, who appropriately judged their custards separately in their respective trifles. The incident was dubbed Custardgate by the press.

Episode 4: Pies and Tarts

For the signature challenge the bakers are asked to bake a double-crusted fruit pie with a filling of their choice to be done in 2 hours. For their technical challenge, the bakers were required to bake a tart that has almost a 700-year history; the egg custard tart, that needs to be done in 2 hours. For the showstopper, the challenge was to make a filo pie centerpiece using the filo pastry that they had made from scratch to be done in 4 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Ali	Apple and Ginger Pie with a Pecan and Walnut Shortcrust Pastry	8th	Orange, Cardamom and Date M'Hanncha
Beca	Mamgu's Cherry-Apple Tart	2nd	Moroccan Vegetable Filo Feast
Christine	Granny Rogers' Apple, Plum & Cinnamon Country Pie	7th	Roasted Vegetable Filo Pie with Feta Cheese
Frances	Peach Pie In the Sky	1st	Cherry Tree Baklava Filo Pie
Glenn	Apple & Maple Syrup Pie	9th	Spanakopita
Howard	Apple Pie with Sage Pastry	5th	Fresh Fig and Feta Filo Flan
Kimberley	Pecan and Rosemary Caramel Apple Pie	4th	Chicken, Bacon and Butternut Squash Pie
Robert	Apple and Pear Pie with Thyme	3rd	Spanakopita with St George's Mushrooms
Ruby	Apple and Marzipan Pie	6th	Rose, Almond and Raspberry Filo Pie

Episode 5: Biscuits and Traybakes

For the signature challenge, the bakers were asked to make their favourite traybake in 2 hours and cut into identical pieces. Everything made as part of the traybake, however, needed to be made from scratch. In the technical challenge, the bakers needed to make 18 tuiles using Mary Berry's recipe in hours. Half of the tuiles needed to be shaped in the traditional manner and piped in a concentric circle, and the other half rolled up and dipped in chocolate. In the last challenge, the baker had to make a biscuit tower at least high, to be finished in 4 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Beca	Chocolate, Cherry and Hazelnut Brownies	5th	Tiered Macaron and Sugar Dough Biscuit Centrepiece
Christine	Mixed Berry and Almond Crumble Traybake	1st	Shortbread Bavarian Clock Tower
Frances	Millionaire Banoffee Bonus	3rd	Biscuit Buttons and Beads
Glenn	Apricot and Pistachio Tiffin	2nd	Shortbread and Macaron Helter-Skelter
Howard	Breakfast Traybake	8th	Japanese Pagoda Tea Tower
Kimberley	Cherry and Almond Bakewell Florentine Slice	7th	Black and White Viennese Biscuit Stack
Robert	Blueberry & Orange Traybake	4th	Orange and Lemon Biscuit Dalek
Ruby	Blackberry and Lemon Bakewell Slice	6th	'Dropped Ice Cream' Biscuit Centrepiece

Episode 6: Sweet Dough

In the first challenge, the bakers were required to make a sweet tea loaf using yeast, either in a tin or free form. They were given 3 hours for the task. For the technical challenge, the bakers baked an apricot couronne using Paul Hollywood's recipe in hours. For the showstopper, the bakers needed to make 2 different varieties of European sweet buns, 12 of each. The bakers were given 30 minutes to start in the first day, so a dough may be proofed overnight to be finished the following day in 4 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Beca	Bara Brith	6th	Chocolate and Rum-Soaked Prune Brioches Cardamom Spiced Lemon Iced Buns
Christine	Oxford Nutty Fruit Loaf	4th	Schnecken Buns Vanilla Custard Skolebrød
Frances	Chai Tea Loaf	2nd	Hot Cross Brioches Rhubarb and Custard Kolaches
Glenn	Devonshire Panettone	5th	Almond and Apricot Brioches Sticky Caramel Kanelbullen
Howard	Date & Hemp Yorkshire Loaf	7th	Peachy Buns German Baumschnecken
Kimberley	Chai Spiced Ginger and Date Tea Loaf	3rd	Double Chocolate and Hazelnut Brioches Danish Kanelsnurrer
Ruby	Citrus Tea Loaf	1st	Twisted Swedish Kanelbullar Saffron St. Lucia Buns

Episode 7: Pastry

The bakers are challenged to bring the old fashioned suet pudding back up to date in 3 hours for the signature challenge. In the technical bake, the bakers are challenged to create 8 perfect religieuse: choux buns topped with ganache and filled with crème patissiere then carefully balanced one on top of the other to be done in 2 hours. In the showstopper challenge, the bakers have 4 hours to make 3 different types of puff pastries: one filled, one iced and one of their choice.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Beca	Spring Lamb and Vegetable Suet Pudding with Redcurrant Gravy	1st	Nectarine and Frangipane Squares Chocolate and Hazelnut Vol-au-vents Strawberries and Cream Mille-feuille
Christine	Spotted Dick 'With a Kick' and Vanilla Custard Ice Cream	6th	Eccles Cakes Fresh Fruit Baskets Lemon Cream Eton Mess Mille-feuille
Frances	Figgy Roll-y Poly Pudding with Caramelised Walnut and Honey Ice-Cream	5th	French Framboise Cream Horns Sheet Music Mille-feuille Bass Clef Palmiers
Glenn	Prune and Armagnac Pudding with Boozy Butterscotch Sauce	3rd	Caramelised Apple and Marzipan Tartlets Chocolate Elephant Ears Passion Fruit Mille-feuille
Kimberley	Barberry and Apple Spotted Dick with Maple Syrup and White Chocolate Custard	4th	Pear, Malt and Butterscotch Mille-feuille Blackberry and Lemon Verbena Crème Brûlee Custard Tarts Fig, Orange and Thyme Galette
Ruby	Plum Jam Roly Poly with Ginger Ice Cream	2nd	Raspberry and Passion Fruit Mille-feuille Caramelised Apple Lattice Portuguese Custard Tarts

Episode 8: Alternative Ingredients (Quarterfinals)

This week, in the quarter final, the theme for this week were bakes that were free. In the signature challenge, the bakers are challenged to bake a loaf that does not use traditional wheat flours, instead they must use flours such as spelt, rye, potato or tapioca, all in 3 hours. The bakers are challenged in the technical bake to make a dacquoise which consists of three layers; coiled meringue, coffee custard and a hazelnut praline top, to be done in hours. For the showstopper, the bakers are pushed out of their comfort zones and asked to create novelty vegetable cakes which must be dairy free, to be completed in 4 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Beca	Potato, Spelt and Rosemary Focaccia	4th	Spiced Butternut Squash and Pecan 'Cheese' Cake
Christine	Multi-Seeded Loaf with Pumpkin, Sesame and Sunflower Seeds	5th	Sweet Potato Guitar with Passion Fruit Icing and Marshmallow Fondant
Frances	'Chelsea Flour Show' Bun Bouquet	3rd	Hidden Carrot Cake
Kimberley	Wild Garlic Pesto and Parma Ham Spelt Loaf	2nd	Butternut Squash and Spice Cake Toadstool House
Ruby	Mango and Nigella Seed Spelt Cob	1st	Carrot Cake and Pistachio Garden Plot

Episode 9: French week (Semi-final)

This week's theme was all things French. In the signature challenge, the bakers are challenged to make 3 different types of savoury canapés; choux pastry, shortcrust or rough puff pastry, and a third pastry of their choice, to be done in hours. For the technical bake, the bakers are challenged to make a Charlotte Royale consisting of Swiss roll surrounding a bavarois in hours. It is set with gelatin to form a firm dome when turned out. In the showstopper challenge, the bakers are challenged to bake an iconic French patisserie, the opera cake, in hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Beca	Stilton and Walnut Macarons Beetroot and Salmon Choux Puffs Welsh Rarebit Tartlets	3rd	Banoffee Opera Cake
Frances	Légume Canapés: Chantenay Carrots Choux Pastry Tomatoes Cauliflower Cheese Scones	2nd	Great British Soap Opera Cake
Kimberley	Pea Purée Tarts Crab and Wasabi Profiteroles Steamed Buns with Barbecue Chicken	1st	Passion Fruit and Lime Opera Cake
Ruby	Beetroot Jelly on Poppy Seed Biscuits Spinach, Parmesan and Egg Tartlets Choux Buns with Goat's Cheese and Caramelised Onions	4th	Chocolate, Almond Praline and Saffron Opera Cake

Episode 10: Final

In the signature challenge, the final three are challenged to create a picnic pie in 3 hours. The pie must be savoury, the fillings have to create a creative design and has to be strong enough to be served out of the tin. For the technical challenge, the bakers are challenged to make 12 perfectly shaped pretzels; 6 savoury with rock salt and 6 sweet, flavoured with poppy seeds and topped with sweet orange zest and glaze, all to be done in 2¹⁄₂ hours. For the final showstopper challenge of the series, the bakers are asked to bake the ultimate showpiece – a three-tiered wedding cake in 6 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Frances	Rainbow Picnic Pie	3rd	Midsummer Night's Dream Wedding Cake
Kimberley	Chicken and Pig Pie	1st	Languages of Love Wedding Cake
Ruby	Picnic Basket Pie	2nd	Raspberry, Lemon and Passion Fruit Wedding Cake

Masterclasses

Mary and Paul take over the tent and take on the challenges that they set for the bakers, showing what they would have done had they been in the bakers shoes.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Christmas Masterclass

Controversy

Before the series started, there was speculation Paul Hollywood would not appear in the show after his marriage broke down. Mary Berry, however, was claimed to have supported Hollywood over rumours of his possible sacking by BBC; and the BBC denied the rumours and said that his job was safe.
During the series, there were accusations of Paul Hollywood's favouritism towards Ruby Tandoh, and personal attacks on Tandoh by various people including the chef Raymond Blanc. Both Paul Hollywood and Ruby Tandoh denied the accusation.

Post-show careers

wrote a book, Quinntessential Baking, released on 17 August 2015.
Ruby Tandoh has written three books, Crumb: The Baking Book, published on 25 September 2014, Flavour: Eat What You Love in 2016 and Eat Up: Food, Appetite and Eating What You Want in 2018. She took half a year out from the university after the show, but has returned to complete her philosophy and history of art course at University College London. She wrote a column on baking for The Guardian.
Beca Lyne-Pirkis presented a Welsh language cookery show Becws for S4C starting 11 September 2014. She later participated in the 2017 rendition of The Great Christmas Bake Off.
Glenn Cosby left teaching and launched his own touring stage show Bake It Big in 2014. That same year, Cosby release his book Tasty Travels.
Ali Imdad has set up a bakery business, and become a full-time baker. He later participated in the 2016 rendition of The Great Christmas Bake Off.
Howard Middleton participated in the 2016 rendition of The Great New Year's Bake Off.

Ratings

The show achieved some of the highest ratings seen on BBC Two. According to overnight data, the final episode was seen by 9.1 million viewers at its peak, and averaging over 8 million, more than twice the number of viewers on BBC One and ITV. This episode is the highest-rated show ever on BBC2 under the ratings system first introduced in 2002, beating the previous record set by an episode of Top Gear in 2007. The highest rating for BBC2 of all-time is The 1985 Snooker World Championship Final which peaked with 18.5m viewers. Series 4 had an average of viewing figure of 7.4 million. During the length of the series, the only programmes to have beaten the show on a Tuesday night were EastEnders and Emmerdale.
Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking	Weekly ranking all channels	Nightly ranking
1		6.60	1	11	3
2		6.65	1	12	3
3		7.17	1	13	3
4		6.82	1	18	1
5		6.95	1	17	3
6		7.32	1	16	2
7		7.76	1	13	2
8		7.41	1	12	2
9		7.41	1	18	2
10		9.45	1	4	1

Specials

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking
1		2.73	4
2		2.27	10
3		2.21	13
4		1.69	24

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking
		3.39	2