Learn some showstopper science with Bake Off stars
Bake Off finalist Josh Smalley returns to your screens next week with a new series of webinars exploring the science behind baking.
The University of Leicester chemistry researcher and science communicator will be joined by 2022’s GBBO winner Dr Syabira Yusoff for the first episode on Tuesday 11 February.
The webinar takes place from 12noon and is free and open to all, with plenty of opportunity for live Q&As. It will be of particular interest for students aged 12-18 with an interest in biology, chemistry or food science.
Episode 1 ‘The Science of Baking - It’s in our DNA’ will be delivered by Josh and fellow University of Leicester PhD graduate Dr Syabira Yusoff, who won Bake Off in 2022, producing an astonishing DNA showstopper cake on route to the title. Here they will discuss the importance and structure of DNA, recreate Syabira’s winning showstopper, extract DNA from fruits, and discuss how DNA encodes proteins and what happens to them when we bake a cake.
In celebration of International Women and Girls in Science Day, Syabira will be talking about her career and experiences in science, plus there will be an introduction from Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.
Dr Josh Smalley is a chemistry researcher and science communicator at the University of Leicester and finalist of the Great British Bake Off 2023. In his new webinar series ‘The Science of Baking’ Josh will reveal the scientific secrets to our baked delights through interactive demonstrations and data-driven explanations, broadcast live from the Science Kitchen at the University of Leicester.
Josh said: “It is such a delight to be hosting Syabira at the University of Leicester Science Kitchen for our upcoming ‘Science of Baking’ webinar. This will be the first in a series of webinars revealing the molecular mysteries of the goings-on in our kitchens and how science plays an all-important role in the success or failure of bakes. As a fellow scientist, baker and Bake Off alumni, Syabira has been incredibly excited to put this together and I can’t wait to hear more about her career in science whilst we get busy baking. Hopefully the webinar viewers will be equally as excited to watch along and learn about the hidden world of science in our everyday sweet treats!”
The webinar is FREE and open to all. Sign up on Eventbrite, where you will be sent the TeamsLive link to use on the day. Please ensure you have ‘Teams’ downloaded on your computer or phone. If viewers cannot watch live, there will be a recording to watch at a later stage.