SOMERSET NEWS: Thank goodness for Val’s Dampfnudel!

SOMERSET baker Val Stones scraped through another episode of TV’s Great British Bake Off – although she did actually enjoy that winning feeling when she took first place in this week’s technical challenge.

It looked as if Val’s time on the hit TV show might have been coming to an end last night (Wednesday, September 8, 2016) with another disappointing performance in the all-important showstopper round.

But once again judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry gave her the benefit of the doubt and kept her in for another week.

And Val, who lives at Somerton and is a former headteacher of Chilthorne Domer Primary School, near Yeovil, said she had just survived again by the “skin of her teeth.”

But it was probably down to the fact that she had won the technical challenge that saved the day for Val.

Paul Hollywood set the bakers a tough task and challenged them to make the German speciality Dampfnudel – where the bread is steamed into dumplings.

PHOTO - TOP: Dampfnudel.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Somerset's Val Stones.

While Val’s competitors struggled, she shined to take first place although she did not receive a totally convincing vote of confidence from Paul Hollywood.

“Still a million miles away, but they were closest to mine,” he said.

Week three had opened with the signature challenge – a sweet dough with a twist, and again Val failed to impress.

There then came Val’s greatest moment to date in Bake Off with her Dampfnudel.

But again Val found herself in danger after the showstopper finale when her Noah Ark-inspired creation of using three different flours do not win her any plaudits with the judges and her elephants did not look like elephants, her giraffes did not look life giraffes and her chickens did not look like chickens.

Despite her baking faults, Val is becoming a popular competitor in the Bake Off kitchen with her rather scatty ways and charm.

Val’s place in the show came under intense scrutiny again from the judges, but they opted to show 20-year-old student Michael Georgiou the kitchen exit door.

So Val lives on to Week Four and next week’s theme will be Batter Week.

The pressure will be really on Val as she originates from Yorkshire and all eyes will be on her Yorkshire Puddings.

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