But a little gentle kneading and proving has yielded phenomenal results, because in four short years The Great British Bake off has risen beyond all expectations.
Indeed a little marquee in the heart of Somerset has set the scene for a topic of conversation hotter than a freshly-baked batch of Chelsea buns.
The final on Tuesday drew an audience of 9.4 million - 800,00 more than The X Factor’s average and twice as many viewers as watched the Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund Champions League clash.
Croissants and finger buns are the talk of the town with the Bake Off finalists all likely to enjoy glittering careers in the kitchen.
The hotly fought contest saw Frances Quinn, 31, beat former model Ruby Tandoh, 21, and 30-year-old psychologist Kimberly Wilson after wowing judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry.
It was so popular it even took the glory from a 2007 episode of Top Gear as the most viewed BBC Two programme since the channel began in 1964.
Frances stole the crown from last year’s champion John Whaite, who has since left his former life as a budding lawyer behind and is on course to be one of the hottest tickets in home cooking.
John has just released is new book - John Whaite Bakes: Recipes For Every Day And Every Mood - and is pursuing his dream of whipping up floury baps, cottage loaves and definitely not a soggy bottom in sight.
So, what more could any Bake Off fan and aspiring pastry maker like myself wish for than a masterclass with the King of Cakes.
On the menu was Chocolate Mont Blanc Biscuits, a chocolate macaroon-type sandwich filled with chestnut puree and marshmallow.
Sounds delicious - and the making? Surely a piece of cake for an avid Bake Off watcher like myself and my team of two other journalists.
In a nutshell the recipe for the biscuits is melt chocolate with butter, whisk in the flour, baking soda and a pinch of salt and before piping into mounds and baking.
The Great British Bake off has risen beyond all expectations
For the marshmallow - heat sugar, golden syrup and water to 115C, mix in gelatin and whisk until white and stringy.
Then pipe around the edge of a biscuit, fill with the chestnut and voila, a Bake Off creation Mary Berry herself would be proud of.
Thanks to Intel, who hosted the event, there were no sticky pages in sight as electronic tablets provided full instructions.
John shared a few of his sugar-coated tips which any self-respecting baker would do well to keep in mind.
Never heat chocolate quickly and don’t over heat it as the fats will split and it will be ruined.
Getting water into melting chocolate is as close as you can me to baking death - apparently there is no return from this faux pas.
Always put a pinch of salt into cakes and biscuits as it brings out the flavours and apart from very delicate bakes will improve the taste.
Don’t over whisk marshmallow as it will become too stiff and will be rigid and chewy.
John said: “What I am looking for is uniformity in size, a smooth biscuit with a nicely cracked surface, it needs to be domed - I am looking for nothing less than perfection.”
Yes, he does have high standards, but that is to be expected after ascending the ranks under the scornful, blue-eyed gaze of Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood.
John admits to being very critical of his masterclass students, so definitely nothing less than perfectly-formed peaks and even buns will do.
And as for newly-crowned Bake Off queen Frances?
“She better not try to get her hands on my trophy,” he said, “or I’ll have her,” John said.
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