Season 4 - Episode Guide

For the first time ever, the tent welcomes a baker's dozen to do baking battle. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins coax them through their baking trials, all the while under the scrutiny of the judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. The first challenge? A sandwich cake.

Having survived cake, this week the remaining 12 bakers battle bread. Knowing that Paul will be watching their every move and prove, they must bake 36 perfectly thin and crispy signature bread sticks, a technically tricky English Muffin, and the most outrageous show-stopping loaves of bread ever seen on television...

It's week three, and the heat in the kitchen is already too much for some, as the remaining 11 bakers get ready to deal with desserts. These include a Signature Trifle combining biscuit, cake, jelly or custard in perfectly distinct layers.

It's week four in the tent and the baking is getting serious, as the remaining bakers put on their pinnies to pimp up pies and tarts. From the country's oldest known cookbook, we discover the almost 700 year old history of the English custard tart. As a technical challenge in the Bake Off tent, this classic sweet causes more than the intended wobble for the bakers!

Almost half way through the Bake Off and the remaining eight bakers are faced with biscuits and traybakes. Today they face the thinnest Technical Challenge ever devised on Bake Off; the French classic tuiles, biscuits formed into fragile rolls and decorated with piped chocolate.

It's week six in the tent and time for sweet dough week – but will it prove bitter-sweet for the bakers? They kick off with a signature tea loaf. After this, the bakers face Paul's most twisted Technical Challenge yet, and a Showstopper that draws on all of Europe for inspiration, creating 36 sweet European buns.

With only six bakers left in the tent the stakes are getting higher, and this week they face pastry. First, the bakers battle to bring the old fashioned suet pudding up to date with some mean roly-poly puddings. After a tough technical challenge to make 8 delicate choux buns filled with crème patissiere, the bakers reach the showstopper, and must make three different types of perfectly puffed pastries.

It's the quarter final and there are just five bakers left. For the Signature Challenge the bakers must make a loaf using non-traditional wheat flours. The Technical sees the bakers challenged to each make a dacquoise, made with three layers of fragile coiled meringue. And for their final challenge, the bakers must push themselves out of their comfort zone to create show-stopping novelty vegetable cakes.

The semifinalists are tasked with baking savoury canapes, a Charlotte royal and a truly iconic French patisserie, the opera cake.

Each year thousands of people apply to The Great British Bake Off and only a handful are chosen, but what exactly is it like to take part? Talking candidly about their experience, the Class of 2012 return to the Bake Off tent to give a special insight to life inside the tent.

It's the final of The Great British Bake Off! 13,000 applicants were narrowed down to 13 of Britain's best amateur bakers, and the 13 became three. There are just three final challenges standing between the bakers and the title of WINNER of the Great British Bake Off.

Mary and Paul take over the tent for the ultimate baking masterclass. The Great British Bake Off judges take on the same challenges which they set the bakers, showing us what they would have done had they been in their shoes. Tackling signature bakes, technical bakes and, for the first time, showstopper bakes, Mary and Paul share all their tips and tricks to get the perfect results at home.

Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry go through some of the signature, technical and showstopper challenges which they set the bakers in dessert and pie weeks. Mary shares her family recipe for her 'Tipsy Trifle', floating islands and 'Wobbly Apricot Tart', whilst Paul goes through his custard tarts and showstopping spanakopita.

Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry show what they would have made for the challenges in the biscuit and pastry weeks. Mary shares her family recipe for ginger spiced traybake and her technically tricky tuiles with chocolate mousse, whilst Paul goes through his recipes for his iced tea loaf, his sweet dough brioche tete and his twisted technical apricot couronne.

Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry share what they would have made for the challenges in the final weeks of the Bake Off. Paul makes a wheat-free crusty rye loaf and sweet and savoury pretzels whilst Mary goes through her suet sussex pond pudding and choux pastry religieuse and creates her own twist on the classic opera cake.

Mary and Paul share their favourite recipes for Christmas classics such as stollen, mincemeat streusel and a gingerbread house, in a special festive masterclass.