The technical challenge, set by Prue, required the bakers to make a malt loaf served with homemade butter, in two hours.

For the showstopper challenge, the bakers needed to create a three-dimensional biscuit replica of a favorite childhood toy in four hours.

The technical challenge, set by Paul, tasked the bakers with making 15 olive and cheese ciabatta breadsticks, served with a tzatziki dip, in two hours.

The signature challenge tasked the bakers with making two types of twelve German biscuits, which needed to be dipped, coated, or decorated, in two hours, fifteen minutes.

They were asked to layer Filo pastry with a pistachio and walnut filling, cut into a star design, in two hours and forty-five minutes.

For the technical bake, set by Prue, the bakers are tasked in making a Sablé Breton Tart, consisting of a sablé breton pastry base, topped with raspberry confiture, piped with pistachio crème mousseline, filled with fresh berries and topped with glided meringue kisses and chocolate curls, all in two hours and forty-five minutes.

A themed banquet display consisting of a crafted edible centrepiece surrounded by least twelve individual entremets desserts was set as the showstopper.

For the final technical challenge, set by Paul, the bakers were given two hours and thirty minutes to create twelve Belgian buns filled with sultanas and lemon curd, with only two instructions given.

Two specials were commissioned for the festive season: The Great Christmas Bake Off featured It's a Sin's Olly Alexander, Nathaniel Curtis, Lydia West and Shaun Dooley.

Paul's technical challenge required the bakers to make a New Years Eve cake inspired by the traditional Greek Vasilopita, consisting of a perfectly baked lemon mahleb and mastika sponge and decorated with water icing, lemon curd and crystallized citrus peel in one hour and thirty minutes.