Episode 10 Junior Bake Off

Welcome to Junior Bake Off,

the show whisking its way to find Britain's best young baker.

Once again, the challenges get much harder as we enter

the last of our semifinals.

The Bake Off tent is home to the greatest baking battle on Earth.

I've got to push now to get it done.

I haven't got that long to let them cool.

Today, in the last semifinal,

Kai, Freya,

Jacob and Sangita

will be pushed to their baking limits.

To be in the final would mean the world to me.

It's looking pretty good.

Only two can make it through to the final.

To win Junior Bake Off would be the best feeling in the whole world.

To make the final and compete for the title

of Junior Bake Off champion, they must impress our judges.

The Queen of Cake making, Mary Berry.

We have raised the standard, and the challenges are very difficult.

-I'm expecting the best.

-And Master Baker Paul Hollywood.

We have to take it up a notch and see

how they cope under more pressure than they have in the heats.

-You all right?

-No.

-Have I come at the wrong time?

-Yes.

I'm Aaron Craze and I'll be in the Bake Off tent

as they battle for the last two places.

That was a very good technique.

It's a bit sticky, but I think it will be all right.

Disaster averted!

In today's semifinal,

the heat is turned right up as four bakers

face two massive challenges.

First, they'll have to follow one of Paul's classic recipes

for tricky mini pizzas.

In the second challenge, seaside is the theme the bakers must draw on

to inspire them into making mouth-watering sweet tarts that show

flair, imagination and pastry skills.

The four semifinalists are...

Freya, from Newbury.

She won her heat by making Halloween biscuits with blueberry spiders,

wowing the judges and securing her place in today's semifinal.

I'm going to have to bake like I've never baked before

because I really, really, want to win.

Jacob, from Herefordshire.

He impressed the judges, winning his heat making an orange cake

with mango butter cream filling topped with regal icing.

To be in the semifinal feels absolutely fantastic.

It's really energising and really exciting.

Sangita, from Bradford.

She blew the judges away with a vanilla sponge cake with white icing

and decorated with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

I'm going to wow the judges by my unique skills and my determination.

And finally Kai, from the Wirral.

The judges were astounded by his peanut butter and jelly

sandwich sponge cake, sending him through to today's semifinal.

I'm in the semifinals and it feels epic,

the adrenaline rush is crazy. I'm in it to win it.

These four bakers have fought their way through the heats to

today's semifinals.

Now they face their toughest challenge.

The technically difficult task of making mini pizzas.

This will truly test their bread making skills.

What we're looking for is a nice, smooth, well-kneaded bread

that's equally been portioned out to make the ten pizzas.

Good filling on the top and a good all-round bake.

They each have the same ingredients and the same amount of time,

but if their kneading isn't knockout the results could vary massively.

-OK, guys, have you washed your hands?

-Yes!

Your pizzas will be judged on technique, taste,

texture and appearance.

You've got one hour to complete your pizzas.

If you want a place in the final, you've got to make it count.

On your marks, get set, bake!

These guys know their way round a kitchen,

so if you fancy baking, make sure you ask an adult.

To kick off making pizza dough, our bakers combine

flour, salt, yeast and oil in a mixing bowl.

Although he's only been baking a few months,

12-year-old Kai feels right at home with this recipe.

I'm feeling pretty all right about this challenge because

I've made pizza many times before. I'm sure I can pull it off.

But for ten-year-old Freya, who writes her own recipe books,

this is one recipe she's never tried.

Hello, Freya, what have you got that the other guys haven't

that's going to send you through to the final?

I think I've got originality in my presentation

and what it looks like and what's in it.

12-year-old Jacob is a major bread maker, baking tons of

different types of bread.

He has his own technique to check his dough is ready.

When you do this, it should go quite long without ripping.

So I just knead it more and it should come stretchier.

My wrist is aching just a little bit!

-Hello, Kai.

-Hello.

-How you finding this challenge?

I'm finding it pretty all right because I've made pizzas before.

Are you nervous about these guys?

I'm a bit nervous, but when I step into the marquee

-they're not my friends any more, they're competition.

-Wow!

Once they think they've kneaded the dough enough, the bakers must

allow time for it to rise.

12-year-old Sangita wants to start up her own cupcake business

and means business now, bringing her heat-winning swagger to the semi.

I'm putting it in the bowl now

and leaving it to rise for 20 minutes in the warming cabinet.

-BEEPS

-And that's on for 20 minutes.

While they pray the dough will rise, the bakers must crack on with

the topping, but Jacob's approach could lose valuable time.

I like being precise...

Don't know if I'm very good at it, but I like doing it!

You can cut it, but apparently it gives more flavour off

when it's cooking if you tear it.

I don't know if it's true or not, but it's worth a try.

-My dough's going to be done in six, five, four, three, two, one, and...

-BEEP

The bakers take their dough out of the proving cabinets.

-Have they let them prove enough?

-I'm happy, yeah.

Yeah, that's perfect.

And it's looking pretty good.

But not everybody is happy.

It's a bit sticky, but I think it'll be all right.

OK, Junior Bakers, you've got 15 minutes left to bake.

15 minutes.

I've got to push now to hurry up and get it done.

In the heat of the semifinal, the pressure is starting to show.

I'm quite pressed for time

but I think it'll be all right once I'm finished.

As minutes tick by, the bakers need to get their heads down to

make ten perfect pizzas.

One, two, three, four...

To stop them rising too much,

it's vital that they remember to fork their bases.

Then it's a race to get the toppings on.

OK, guys, you've got ten minutes left to bake.

Pizzas are going into the ovens thick and fast,

and with them the bakers' dreams of a place in the final.

Phew.

The big question now is will the pizzas be baked to perfection?

I'm just praying they'll cook in time.

Time's nearly up but Sangita's spotted a problem with her pizzas.

I forgot to fork the middle of it.

Now the pizza dough has risen so it's a bit thick now.

But hopefully it tastes good.

She'll just have to cross her fingers and hope for the best.

It's time to take the pizzas out of the oven.

And for Sangita, things go from bad to worse.

Ooh, you're supposed to have ten up, ain't ya?

-You going to be all right, you going to get away with this?

-I hope so.

But she's not the only one with pizza problems.

I've actually hidden one of my pizzas because

it never had a bit of cheese on. I'm hoping they won't find it.

OK, guys, you've got one minute to plate your pizzas up.

Isn't it better to have nine than nothing?

OK, guys, your time is up. Please step away from your worktops.

There's no more the bakers can do.

They've faced the judges before, but this time,

with two places in the final at stake,

it will be tougher than ever.

They'll be looking for a thin, crispy pizza base, light texture

and the perfect amount of topping.

I thought you all did extremely well

on quite a complicated dough, because it was quite stiff.

And I think your kneading on all of you was very, very good.

Shall we start with Kai?

Experienced pizza maker Kai had a nightmare

when he failed to add topping to all of his pizzas.

Will the judges notice that some are a little on the bare side?

They're trying to fool us!

-I ran out of cheese at the end, so...

-OK.

Easiest way to do it is pizza wheel straight in. Let's have a look.

-Yeah, it's underdone.

-Looks rather creased.

I think you needed about another five minutes

to get that colour as well as the bake.

Jacob used special techniques

to make sure his dough was absolutely perfect

and his toppings were extra tasty.

Will his pizza making skills wow Paul and Mary?

Overall, Jacob, I think you've got some nice looking pizza.

It's got a nice colour on the outside. If we cut this one...

-Sounds crispy round the outside, which is how I like it.

-It does.

That's nice and thin.

They're nice pizzas. I think you've done really well, yeah.

Next up it's Sangita, who forgot to prick her dough,

causing her bases to rise a little too much.

What will the judges think of her thick pizzas?

-Sangita.

-Yep.

-Did you dock the bottom?

-I forgot to do that.

It's just blown up slightly. Let's try it.

-Are they done underneath?

-Yes, they're well baked,

but just that little bit too thick.

Finally it's Freya, who had never made pizzas before.

Will it be beginner's luck or will her inexperience show in her dough?

Let's look inside.

-Did you prick the bottom of these?

-Yes, I did.

-You did.

-A little bit thick on the base, isn't it?

-It is.

-Tastes very good though, Freya.

-It is well baked.

It is a little bit thick, but you've got a good bake,

a good flavour, and you've got a good consistent colour.

So, first challenge is complete, but you still have one more to face

before Paul and Mary decide which two bakers

are going through to the final. Good luck.

They told me that my thickness of the pizza

was thick but also told me that my kneading was great.

Comments were good so I think I might have a chance

of getting through.

It was slightly undercooked, which I thought it was,

and for the next round I'm just going to have to

try harder and work harder.

In the next challenge I'm going to prove to the judges

that I'm the one who needs to be in the final.

It's time for the bakers to face their toughest task to date.

If they are to succeed, they must master the notoriously difficult

technique of pastry making.

It will be their most demanding bake yet.

This is the invention challenge,

it's the one test that stands between you

and a place in the final.

You've got the opportunity to make your own sweet tart,

inspired by today's theme, the seaside.

It is the semi-final,

and remember Paul and Mary are going to be looking for brilliant ideas,

clever decorating, and most of all it's got to taste fantastic.

On your marks, get set, and bake.

The semi-finalists have just an hour and a half to bake

and serve up the sweet tarts they've been practicing at home.

They begin by tackling the tricky process of pastry making,

but it's what goes in the tarts that'll really set them apart.

Freya's adding an exotic twist to hers.

-What is it that you're making?

-I'm making sweet tarts,

and in them there's going to be lemon, lime and goji berry.

Now goji berries, I believe that's from China.

Yes, they're quite sweet and they taste nice when they're soaked.

That's interesting.

Have you brought the confidence over from the first round?

I'm going to try my best and that's all I can do.

Sangita's making sunshine and sea inspired custard tarts

and she's taking a big risk

by attempting a particularly difficult type of pastry.

-Hello, Sangita.

-Hello.

-Tell us about your pastry.

I decided to do rough puff pastry

because it would have maybe wowed you a little bit more.

And you haven't put sugar in the pastry and you're going to make

-the rest rather sweet?

-Yes.

-Good. How many eggs have you put in?

-Six.

That's good, it'll be very rich.

-It'll be very rich. Good luck, Sangita.

-Thank you.

Wow! Sangita's looking egg-stremely confident, but elsewhere,

it seems like Kai might already be cracking under the pressure.

-Oh, please! Oh!

-Hi, Kai. Are you all right, buddy?

-No.

-Have I come at the wrong time?

-Yep.

-Do you need another egg?

-I've got some.

-Yeah? Cool. We've got plenty more eggs if you need them.

Now, I know this is a bit of a tricky time,

but I've got a couple of questions. I must say, that's a very good

technique for separating the egg yolks.

Tell me, what are you making today?

I'm making raspberry ripple bucket and spade.

A raspberry ripple bucket and spade? Wow.

Would you follow your career as a baker?

Yes, I'd probably open a restaurant called The Blue Glove.

The Blue Glove! I'll come along.

Maybe you can give Paul a job when he's retired, yeah?

Show him how to make bread properly(!)

With a place in the final at stake,

the bakers are pulling out all the stops to impress the judges

and for experienced tart maker Jacob, this challenge

should be right up his street.

-Jacob!

-Hello.

-What a gwan?

-Pardon?

-How are you?

-OK, thank you!

-What you making, dude?

-I'm making a coffee and walnut tart.

It's the semi final and you've got the opportunity

-to go through to the final today.

-Yeah.

Potentially win Junior Bake Off. How are you feeling? Tell me

-how you're feeling.

-I'm really excited,

but at the same time extremely nervous.

That's how I catch it.

That was a very good technique.

Putting it on the spoon there, and then walking it

-all the way over there!

-THEY LAUGH

Jacob isn't the only one doing things a little bit differently.

Kai is causing custard controversy

by using only egg whites, not egg yolks in his mix.

Paul and Mary are more than a little concerned.

I noticed you were doing a custard.

It's not that thick though,

so I'm going to put double cream through it.

-Have you added egg?

-Yes.

-It doesn't look very yellow.

Do you think you've forgotten to put the egg yolks in?

-Maybe there was a mistake?

-It doesn't look sort of custard like,

because in order to be custard it would have the egg yolks in.

Mary told me to put some egg yolks in it, from the egg whites,

but I didn't really want to because it's the recipe that I'm used to.

-Might get angry.

-Kai might be baking on the edge, but so is Freya.

She's trying to make her pastry cases look like ice cream cones.

It's a fiddly process and full of potential pitfalls.

It's quite difficult to, erm, wrap around...

..because it sticks to the table a bit.

All this work, I hope it's going to be worth it. Fingers crossed.

With all the bakers at a crucial point for their pastries,

Jacob has hit a serious setback with lining his tart cases.

-HE SIGHS

-At the moment I'm not doing very well,

because the pastry just keeps on tearing

so I can't put them in the tart.

I don't think I'm going to get all 12 done at this time.

You never know, a miracle might happen. Lost that one!

OK, junior bakers. You've got 30 minutes left to bake. 30 minutes.

Time is against the all the semi-finalists.

They must quickly finish prepping their pastries ready for baking.

-Hello, Freya.

-Hello.

-What are you going to be baking for us today?

Today I'm going to be baking lemon and lime and goji berry tarts

and they're in the shape of an ice cream cone.

I'm going to pipe it like an ice cream.

-It's a nice little idea using the ice cream cones.

-Yes.

-Yes. They're cream horn moulds.

-It's very adventurous, isn't it?

With the bakers rushing to get their pastries into the oven,

the race is on for Jacob to get all his tart cases lined.

I need 12, I've only got 11,

so I'm going to have to work really fast now.

Phew! Disaster averted.

OK, bakers, you've got 15 minutes left to bake. 15 minutes.

As the seconds tick away, and with the last two places in the final

at stake, everyone is feeling the pressure.

I'm feeling anxious. I hope the judges like them.

I haven't got that long to let them cool and then fill them

and put them on the plate.

Basically this could cost me my place in the final.

Kai's stressing, time's pushing on and Jacob's facing complete disaster

One after another, his pastry cases are crumbling.

Just take your time, just do it slowly.

You've still got a few more,

even if you put four or five up. Just take your time.

Is there any way that Jacob can still salvage his tarts?

What do I do?

OK, guys, I hate to break it to you but there's one minute left to go.

Junior bakers, your time's up.

Please stand away from your worktops.

This is it. Judgement time. There are just two places left

in the final, but who has risen to the challenge

in the heat of the bake off tent?

With the stakes so high, the judges will be expecting amazing taste,

and a bake that's out of this world

before choosing today's winning bakers.

Kai, you're up first.

Ignoring Mary's advice to make his custard tarts the traditional way

with egg yolks, Kai used egg whites. Will his raspberry ripple

bucket and spade tarts take him through to the final?

That looks lovely and sea-sidey.

The raspberry with that custard works well.

I think your shortcrust pastry isn't short enough.

I think it's been overworked slightly and that's why you've got

that slight rubbery texture to it.

I'm surprised with the custard

because I was very hesitant as to whether it was going to work,

but you were right, it did work, so well done.

Next up it's Jacob, who had a major disaster

when his pastry cases fell apart. Out of the original 12,

only three of his coffee and walnut tarts survived.

But will it be a case of quality not quantity?

It's nice that you've got the seaside theme

because you've put the ships on the top and the starfish.

-They taste delicious.

-Thank you.

Nice and sweet too because the chocolate is quite bitter.

It's quite well-balanced between the coffee and the mascarpone.

-They're good.

-They're delicious.

-I'd like to have seen 12.

-Yes.

Third to face the judges is Sangita,

who risked it all on a technically difficult rough puff pastry

for her sunshine and sea custard and raspberry tarts.

Has she pulled it off?

The pastry is quite thick and not quite cooked through.

It's actually raw inside. It needed a lot more because it's so thick.

The taste of the custard is good.

-It's been slightly overdone so it is curdled.

-Yes.

It tastes beautifully rich, just cooked at too high a temperature

so that means it separates out.

Finally, Freya, who made lemon flavoured ice cream cone tarts

filled with goji berry, lemon and lime cream filling.

Will the judges be impressed by her unusual combination of flavours?

It looks wonderful, doesn't it?

It reminds me of the seaside. So original, such fun.

All 12 have held together.

Just look at that bake, Paul, underneath.

A beautiful golden brown underneath.

Freya, that is truly inspirational. Everything is ten out of ten.

Thank you, judges, and most of all, thank you, junior bakers.

But it is up to Paul and Mary now to make this crucial decision

of which two bakers will go through to the final.

Now the gloves are off.

With places in the final at stake,

the judges will be more critical than ever.

First up is Kai.

The pastry he used was slightly overworked.

The filling was surprisingly good. It's worked.

-Of course he made a good pizza this morning.

-Yes.

I think my chances of going through to the final are about 50-50

because everyone else's looked good but mine looked even better.

Let's go over to Jacob.

He did full-size individual tarts, quite difficult to do,

but the pastry was a bit short.

He should have worked that dough a little bit more. It was too crumbly.

His pizzas were lovely.

Good size, good shape, good bake, and a good eat.

They liked the dark chocolate

and how well the coffee goes well with the chocolate.

I don't think they were very keen on the pastry, but then that's life.

Sangita's managed to find a hybrid

between short and puff to come up with that.

It did rise a lot.

She has a good background knowledge, her skills are good,

but she didn't just show off enough today.

-No.

-Her pizzas were OK, they were a little bit thick.

However, she kneaded like a demon this morning

and that kneading is some of the best I've seen.

I believe I could get through to the final

because I have tried my hardest and it's just up to Mary and Paul.

-Let's go over to Freya.

-The flavours, the lime in there, superb.

Her filling for the ice cream was absolutely delicious

and she was able to make it in a few moments.

Her pizzas as well, if I can go back to them, were very good.

-So she's had a good day.

-A really good day.

The judges' comments were beyond my expectations.

I did think they would like it but they loved it,

because they said it was truly inspirational and 10 out of 10,

and you literally couldn't ask for any more.

It's decision time. For two of the semi finalists,

the journey has almost come to an end.

For the others, they are about to learn

that it's onwards and upwards to the Junior Bake Off final.

Guys, Mary and Paul have made their decision.

The first person going through to the Junior Bake Off final is...

-..Freya.

-Well done!

APPLAUSE

The second person going through to the Junior Bake Off final is...

-..Kai.

-APPLAUSE

I feel ecstatic. I really didn't think I'd get through, but I did.

I'm really, really, really, really looking forward to the final.

It feels immense to get through to the final of Junior Bake Off

because everything that I've done has just worked out perfectly.

They've both got the potential, and I want to see them go far.

-We'll just see how they get on.

-We had such an eclectic mix of bakers.

It was lovely to see two of them just jumping ahead that next stage.

They're ready for the final.

Next time, the heat of the kitchen gets intense as the finals begin.

I'm in it to win it.

The bakers must take on the most demanding challenges imaginable.

Just leave it, just leave it!

Their baking skills will be tested to the max.

I forgot the rosemary and thyme.

Because only one can bake their way to victory

and be crowned Junior Bake Off Champion.

The winner is...

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