Judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry in “The Great British Baking Show”

Anyone who feels at home in the kitchen knows that, while cooking is an art, baking is a science. Of course, only cooks who don’t love to dabble in the sweet side of things would ever think that the science of baking doesn’t also have its own artistic beauty.

Here in the United States, Fox’s “MasterChef” has been a boon for amateur home cooks looking to break into the big leagues, but there just hasn’t been a show focused on baking that’s taken off in the same way -- and not for lack of trying.

Across the Atlantic, though, the cards have played out differently and, as is so often the case with some of the fantastic shows coming out of the U.K., PBS has been quick and eager to bring them to our shores. Season 2 of “The Great British Baking Show” has been airing on PBS for the past few weeks, and its winner will finally be crowned in the grand finale airing Sunday, Nov. 8, on PBS.

Late to the sweet, sweet party? Not to worry, the entire season’s available to watch on the PBS website -- along with the entire first season, too.

So what sets the award-winning competition apart from the rest? It’s hard to pin down, but it’s not just the accents.

Perhaps it's the way the challenges are laid out. Each week, the remaining home bakers are challenged to show off a different baking skill, but, as the competition goes on, the skills required become more and more difficult. This season started out with easy stuff like cakes and bread, but since then, the bakers have been faced with flaky pastries, technically challenging sweet dough and more.

The hosts definitely add to the fun nature of the contest: broadcaster Sue Perkins and comedian Mel Giedroyc are a pair of performers with quick wits and sharp tongues, and they spice up every episode.

Then there are the judges, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, a pair of heavyweights who know their stuff -- and who don’t pull their punches. Berry is an icon in the U.K. She’s published more than 75 cookbooks and hosted a number of her own cooking shows; she sits beside Hollywood at the judges table, a man who is one of the best known and most respected artisanal bakers in the country.

Whatever the reasons for its success, “The Great British Baking Show” is a hit in the U.K., and PBS is making sure that American audiences don’t miss out. The second season wraps up Sunday, Nov. 8.