Episode 12 Junior Bake Off

Welcome to Junior Bake Off,

the show that's scouring the nation for Britain's best young baker.

Out of 2,000 applications,

only four made it to the finals.

Kai.

-Saffron.

-Yes!

Kieran.

Freya.

It's time for the finalists to face

the second of three gruelling final challenges,

taking on the toughest test of the competition so far

as they battle it out

to claim the title of Junior Bake Off Champion.

Are they done?

-Yeah, they're done.

-All right.

Just take them out!

But they're going to have to keep proving themselves

if they want to win over our judges,

queen of cakes Mary Berry...

We are pushing them. We'll see their technique.

It's got to taste good and it's got to look magnificent.

And master baker Paul Hollywood.

It's going that extra mile.

It's one thing baking a cake, but the next level

is where you decorate it to absolute perfection.

I hope and pray

that they really attain the level that we know they can do.

-All the best. I wish you luck.

-Thank you.

-I take it that's a witch's nose?

-No, it's a witch's hat.

My name is Aaron Craze, and I'm here to support the bakers.

Boo!

As from the final four,

one is crowned Junior Bake Off Champion.

The winner of Junior Bake Off 2011

is...

The finals kicked off in style.

The bakers were stretched to their limits,

working in pairs, baking in a professional kitchen

for one of the country's top chefs, Michel Roux Jr.

Saffron and Kieran really impressed Michel,

but Freya and Kai just had the edge.

I think Kai and Freya stood out for me,

because of the finesse of the decor.

And I really, really enjoyed that cinnamon shortbread biscuit.

-They were perfect!

-But can they maintain the standard

as now, in the second of three final challenges,

the bakers face two more demanding tasks?

Now it's perfect.

First, the temperature will rise

as their baking know-how is put under the spotlight

in The Knowledge Test.

I have serious issues with this one. Her bagwork isn't particularly good.

Then their creativity and technique will be pushed to the max.

It's too hard!

As the finalists work in pairs

to design, bake and hand-deliver sweet and savoury treats

to the cast and crew of London's smash hit West End musical, Wicked.

-Well done, guys, that is absolutely, really tasty.

-Really lovely.

But which bakers will bewitch the judges today?

Done!

Will it be...

..Saffron from Essex?

I learned quite a few tips in the professional kitchen yesterday,

so I'm definitely going to put them ahead today in my challenge,

and I know I'm going to win it.

Kieran, from York?

It's been tough in the final so far, it's been really tough to get here,

and I know it's going to get tougher, but I'm just going to try my hardest

and just hope I can do it all.

Freya from Newbury?

I'm really, really, really excited

about today, and what we're going to do,

cos I really want to know how to do it.

Or Kai from The Wirral?

There's two days left to go,

and my message to the competitors is,

watch out, my bakes are better than yours,

and I'm coming for you.

The finalists are about to get a big surprise.

They're going to be facing a totally new type of challenge.

Welcome back, bakers. Your first challenge is the Knowledge Test.

Taking it in turns, Mary and Paul will test your baking know-how

with a series of questions and tasks

so good luck.

Their baking skills and knowledge

are about to be put under the microscope.

For queen of cakes Mary,

the bakers must pipe two cupcakes with total precision.

One with stars,

the other with a swirl.

For master baker Paul,

the finalists must examine a loaf of bread, and work out it has no salt

and has been under-proved, meaning it wasn't left long enough to rise.

With the rain lashing down,

Kieran is the first finalist

to take the long walk to face the judges alone.

But will he be able to keep a steady hand

in this high-pressure situation?

Thank you very much, Kieran.

Place that bag down.

Kieran's semi-final pittas showed he was pretty good with his bread,

but will he taste that Paul's loaf is lacking salt

and spot that it hasn't risen properly?

It seems a bit dry. It doesn't seem to have much flavour to it.

-I don't think there's any salt in there.

-You don't?

And I think it might be a bit overworked, because it's a bit tough.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much, Kieran.

So, what did the judges make of Kieran's skills?

I thought he did very well,

but of course, during the whole challenge,

he's been piping very well. He knew what he was up to.

On the bread challenge, he nailed the salt, he got the salt.

The overworking thing... That's not overworked, that's fine.

It is under-proved, which he missed.

It was a curveball they threw to you, and you took it well.

Um, yeah, yeah. I didn't think it was too hard,

but it was definitely a bit of a challenge there.

Saffron is the next finalist to put her skills in the spotlight.

And after Kieran's perfect piping,

normally-speedy Saffron needs to go slow and steady with her icing bag.

Thank you, Saffron.

After her less-than-perfect semi-final pittas,

has Saffron brushed up on her bread enough

to spot the missing salt and under-proving in Paul's loaf?

It tastes really squidgy in the middle.

I think that might be the bread where it might not have been cooked enough.

-Is it because it's irregular, in shape?

-Thank you very much, Saffron.

So, did Saffron's baking skills shine?

Well, her piping on this one, she's missed out on top of the sponge.

I have serious issues with this one.

What she was doing was double-piping.

She caused ripples in each one. See the double ripple all the way round?

Her bag work isn't particularly good.

On the bread front, unfortunately, she failed on both points.

How do you reckon you done, then?

-I think the piping went OK, but I'm not sure about the bread.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

It's Kai's turn to be put through his paces by the judges.

Kai has already proved he has the skills to make his bakes look great,

but piping under this kind of pressure is a real test of nerve.

Thank you.

None of the finalists have spotted both problems with Paul's loaf yet,

but can Kai pick up the missing salt

and see that it hasn't risen well?

It doesn't really have a flavour.

It's just a bland flavour.

Maybe it's undercooked slightly in the centre,

-and dry.

-And dry?

Thanks, Kai.

Has Kai done enough to impress Mary and Paul?

For me, his piping bag was far too close to the cake.

He never left a big enough gap, so he didn't finish it,

there wasn't any height, any boldness, to his spots.

This I thought was OK, but he didn't quite finish it properly.

On the bread, he thought it was dry.

But most important of all,

-he didn't notice there was no salt whatsoever in there.

-Exactly.

So how did this compare to the other challenges, Kai?

It was definitely harder trying to criticise Paul Hollywood's bread,

because to me it was a perfect loaf,

but I could tell there was something wrong with it.

Freya is the last finalist to face the judges.

Will she be able to rise above her rival bakers

and boost her chances of winning?

Her icing has been faultless up until now,

but will the cracks start to show

when she pipes under this level of pressure?

Thank you.

If Freya figures out the problems with Paul's loaf,

she'll be the only finalist to get both correct.

Can she spot that it's missing salt and hasn't risen properly,

and lift herself above the other bakers?

There's no salt in it.

Yep.

Has it not risen very well?

Thank you very much, Freya.

But, how did Freya do overall?

Well, Freya had her piping tube at a slight angle,

so they're not absolutely upright.

She did very well with her swirls,

but her finishing off

wasn't too good at the end.

Bread, tick, tick, absolutely nailed both of them.

I think she's done well.

It was tougher because you couldn't revise for it,

and cos you didn't know what was coming, you couldn't really prepare.

So, it seems that Kieran impressed the most with his piping skills

whereas Freya breezed through the bread challenge.

But next, the bakers face their toughest test to date.

The tension in the tent is higher than ever before.

The bakers have no idea what they're about to face.

Guys, it's time for your second task.

You're going to be catering for a special birthday celebration.

This is for the cast and crew

of one of the West End's most popular musicals,

Wicked.

Oh, yes! Freya, Kieran,

you'll be working in a team.

Saffron and Kai, you'll be working in a team.

There's a lot to do, so let's get baking.

WITCH CACKLES

This is a huge responsibility.

The finalists will be baking sweet and savoury party food

for the famous show's 5th birthday, attended by the cast and crew,

including the main stars, Louise Dearman and Rachel Tucker.

They'll be expecting bakes of the highest quality from each team,

so it's vital the bakers make the right choice

when deciding on their recipes.

Have you made a joint decision yet, as a team?

-Yep.

-What are you going for?

The mini pizzas.

-Why?

-Cos I've done them before.

You're playing safe?

-Yes.

-OK. Saffron?

I'm going for the cupcakes with butter icing on top,

because I've done those before

and I like decorating it as well.

-Good luck. See you in a bit.

-Thanks.

So, Saffron and Kai are sticking to what they know best,

but what are Freya and Kieran hoping to conjure up for those witches?

-Have you decided what to bake?

-We're doing some fruit tarts,

and mini pizzas, which we're going to decorate

with a special design, like a witch hat and things like that.

Good stuff. All the best of luck,

and I look forward to seeing and tasting your creations.

-Thank you.

-See you in a bit.

With the recipes decided,

both teams set to work on their bewitching bakes.

Team Saffron and Kai

are making mini pizzas and cupcakes.

Team Freya and Kieran

are baking mini pizzas and fruit tarts.

These guys know their way round a kitchen, so if you want to bake

make sure you ask an adult.

True to form, speedy Saffron's made a lightning-quick start

-to her cupcakes.

-I really want to win this one,

because the last challenge, Kai and Freya won,

so I just want to give myself a chance

to see if I can do it.

I think we'll do quite well,

and I definitely, I'm 100% sure that I reckon we'll win this one.

Saffron's looking confident, but over on the other team,

first-time pizza-maker Kieran is already making mistakes.

He's added his water far too late

and it's making his dough impossible to work with.

Has he fallen at the first hurdle?

-Hi, Kieran.

-Hi.

I notice when you're making dough,

you never put all the water in at the flour stage.

When you make a well in the middle of the flour

and add three-quarters of the water,

you literally go like this.

Once you know you've picked up it up, then put the rest in.

If you develop the dough to a ball, then try to add the water,

as you can see, it's a bit of a nightmare. This will do,

but it'll take a couple of minutes.

Luckily Kieran won't have to start his dough again from scratch,

but he's still lost baking time, and his rival, pizza-maker Kai,

is comfortably speeding ahead.

I'm feeling pretty confident about this challenge,

cos in Round Two I made pizzas for the Technical.

Where Kieran has never made pizzas before,

over on the other team, his rival pizza-maker Kai

is well within his comfort zone.

Kai seems relaxed, but maybe too relaxed,

cos his pizza dough

is also proving tough to work with.

Has he made a crucial error?

Why isn't that water in that dough?

I never added it, cos it says,

"Add three quarters, then add more water if needed."

Do you not think it's too dry?

It is a little bit.

Kai needs to get his dough back in the mixer and add more water, fast.

It's going to cost him precious time

to get it right.

I do think Paul is right, cos

it looks more like a pizza dough now,

rather than a bread dough.

Kai and Kieran must quickly get their difficult doughs covered

and leave them to rest.

It'll be a tight race to the finish,

if they're to get their pizzas ready in time for the event.

I'm very focused in this task,

cos in the last task, my cakes were dry, I've got to up my game,

so I'm just being focused,

and hopefully it will pay off.

Knowing that she must provide only the very best bakes,

Freya is pulling out all the stops

to get her pastry absolutely perfect.

I'm rolling it out in clingfilm so it doesn't get dry,

cos I've worked with pastry when I used flour,

and it went a bit dry,

so I'm using clingfilm

and it's a lot easier to work on.

With the West End celebrations edging ever closer,

over on the other team,

Saffron is also cooking up a storm.

What are you making for us today?

I'm making vanilla cupcakes

with a chocolate butter icing.

-Nice.

-And a fondant decoration.

You've got a good technique there, Saffron.

That's more like it, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Well done.

Having piped like a pro,

speedy Saffron wastes no time whacking her cupcakes in the oven.

There's only 45 minutes to go,

which means it's chop-chop

-for the boys' pizza toppings.

-I'm trying to get things precise,

as I've got about half an hour

to sort out my toppings.

'While Kieran's happy to take his time, with speedy Saffron

'cracking the whip, there's no let-up in the pace for Kai.'

Kai, you need to try and hurry up.

I need help at the moment. Do you know how to do butter icing?

-Yeah, you do it by hand.

-It takes longer by hand.

Yeah, but you'll get the thing in and the flour will go everywhere.

Will it?

Kai's just helping me to the butter icing while I'm making

the decorations for the cup cakes.

It's like really helping me.

'Outside, the rain might be pouring,

'but it doesn't seem to be dampening the bakers' team spirit.'

-Kieran, can you help me with something?

-Yep, yep.

-So one there.

-Yep.

-Ten.

One there. 11.

12. Just try not to break any of the others.

-They're perfect size.

-Good.

-Thanks, Kieran.

'Now Freya can get her pastry shells in the oven and baking.'

All right, we've half an hour left,

then we've to start packing up

because we've got to get out of here, we've got a show to catch.

'With the clock ticking, Freya realises there's a big problem

'with Kieran's pizzas.'

Kieran, are they in the oven?

-What? Do they need to be...?

-Half an hour.

-Half an...

'Kieran really needs to move,

'he's only just started to roll out his pizza bases

'and they need 15 minutes to bake.'

I'm rushing a bit here but I don't want to get them wrong.

So, I'm just trying to get them done quickly.

'Saffron is first to get her bake out of the oven

'and, with her cupcakes cooling, she can make a start

'on her fondant witches' hats and broomsticks.'

Saffron, how is it going, mate?

It's going good.

This is the final stages of the competition.

-How are you feeling?

-It is a little bit more pressure than usual

but I also shouldn't think that because I start rushing.

-All the best.

-Thank you.

-I take it that's a witch's nose?

No, it's a witch's hat.

'Saffron's working fast and so is her team-mate.

'With plenty of time to spare Kai whips his pizzas in the oven

'and he's confident his speedy work has given him

'the advantage over Kieran and Freya.'

I do think that we've got the edge because they're not moving forwards.

They're taking two steps forwards and one step back.

We're taking two steps forward.

'On the other team, while her pastry shells are baking,

'Freya must quickly get her head around the tricky custard filling,

'but she's in unknown territory, having never attempted this before.'

I need to get on with this. I can't really rush it.

What's in there? Sugar?

-And flour...

-Eggs.

-This is boiling.

-It is now.

'It's a fiddly process so Paul steps in to help a baker in need.'

'It's vital she keeps stirring the custard filling,

to make sure it stays silky smooth and doesn't go lumpy.'

-Have you made this before?

-Er, no, I haven't.

But, I think it's going all right.

'Whilst Freya is taking her time, back on the other team,

'Saffron's rushing to get finished.

'But things are not going to plan.'

Oh, it's too hard.

Kai, I can't do it.

The hats and that. It's way hard.

I was going to make a wand, a witch's hat

and a shoe, but they're not really working out.

So, it's been really hard.

I just going to make the sign.

Oh!

I'm just making a "W" for Wicked.

'Fingers crossed Saffron's back-up decorations will be enough

'to impress the judges and wow those witches.

'There's 15 minutes on the clock

'and, at the theatre, the party preparations are nearly in place.'

With her pastry shells cooling,

'Freya knows she must help her team-mate pick up the pace

'and get his mini pizzas in the oven if they're going to bake in time.'

-Shall I do one?

-Yes, let me show you first.

Is that all right?

See it's...

Perfect. That is brilliant.

SCARY LAUGHTER

'That's impressive but your chorizo is making you choriz-slow.

'There's no time to waste.

-Quickly.

-Top shelf.

-Oh!

Is the shelf a bit high?

'And as Freya and Kieran's pizzas finally go in the oven,

'Kai and Saffron's are already coming out.'

I think the pizzas look really nice. When they came out of the oven,

all this nice, hot smelling steam came in my face.

I was like that, "Oh..."

OK, guys, we're having to leave in about ten minutes.

So, step it up a gear.

-All right.

-I'll come and help you.

What do you need help with?

Have you spelled them out?

Yeah, W-I-C-K-E-D.

-Do you want some fruit chopping up?

-Yes.

-Do you want to put the jam on first, or not?

-No, it's perfect.

'With only a few minutes until they have to leave,

'all Saffron and Kai need to do is add the final touches

'to their cupcakes and pack up their bakes.

'But the other team still have loads to do.

'Freya's getting worried, but Kieran's keeping his cool.'

Are you going to do these...?

-Yeah, we're going to do these in time, aren't we?

-Yeah.

-It's just them pizzas...

-The pizzas will be done, don't worry.

-Are you sure?

-They WILL be done.

OK, guys, last-minute touches now.

'The theatre is filling up with hungry party-goers,

'all expecting to be fed some delicious birthday treats

'and the bakers know they can't afford to keep them waiting.'

-Freya, come and have a look at these.

-We are absolutely finished.

-Are they done?

-They're done.

-All right.

-Take them out. Just take them out.

-Where's my tea towel?

We're doing all right because the other team are pushed for time.

We need to take them out.

Oh!

They've definitely not been in for 15 minutes.

OK, guys, stop what you're doing.

We've got a party to catch.

'With Kieran and Freya packing their party treats

'just in the nick of time, the bakers get moving to the venue

'and there's some healthy rivalry brewing on the bake off bus.'

Our cakes are wicked.

Exactly! Wicked!

Yeah, well, our tarts and our pizzas are wicked.

We think our team did the best and we think we're going to win today.

Yeah, definitely.

'At the theatre, the celebrations are in full swing

'and waiting to taste the baked treats are the stars,

'Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman.

'The finalists will have to pull out all the stops

'to impress their showbiz clients and the judges.

'First up are Freya and Kieran.

'They've created mini pizzas with chorizo witches' hats,

'sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, basil and pepper broomsticks,

'alongside fruit tarts

'filled with custard and glazed with apricot jam.'

'They're serving up bakes which they've never made before.

'Will their risky choices pay off?'

-Hello, Freya.

-Hello.

Wow, look what you've been up to.

-I'm going with the witch's hat.

-I'm going with the pepper, basil.

Those, Kieran, are gorgeous.

That wholemeal pizza is really lovely. Delicious.

Can we move onto the tarts?

I've going with the blueberry.

Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm...

Oh, my goodness me.

-That custard's gorgeous.

-That's beautiful.

Well done, guys, that is absolutely delicious.

Really lovely.

'Freya and Kieran's bakes have gone down a treat with the cast

'but to boost their chances of winning the challenge,

'it's crucial they also wow the judges.'

Mary, here we are with a fantastic backdrop.

We're going to look at Kieran and Freya's bakes.

I think the overall appearance is very good.

Smells good. It's got a good bake on it. Baked all the way through.

It's got a lovely crumb structure, inside, which is nice to see.

OK, see what it's like.

The flavours are coming through.

A bit of heat from the chorizo coming through.

Then it stops. It needs more jazzing up.

It needs more topping, I think.

So, Freya's tart now.

It's going in in one go.

Mmm.

Mm.

That... is delicious.

The pastry was wafer thin

and then she had the creme patissiere.

She had her layers right, in the right proportions.

It was absolutely delicious.

'Next to serve their bakes, it's Kai and Saffron.

'They made mini pizzas topped with pineapple, mushroom, basil,

'chorizo, sweetcorn and goats cheese,

'alongside vanilla cupcakes

'with chocolate buttercream and fondant icing.

'They worked super-fast on recipes they know well.

'Has playing it safe given them the edge?'

-These look very tasty.

-Wow!

-There's a lot on there, I love that.

-Yeah.

Wow!

Kai, that is a brilliant pizza.

They're gorgeous. The bread's lovely.

Really soft but crispy around the edges.

-These are huge cup cakes.

-And it spells out 'Wicked' I can see.

-That's really clever.

-Brilliant.

They're lovely.

Wow, that icing is really good.

'Saffron and Kai's bakes have worked their magic with the cast and crew,

'but they need a glowing review

'from the judges to rise above their rivals and win the challenge.'

I think we have to try Kai's lovely looking pizza with that topping.

I'm looking forward to this. It looks tight inside.

The dough itself, very small air holes. However, the bake looks good.

Mm, the toppings are good.

The texture of that pizza base is excellent.

So, Saffron's bake.

It is beautifully moist.

It has dipped a little because it was slightly undercooked.

The fondant, on the top,

-she has forgotten to stick it down and it comes right off.

-Yeah.

Let's just see how it tastes.

The blend between the two from the top and bottom is good.

It's a nice cup cake. It could have been a bit neater.

It could have been more colourful and exciting.

'With the cast and crew happily full from their birthday bakes,

'it's the moment of truth.

'Which team has impressed Rachel, Louise and our judges the most?'

Guys, thank you so much for kicking off our birthday celebrations.

It's been absolutely fantastic. Well done.

So impressed with the standard of the food today, guys.

There was one team just slightly ahead.

It was...

..Freya and Kieran.

APPLAUSE

'Freya and Kieran have won the task and can go into the final challenge

'brimming with confidence.'

I was happy to have won. I was excited when they said our names.

The only reason the other team won

was because we've won so many times, the judges fancied a change.

'With two of the final challenges down, one challenge remains.

'Now, it's every baker for themselves

'as they go head-to-head in the grand final.'

-That's scary, isn't it?

-Yeah.

'Next time, the finalists will have to produce

'their most spectacular bakes yet.'

Everything is looking good.

They're all perfect.

'Working from their own unique recipes

'to create an epic tea party extravaganza

'for their friends and families and trying to impress the judges

'one last time.'

The final day is a challenge and a half.

The pressure's on. Who's going to be the victor? It's an open field.

They've really got to push the boat out.

I'm hoping for great things.

They were original. It was your idea and I like that.

And Paul and Mary will have to make the ultimate decision.

The winner of Junior Bake Off 2011

is...

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