I’m at the Pillsbury Bake Off in Orlando, Florida. There are 100 finalists here… dicing, slicing, frying, baking and otherwise stressing out in a giant hotel ballroom. At stake? One. Million. Dollars. In their faces? Cameras. Lots of cameras.
Me? I’m not baking. Not baking a thing. Thank heavens. I’m not a competitive baker. Just the thought of competitive food production makes me want to crumble.
The 93 women and 7 men competing here at the 44th Annual Pillsbury Bake Off are champions. Cooking with this sort of pressure and media is a looooong way from home cooking.
Want to see what this whole shindig looks like? It’s serious business.
Camera crews, lighting dudes, sound men and journalist ladies all gear up for the four hour long competition over breakfast.
Hardcore branding. Hardcore advertising. Mega sponsorship. Loads of contestants and family and annoying bloggers like me milling about.
Pre Bake Off… some dudes are giving me camera envy.
Know what the Bake Off has taught me? That husbands are super awesome! Here’s one hubby taking a picture of his wife’s finished product slot. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve overheard between anxious husbands. Tender moments. Serious tenderness.
There are cameras exactly everywhere.
Before the grand entrance of the hundred contestants, the ballroom smells like new ovens and photographers. It’s complex.
Moms. Sisters. Grandmas. Husbands. All getting ready for the entrance of the BakeOff-ers.
Blue aprons. Finalist ribbons. Smiling faces. I think I might me almost as nervous as they are. How utterly self indulgent of me.
You’re pretty and you’re baking. Go! Fight! Win!
Super concentration.
Every competitors cabinets are stocked with the exact ingredients they need for their recipe. Whomever stocked these cabinets… I’d like to hire you to be my permanent sous chef. Please and thank you.
Um… this lady looks like she might be peeking at her neighbors work. Is that allowed?
There are plenty of little gentlemen like this cheering on their mothers. Kinda precious.
Also… old man elbow. These things can’t be avoided.
There’s a lot going on back there.
And there’s a lot going out here.
So… no pressure or anything. I know you’re trying to win a million dollars, but it’s interview time.
Just look at how graceful and lovely JoAnn is. Pretty smile. Hands clasped. Finalist ribbon gleaming in the camera lights. These people are lovely and gracious home cooks. Their families are buzzing with excitement. It’s such an exhilirating event to be a part of.
Four winners are being announced later tonight. The grand prize winner of the Pillsbury Bake Off is being announced live on Oprah tomorrow afternoon. Whaat!? Yea. Crazytown. That’s happening.
Thank you to Pillsbury for generously flying to to Orlando to take dorky pictures of your grand Bake Off. That sure was swell of you.
JoAnn Belack
Hi, I am the ‘JoAnn’ in the picture above! It was a fun interview with Ali and if you watched Oprah, our ‘high five’ was the opening clip of the show….and really fun to see. As any finalist will tell you, this was an experience of a lifetime!!
joythebaker
oh my goodness JoAnn! You’re totally famous! Can i just say how poised and polished you were during that interview. It was kinda amazing!
Oswald R.
So close and yet so far. I live in Orlando but have no transportation to the bake off. If only I wasn’t afraid of public transportation (more getting lost than anything).
Susie @ Hick Chick
You “food bloggers” were so cool! AND LOOK! Those are my Caramelized Red Onion-Feta Burgers!
Terresa Wellborn
How nutsy cool! I’ve never been to an event like that, but after this post, feel like I’ve walked the red carpet. I’m wondering who the winners are now…
Audrina Attic
Wow I have never heard of events like this, the atmosphere must have been amazing!
Tay
Some of the food doesn’t look so appetizing, but as long as it taste good…
Will you compete next time? Your food always looks so well designed and tasty. You could probably win hands down.
Silvia
Wow, that’s incredible, I’ve never heard of something like that, sure in Italy that would be a huge novelty.
I really feel for them, it must be so difficult to cook with so much pressure and all those people looking on, sometimes I just get a little bit nervous when my husband lingers in the kitchen because he wants to help me…
Great photos Joy, keep us informed please, I’s so curious about the winner!
Shannon @ bakeandbloom.com
That is so cute, look at all the suzie homemakers! Looks like you had a blast.
teresa
Hi JOY!
How totally COOL and EXCITING that you are in the middle of all of this baking!
Please do tell me that deep deep deep down inside you are dying to be whipping up…baking all of your luscious goodies!!!!
I so wish you were on the verge of winning that MILLION…
goodness knows YOU deserve it!
You are FAB!
I am excited for you to be enjoying the FUN in Orlando!
I bet it smells heavenly all around that action!
xxooxx
Enjoy!
eatingRD
wow, that looks intense, but fun! I actually have one of the older bake off cookbooks mmm just found your site, love your photography and food :)
jaclyn@todayslady
Awwww I love how the husbands are so proud of their wives!!! So cute!!
Nicole
UMMMMMMM. Teaching, baking, cooking, bloging, writing, & attending the Bake off!!! So so so so want to move to SoCal and attend an on the lamb party. You are living the life!!! Excited and proud of you… keep it coming :)
FoodFitnessFreshair
This sounds like such a fun event to attend! I’m not sure I could handle the pressure as a baker either, but I’m sure it’s more than rewarding of an experience!
++MIRA++
wowza.mustve been electric and exciting! cooking in front of cameras is crazy.its like ur being electrocuted as u bake.lol. also, thx for the old man elbow. i hadnt seen one in a while.:)
colleen @ sweetswallows
That looks exciting and terrifying at the same time! I love the sweet husbands and children. That kinda stuff makes my heart get all goosebumpy. Have fun in Orlando!
Katrina
Bahh I wish you were in this! PLEASE do it next year!
Lizzie
My great-grandmother did this, and was a finalist! She won a stove and a free trip to New York to stay at the Waldorf Astoria. No million dollars, but she still did get a pretty snazzy portrait taken of herself and her chocolate wedge cookies. We have it hanging in our kitchen–something to aspire to, definitely!
joythebaker
So awesome Lizzie! Sweet sweet sweet. Your comment put a smile on my face!
Jess
Maybe. Someday. If I’m ever that cool.
Sarah Friedrich
That looks like so much fun!
Did you get to meet any of the contestants?
Maegan M
Hey Joy! I love your blog, you are super adorable! I never posted a comment before, and this is totally unrelated to the Pillsbury baking competition… but I found this at Urban Outfitters and I remember somewhere you talked about loving jean leggings? Behold:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?_DARGS=/urban/catalog/common/highlited_itemcount.jsp_A&_DAV=true&itemCount=60&navCount=7&navAction=poppushpush&popId=WOMENS&pushId=W_BOTTOMS&id=W_APP_JEANS&100412hp
Best of luck in all your endeavors!
joythebaker
I love you. Seriously.
Missy
That put a knot in my stomach just looking at your photos. How fun though, what an exciting day!
lani trock
it made me nervous and excited just reading this.
i also loathe competitive/rushed/timed cooking.
i definitely do not thrive in this pressured environment.
i need need need to take my time in the kitchen:)
slow food=good food.
on that note, time to saunter over to the weho farmer’s market:)
thank you for another awesome monday inspiration:)
Allison from "a for aubergine"
how fascinating! i’ve seen this on the food network a couple of times but i love this behind-the-scenes stuff, joy! i bet it smelled so friggin’ good!
Jen-
Wow, how exciting. I’d love to do that, but would get there thinking “what am i doing here…i suck compared to these talents!”
You should totally do this next year. REPRESENT GIRL! For all of us baker lovers in blogland!!! :)
Mary @ Butter+Cream
I would love to enter a competition, I think it’d be right up my alley. But best to start small, Allison and I are entering the Napa Fair this year. 1st place in each category wins $3. That oughtta ease the pressure a bit :-).
JennEJenn
I think I broke out in a sweat just looking at the pictures! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah
The pressure! I would love to be that good… :)
Lauren
Old man elbow! Part of me hopes that was for me. What a wonderful experience. Great pictures! Safe travels home.
joythebaker
You’re the horse.
Danny
Hey.. Don’t talk to your sister that way!! LOL…
Danny
HEY… Is that the Gaylord Aplms Hotle/Cnevention Center??
That is where we have our conventions every year… Pretty swanky hotel, eh??
Regardless, hope you’re having fun, networking, and all that good stuff.
joythebaker
Hey Danny! So funny being back in Florida. I’m in some swanky Hilton livin it up. Thanks for saying hi!
andrea
OMGosh Joy…Ditto to everthing Patty said!!!!!
Bakerella
I’m so glad you’re there and recapping. I love seeing all the behind the scenes stuff.
Have fun!
patty (mom)
Wow, Joy. I had goose bumps and wanted to cry (tears of joy-no pun) for these wonderful contestants. What a great job making us feel like we are there -it’s maybe either our mom or sis. They are all winners in my book!!!!!
joythebaker
Aw! Thanks Mom!
Nancy
Oh, Joy! You’re in my neck of the woods! I wish I had known… I would love to meet you.
Have fun in O-town. If the pressure is too much at the Bake-Off, just go outside to enjoy some of our lovely weather.
Patty Tomaskovic
Hi Joy,
I’ve always given thought to entering the Pillsbury Bake-off, but never seem to carry through with it. What amazes me THE MOST is how, in this day and age, with all the gazzillions of recipes out there, that people are still able to invent something new & creative.
Did you get a glimpse or two of anything so new that you said, “Wow, why didn’t I ever think of that?”
joythebaker
I’ve been flipping through the Bake Off cookbook and a few things have caught my eye. I’ll definitely have a few recipes up on the blog soon!
I dunno… I might have been bitten by the bug. I might enter next year!
Sandy
Hot Damn Joy! You are like the girl version of Superman! Exciting journalist by day, super-baker by night! Okay so there are no capes, and you’re writing about food, but you’re still my hero! And I’m guess Pillsbury likes you too!
Estela @ Weekly Bite
I think my blood pressure started rising as I was reading your post! I love watching stuff like this…. but I get so nervous for the contestants!
Jessica @ How Sweet
You could totally steal the bake-off if you were in it! Wow – I’d love to see it! :)
joythebaker
I think I want in next year!
Sushi Girl
Cool! The hubby and I watch cooking competitions on TV and it’s nice to see some behind the scene images and blog about it. Blog on! *love*
Melanie
oooooh..lucky!!
Looks like a fun/crazy time had by all! :)
Allie (Live Laugh Eat)
I think I had an anxiety attack just looking at your photos! That looks way more intense than the video footage even. Crazytown is right. Whew!
Jessie @ simplysifted
I’m so jealous that you’re there! I am fascinated by the Bake-Off. I was just reading about the early bake-offs in a really interesting book called “Something From the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in the 1950s”. The entries provide a great snapshot of what’s popular during any given time period.
Shawna
You need to be in the bake-off Joy! You’d be a shoo-in (or is that shoe-in???)
Anne's Kitchen
OMG, bake off! I entered a TV baking competition myself and this morning I had to do a timed baking – with the cameras right on me! It was terrifying! I was shaking and so nervous!! But what terrifies me more is that if I get through this round, I’ll be one of 10 candidates battling it off for 6 weeks to become Britain’s Best Amateur Baker! Ahhh! The terror! :-)
Really Joy, you’re so spot on when you say competition baking is miiiiiles away from home baking!
joythebaker
How exciting for you! Good luck girl!
Rachel
Joy,
I’m one of your newest and biggest fans (and I mean that in a totally un-Kathy Bates way;). Loved the behind the scenes of the bake-off. Thanks!
shelly (cookies and cups)
awesome! I think I would crumble under the pressure too!
Renee A.
It’s Monday morning and I should be working, but saw your post and I am really thrilled to see this. You have captured this well. I just love your blogging, your baking, and humor!
Cookie
I love the Pillsbury Bake Off cookbooks. I love home cooks. Thanks for sharing this!
gingela5
*that’s supposed to say so exciting, no “I.” Doh! :)
gingela5
So I exciting. My heart is racing just reading about it!
Amy S
Wow…that’s so neat! I thought you were competing when you tweeted about it…oops!
Sam
it all looks super exciting! and who got to do the taste testing?! because i’d like to apply for that job… ;)
Avalee
I remember my mom’s copy of a Pilsbury Bake-Off cookbook (it was/is very well used & loved!) I would look at the pictures inside the cover of the room with rows and rows of the ovens & ‘kitchens’and marvel at what was going on (magic!). I had no idea it still takes place — these pictures make me want to get my hands on that old battered cookbook :-)