Doncaster baker Val Stones rises to top in Great British Bake Off bread week

Doncaster baker Val Stones proved she was the upper crust - by storming to first place in the technical challenge in week three of the Great British Bake Off.
Doncaster baker Val Stones.Doncaster baker Val Stones.
Doncaster baker Val Stones.

The retired headteacher, 66, from Conisbrough, stole last night's show by serving up a perfect set of dampfnudeln in the BBC1 show

It earned her first place in the technical challenge as she dished up the German sweet bread roll with plum sauce.

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She won high praise from judge Paul Hollywood, who said her rolls were the closest to his recipe, but joked that they were still a million miles away from his creations.

For her signature challenge, she created a double chocolate cinnamon loaf - which came out undercooked.

The showstopper challenge saw Val go back to her teaching roots as she crafted a "Noah's ark" with a tomato and basil roof, naming it "and they all went into the ark, for to get out of the rain" in a nod to her days in the classroom.

It drew a mixed response, with the smell and flavour of parts of her loaves coming in for praise, but others were criticised for being doughy and the animals bore little resemblance to their real-life counterparts.

Judge Mary Berry said: "It's not a mess, it's informal."

Her efforts were enough to see her through to week four as 20-year-old student Michael Georgiou was eliminated.