0:00:02 > 0:00:05We've got five surviving as we search to find Britain's finest amateur baker.
0:00:05 > 0:00:10Last week was pie week, with the bakers busier than Sweeney Todd on a Bank Holiday
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and a tent piled high with slices of piggy perfection!
0:00:13 > 0:00:18And this week they've got everything to bake for, because at stake - a place in the Bake Off semi-final.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Welcome to the Great British Bake Off.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Last week was round five of the bake off.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29- What a mess.- I can't fault it. - Janet surprised the judges...
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- That is delicious.- And herself...
0:00:32 > 0:00:33This is like surgery now.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Yasmin narrowly missed being sent home...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38I got in by the skin of my teeth, I think.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42And the young men failed to maintain baking brilliance.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46We're going to be saying goodbye to Jason...
0:00:46 > 0:00:47and to Rob.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50This week, even higher standards of baking skills are expected.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54What level of stress are we on? Give me a number between one and ten.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- Nine and three-quarters. - Oh, my Lord.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01The five remaining bakers will need to fight for their place in the semi-finals.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03This doesn't even count as a roulade.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05It looks like a disaster area.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I'm just showing off for the judges.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Your creme patisserie is absolutely perfect.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13They are to die for.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43We're on the home straight to find Britain's best amateur baker.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48They're overworked and so are their sponges and they've got two days to nail desserts.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I've never nailed a dessert, because the flavour can be a tad metallic.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Are you nervous, excited?
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Nervous! There are five people in that tent baking desserts for us.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Why would I be nervous? I was born for this.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05This week, the bakers face their biggest challenge yet.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Tomorrow, one will be crowned star baker
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and for one, the journey will end.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20So, welcome to this all-lady Bake Off quarter final.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Now, cracking on straightaway with your signature bake,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and today we're asking you to bake, please, a lovely cheesecake.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Judges, Paul and Mary, are looking for a nice, firm, rich, creamy centre,
0:02:30 > 0:02:35- with your choice of flavouring. - And you've got 2½ hours on the clock
0:02:35 > 0:02:37to complete your signature bake.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41- So, just remains for me to say on your marks, get set...- Bake!
0:02:46 > 0:02:51A baked cheesecake is considered trickier than a simple refrigerated version,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55as it requires perfect execution in a number of complex steps.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01There are many things that could go wrong with this bake.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The crust at the bottom could be all soft.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09The cheesecake mixture itself could be too stiff, or not stiff enough.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13If it's overbaked, it'll most likely crack.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17If it's underbaked, when you cut out a portion, it'll all fall apart.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21But most importantly of all, it should be wonderful to eat!
0:03:26 > 0:03:29To begin, the bakers create a base.
0:03:29 > 0:03:36This is traditionally made from crushed up shop-bought biscuits, like digestives or ginger nuts.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40- Just think of someone you don't like. - SHE CHUCKLES
0:03:41 > 0:03:46Stupidly, I decided to make biscuits. It's just pushing myself that little bit more.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49It might impress the judges that I've made the extra effort.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Yasmin is making amaretti biscuits,
0:03:52 > 0:03:58which, after baking and cooling, she will crush to form the base of her amaretto cheesecake.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I think I do want to impress this week, because I feel as though until now
0:04:01 > 0:04:05I've kind of gotten through because somebody else has done worse than me
0:04:05 > 0:04:12rather than I have done really well. I want to get through on merit rather than by default, basically.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17So, how are your, your husband and daughter feeling about your, your success?
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Really pleased for me, but I think my daughter is missing...
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- She's missing her mum. - Yes. Yes, she...- Does she understand where you've gone?
0:04:24 > 0:04:29Yes, and I'm not sure she understands why I keep having to go back.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Mary-Anne is also trying something different.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Instead of using biscuits for her tutti-fruitti cheesecake base,
0:04:36 > 0:04:41- she's making a shortcrust pastry.- Hi, Mary-Anne.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- Hello!- And your pastry base for this, what's in that one then?
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Pastry has got some ground almonds in for a bit of crunch.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51It's got some lemon zest in and it does come out quite biscuity.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- So you're going to bake that blind first?- I wasn't going to,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59but after the other flan that I did I think I will, just to make sure and then maybe put an egg wash.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04That's a very good idea, because the, the topping will be fairly wet,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- and if you don't it will go in and be soggy.- Yeah, so we don't want another soggy bottom.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10We don't, we don't do those.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15De-de-de-de-de! Get back.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I'm about to press my base into the tin,
0:05:22 > 0:05:28but I'm aware now that I've used lots of time up because I've made the biscuits.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36On top of her biscuit base, Janet is adding rhubarb...
0:05:36 > 0:05:38It's nice to have something with a tang at the bottom.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42..to make her ginger and rhubarb baked cheesecake.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- Is the rhubarb going into your mixture or is it in a layer? - No. No, it's just a layer
0:05:46 > 0:05:47on top of the ginger.
0:05:47 > 0:05:53I was going to puree it and then I thought bad mistake, cos it could be too wet and flood out.
0:05:53 > 0:05:59And I think the very clever thing is the way that she's doing a wheel effect,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03- which when you cut it... - Yes.- ..you will get the rhubarb in a long strip, which is fine
0:06:03 > 0:06:08- because it's very difficult to cut across a stick of rhubarb.- Right.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The next step for the bakers is to make their flavoured cheese topping.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16The texture of the mixture can vary.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Heavy ingredients can lead to a dense cheesecake topping.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Whilst a lighter mixture can be achieved by folding in whisked egg whites.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31I'm making curd cheese to go into my cheesecake.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33It's very simple.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38You just heat milk to boiling and add lemon juice and almost instantly curds form.
0:06:38 > 0:06:45You let it cool down a bit and drain the whey from the curds and cheese. There you go.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Let's face it, I'm just showing off for the judges, so... SHE LAUGHS
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Because I can!
0:06:52 > 0:06:55The cheesecake that I'm making is quite a quick cheesecake
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and I wanted it to be able to chill it properly.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03Jo is racing ahead with a simple classic rum and raisin cheesecake,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05which only takes 15 minutes to prepare.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07You're not hanging round, are you?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- No.- Is this your last job then? - Yep.- Is that it!
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And then it's just finished off with some sour cream ten minutes before
0:07:13 > 0:07:16the end, just to give it that little finish on top.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Jo, put your feet up! What will you do for two hours?
0:07:19 > 0:07:23- I wanted one that would chill, so I could get it chilled properly.- So that you can chill too.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25You'll be finished in about 20 minutes?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- Yeah.- Good luck.- Put your feet up. Have a little rum.- Thanks, Jo.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- Yep.- Yeah.- Thanks, guys. - Good luck.- Thank you.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35The last contestant in the quarter final is Holly.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39She's hoping her festive cheesecake will be a hit with the judges.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42This cheesecake is for Father Christmas.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44It's what we leave out instead of mince pies,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49- cos Father Christmas, when he comes to our house, prefers cheesecake.- Does he?- He does.
0:07:49 > 0:07:56It has semolina and almonds, brandy, Christmas spices and tangerine and lemon as well.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58This will be quite dense.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Yeah, at this stage it's very dense.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04But it, it, it has a lightness, because I'm also going to fold in egg whites.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Lucky Father Christmas! Yes.- Look forward to trying it then.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- See you.- Thanks very much, Holly. - Thank you.
0:08:11 > 0:08:17OK, Team Oestrogen, you've got one hour remaining! One hour remaining!
0:08:23 > 0:08:28A perfect cheesecake is ready to come out of the oven when the centre slightly wobbles.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Baking time is paramount to its success.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Say your prayers. Pray it works.
0:08:40 > 0:08:46Our bakers are fortunate enough to have an unlimited supply of eggs, butter, cream, cheese and fruit.
0:08:46 > 0:08:53However, once upon a time, desserts needed an awful lot of imagination - several very strange ingredients.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59As food supplies diminished during World War II
0:08:59 > 0:09:05and creating traditional desserts became impossible, the bakers of Britain needed to become creative.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It was time to bake for victory.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11During the war, making desserts was particularly difficult.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Housewives found that their pre-war recipe books were useless,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17they might as well have chucked them in the bin,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20because they would say things like, "Take six eggs, take half a pint of cream,"
0:09:20 > 0:09:23you know, "take butter", all this sort of thing.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24Couldn't take any of those things!
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Favourite desserts were almost impossible
0:09:27 > 0:09:30to make, like lemon meringue pies, spotted dick, roly poly pudding.
0:09:30 > 0:09:37So, really housewives had to use an enormous amount of imagination and ingenuity to create a dessert at all!
0:09:38 > 0:09:43Faced with a nation that had become dependent on a limited number of ingredients,
0:09:43 > 0:09:48in 1940, the Ministry of Food began to communicate alternative recipes and new approaches to baking.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Britain had to become much more self-sufficient.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55And so the Ministry of Food was very anxious to encourage people
0:09:55 > 0:09:57to grow vegetables in their back gardens
0:09:57 > 0:10:01and what you grew in your back garden started to find its way onto your dessert menu.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Sometimes this would mean soft fruit like raspberries
0:10:04 > 0:10:07and gooseberries, but it also, of course, meant vegetables.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11The Ministry of Food published recipes detailing how to make tasty desserts
0:10:11 > 0:10:15using potatoes instead of flour and vegetables as sweeteners.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18One government tip was to use liquid paraffin instead of lard.
0:10:18 > 0:10:24This suggestion had rather unfortunate consequences, as paraffin acts as a laxative.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Vegetables appeared in numerous mock recipes as substitutes for scarce ingredients.
0:10:28 > 0:10:34Parsnips replaced bananas, chocolate truffles were made from mashed potato, and one of the most famous
0:10:34 > 0:10:39mock desserts in the kitchens of Britain was the mock apricot flan.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42The apricot part of it is carrot,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46flavoured with plum jam and almond flavour.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50The pastry case, in this instance, will be made with mashed potato.
0:10:50 > 0:10:57So, the idea would be that you would be encouraged to cook several things at once.
0:10:57 > 0:11:03So, you would cook more potato than you'd need for your meal, and then make this with leftover potato.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08Putting the cooked mashed potato in does make it quite a difficult pastry to work with.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11It makes it quite soft and sticky.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Using boiled carrots and plum jam as a substitute for apricots
0:11:15 > 0:11:19was a unique concept for the housewives of Britain.
0:11:19 > 0:11:26Although this has the colour of apricots and the flavour, it doesn't entirely look like apricots.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Mock dishes didn't necessarily totally look like the things
0:11:30 > 0:11:36that they were supposed to be, they just reminded you either the shape, the colour, the taste, the texture.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41And if you hadn't eaten apricots for ten years, then you might be quite pleased to have something like this
0:11:41 > 0:11:45put in front of you, because it would remind you of the apricots.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Just half an hour till I can eat five cheesecakes!
0:11:55 > 0:12:00Sorry, that was my internal monologue there. Half an hour, please! Half an hour!
0:12:03 > 0:12:06It's about the bake. It's about the time in the oven.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10So they're all watching their oven every five minutes to make sure everything's OK.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- OK. Mary, would you agree with that? - Yes. Overbaking is the main thought.
0:12:14 > 0:12:20You've got to catch it at the right moment, and it goes on cooking a little once it's out of the oven.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25- Overcooking means that it will open out in a crack.- But it's tricky.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28At the end of the day, this is the quarter finals now,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- and any screw-ups from anybody, they've gone.- They're out.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36I want to do my best and I don't want to make stupid mistakes.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I would hate to sort of
0:12:38 > 0:12:42fail just because I haven't made the effort I could have made, you know?
0:12:42 > 0:12:47Cos one thing I say to the kids at school, just always do your best, and everybody's best is different.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50You know, you can't always be the best,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53but you can always do your best and, and that's all I'm hoping to do, you know?
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Sensitive to temperature, cracks can develop when
0:12:57 > 0:13:01the outside of the cheesecake is exposed to more heat than the centre.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06I cooked it in a water bath today so that it hopefully won't crack on the top.
0:13:06 > 0:13:12As water can only reach 100 degrees Centigrade before turning to steam, the water bath regulates
0:13:12 > 0:13:17the temperature evenly across the cheesecake and prevents the outside from overcooking.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26- Chilling.- You've already done it? - Yes, I've done it. - She's unbelievable.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- How does she do it, Janet? - I've no idea.
0:13:28 > 0:13:34She was sitting looking demure and elegant before I'd even crushed my silly biscuits, so.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38- I've never looked elegant or demure in my life. - Well, I beg to differ.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39Excellent.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44Yeah, I was going to take it out, but I'm thinking it's got a little bit too much jiggle now.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48It's supposed to have a little bit of movement in the middle, but...
0:13:48 > 0:13:51I'm going to put it back in.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Another five minutes and hope the pastry doesn't catch.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56BEEPING
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Famous last words!
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Bakers, you've got 15 minutes left.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- Oh, 15?- 15, Janet. 15.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04(15.)
0:14:05 > 0:14:08So, pray it doesn't all collapse in the middle.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Smells OK!
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Smells reasonably Christmassy!
0:14:21 > 0:14:26The question is to glaze or not to glaze. I've got some lemon jelly marmalade that I've warmed up.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28I don't, I don't know.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31It looks like nothing's happening, but I'm fizzing in here, you know,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35with 101 things - should I do this? Then, don't mess with it. Well, maybe I should...
0:14:40 > 0:14:41It looks good!
0:14:41 > 0:14:45I'm happy. Whether anybody else will be happy is a whole other thing.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52One minute to go!
0:14:52 > 0:14:53One minute to go, everybody!
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Ooh, a bit crumbly.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- Careful! Careful! Careful!- I know. I don't know how to do it!
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- Mel, come away.- Sorry, Hel.- Oh, God!
0:15:23 > 0:15:27It's gone and cracked in the middle.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28So annoying.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Get in.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Rrr! How annoying.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Bakers, your time is up.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43The bakers have done all they can.
0:15:43 > 0:15:49It's now down to the judges to decide which cheesecakes will reach their high expectations.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- We're hungry, you know?- Mary-Anne. - Hi, Mary-Anne.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I must say, I really, I really like the filling.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08You've got something quite unusual.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10I love the flavours that you've got on there.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Lovely brown pastry, pale golden underneath.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17The overall appearance is a bit rough and ready, you know,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20where it's joined at the bottom and the sides.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25This is the same for a lot of your stuff. You're nearly there and then you lose it on these things.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30- I thought I was doing well with this. - Now, Mary-Anne, when you're baking blind...- Mmm.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- ..you put it in half-baked, then you take the beans out.- Mmm.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37That is the time to get a knife and level it off all the way round
0:16:37 > 0:16:41- and you wouldn't have this higgledy-piggledy side to it.- Right.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50It's got a very nice flavour and you've achieved
0:16:50 > 0:16:51a good crust on the base.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- For me, it's overbaked, which has made it quite dry.- Yes.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56It's just a little bit thick.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- Claggy.- Yeah.- I think you put semolina. Was it semolina?- Yeah.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04You get the crunch from that, which has taken away the texture of a cheesecake
0:17:04 > 0:17:06which should be quite smooth and glossy.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10I think Father Christmas should like it with a good dollop of cream.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Your base wasn't quite packed enough.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- OK. - Maybe a little bit more butter...
0:17:22 > 0:17:25just to bind it, cos it's broken down to nothing.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26It's absolutely delicious.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29You've got a lovely bake. The flavour's good.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33And it's so delicate. Actually, the rum and raisin is perfect,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36cos you haven't overwhelmed the alcohol, cos it's so easily done.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- And I love the cream topping. - Thanks, Mary.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Yes, you've got quite a thick crust on the bottom,
0:17:48 > 0:17:54and there's a little bit of a problem with the baking, of getting it out, haven't you?
0:17:54 > 0:17:59It's overbaked on the outside. It could do a tiny bit longer in the middle.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01It tastes like a baked egg custard to me.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05It's almost split. It's got that texture of scrambled egg.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Janet, I love you.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12You've nailed that.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- Really?- The flavour of that is absolutely beautiful.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16It's as light as a feather.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- Could I be critical about the top? - Yeah, you can.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23I could, but I think it's down to the fact that there's just so much on there.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25It's nothing to do with the bake. Ah!
0:18:25 > 0:18:27It's like fairies skipping on the tongue. That is great.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31- That is stunning. It's like a souffle.- Thank you. - How many would that serve?
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Quite a lot, don't you think? 12?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I don't know. 12! Not in our house.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Two in mine. That's an intimate dinner, Mary, for me.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40It looks stunning.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46I just don't get it at all, you know?
0:18:46 > 0:18:51Just can't tell you how amazed I am, cos I don't do things imagining
0:18:51 > 0:18:53they're ever going to be any good.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58So, it's a sort of complete fluke and like utter amazement.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03I can't tell how I've done, because they liked some bits and didn't like other bits.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06And it was the same for everybody, I think.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09It's quite even, apart from Janet, who completely shone.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Janet's obviously safe, but the rest of us aren't particularly.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17The signature bake is designed to show the bakers' individuality.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22The next challenge is, by contrast, strictly controlled.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Time for the next bake, which is, of course, our favourite.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It's that old Technical Challenge.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Now, Mary and Paul, of course, will judge this blind.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37- So, Mary, Paul, please leave the tent. Thanks very much.- Good luck.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41So, today's Technical Challenge is...
0:19:41 > 0:19:45to make a chocolate roulade, OK?
0:19:45 > 0:19:52So, we're asking for a nice, thin sponge, neatly filled, and neatly rolled.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54This is a difficult challenge this one.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57You've got one and a quarter hours before serving it up
0:19:57 > 0:20:01to King Hollywood and Queen Berry of judging. Good luck.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- On your marks, get set...- Bake!
0:20:09 > 0:20:12For this challenge, the bakers have been given a simplified recipe.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19They will rely on their own skill and baking knowledge to produce a winning roulade.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27What makes a great chocolate roulade?
0:20:27 > 0:20:29You've got to get a well-risen mixture.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35It should have these sort of informal cracks on it and a tight roll.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39I think the bakers may be in real trouble when it comes to the rolling.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Some of them haven't made it before and I think they'll be trying to sort of rush it.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49That will be a problem for them and they'll end up with one that doesn't look quite as beautiful as that.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Have you ever made one of these before?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54I was starting to think that it sounds like I don't bake at all,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58cos every Technical Challenge, "I've never made one of these before."
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- Have you made a roulade before? - I have, back in the day at school.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03It was my nemesis!
0:21:05 > 0:21:12Unlike a normal chocolate sponge, this recipe contains no flour, fat or raising agents.
0:21:12 > 0:21:19Instead, the rise is created by folding in whipped egg whites, which create a light and fluffy texture.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22You can knock the air out of them.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25They need to be really light and airy.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Just cutting it with a, a metal spoon rather than
0:21:27 > 0:21:31a plastic one, because that takes a lot of air out the plastic one.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Well, that's what I've always been taught anyway.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Egg whites consist of strands of protein.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40When whipped, they form a network that traps and holds air.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- So, you need to beat it on so it's not streaky?- Make sure that the egg is incorporated
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- and you don't get...- Strips of white.- ..big lumps of white, yes.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52To produce an even sponge suitable for rolling, the bakers
0:21:52 > 0:21:57need to make sure the chocolate mixture is level in the tin.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03I don't want to take any of the air away by patting it too much.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Oh, go on, get in the corner. Stop being silly.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- I think I'm going to try gentle encouragement.- A gentle waft.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Encouragement into the corners.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24Unlike the depth of a standard cake, the thin base of a roulade requires less time to cook.
0:22:24 > 0:22:30Overbaking and underbaking could prove fatal, making the roulade difficult to roll.
0:22:40 > 0:22:4330 minutes to go, bakers!
0:22:43 > 0:22:49Half an hour left of roulade-making fun.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53I'm trying to get rid of the sort of wet look on the top, you know,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57in case it's a bit that hasn't baked, you know?
0:23:00 > 0:23:02And that looks OK, I think.
0:23:02 > 0:23:08It's a little bit uneven, but that's the problem with fatless sponges.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13I think they're quite hard to smooth over cos they don't have that fat to kind of even out as it, as it melts.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18The recipe states the sponge should remain in the tin until it's cool.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22The tin will help the sponge keep its shape and stop it drying out.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26- Well, it's looking a bit moist. - However, with time against them,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30the bakers know that the hot metal will slow the cooling process down.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35You can't roll cold cream into a warm sponge cos it will just get awfully messy.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40If it were me I'd take it out now, but that's not what the recipe says, so...
0:23:40 > 0:23:46I've got a, a sneaky feeling that if we leave it in the tin to get cold it might not be roll-up-able.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50I'm thinking it needs to go in the freezer, to be honest.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55- Mmm.- Let me ask you a question... - Lady Mary Berry. Yes.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- the answer of which may, may resolve the dilemma.- Yes.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02This is Mary Berry's recipe, more than likely.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Do you think you should change it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:12I'm going to try and roll it up and let it cool and then unroll it to put the cream in.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Probably doing exactly the wrong thing, but we'll see.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Janet is confusing the roulade technique with that of a Swiss roll.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Ah! Oh, my giddy aunt.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28Swiss roll sponge contains flour, making it more pliable when warm.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32It's so hot! What sort of hands are you supposed to have?
0:24:32 > 0:24:37A roulade sponge is delicate and needs to cool before rolling.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40But I'm not sure. This is pure invention.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44OK, just five minutes to roll out the roulade! Five minutes!
0:24:47 > 0:24:52Once the sponges have cooled, it's time for the bakers to tackle the trickiest part of the process.
0:24:54 > 0:25:00The secret of getting that lovely spiral is just about half an inch from the end,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04you cut through the chocolate roulade,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07you put a thick layer of cream on the top,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10then you bend that over and break it.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15So, you start the spiral and then lift the paper
0:25:15 > 0:25:19and let it roll to the end and then you tip it on like that.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Can't go wrong.
0:25:21 > 0:25:29There was a, a thing I remember reading centuries ago where you snip a little bit.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Just cutting a notch to help start the rolling.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35This is the scary bit.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Ooh and it's cracking!
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Oh, dear.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48I need some Mary Berry advice, that's what I need!
0:25:48 > 0:25:50That's absolutely dreadful.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57OK, bakers, you've got one minute left.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02There is a trick to this, but I don't think I've got the secret.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06It doesn't look great, does it?
0:26:06 > 0:26:11Do you think I could cover that with icing sugar? They won't notice, will they?
0:26:11 > 0:26:12No. Oy vey!
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Arh!
0:26:19 > 0:26:22What a fool, what a fool, what a fool.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Needs a corset,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29that's what it needs.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31I think it looks all right.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37It's about the untidiest, hideous-est roulade she'll ever have seen.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48This doesn't even count as a roulade.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It looks like a disaster area.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54OK, that's time up or, as we say in the roulade business, log out.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58What? I'm only a messenger.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07As with all the technical challenges, Mary and Paul are never present during the bake.
0:27:07 > 0:27:14They are unaware of which baker is responsible for which of the five roulades that sit before them.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19Well, all of them have this problem with rolling up.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22No-one has got a tight roll.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I quite like the look of this one.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- It's quite tasty that one. - Mmm, it's very good.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32- It has broken up a lot. - It's not bad. No. - But they've tried to do a swirl.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35The overall appearance of it looks quite nice, though.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41This one looks a bit of a mess. It's cracked so much that the cream's oozing out on top.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43- Flavour's good.- Flavour's good.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I enjoy chocolate roulade.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Now this one looks nice. Slightly cracked.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- It's got a nice taste.- Mmm.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- There's, there's a little bit of a bend there.- Yes. This one's made quite a bit of effort
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- to get a good roll.- Yeah.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- Mmm, that's good, isn't it? - That's nice, yeah.- Mmm.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08- The decoration on it looks quite nice. It's got a bit of a curl here. - And just a few cracks.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10But a good rise here.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Yeah.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18This one's has a sort of fairly major crack across the top.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Just lines of sponge and cream.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27They all taste very good. We can't be too critical of the flavour. They're very, very similar.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30That's what you've got to understand, the judging will be made
0:28:30 > 0:28:36on how it's been rolled up, cos the taste is all pretty much identical so it'll be purely based on that.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42Mary and Paul will now rank the roulades, starting with the worst.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47The person in fifth place is this one.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49- Highs and lows, Janet.- Unlucky.
0:28:49 > 0:28:55It was sort of weird actually, because I rolled it up once as a practice run and it was fine.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59That was a major mistake to roll it up first and re-roll it.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01- Silly. Sorry.- Number four is here.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Had a big crack round the middle.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07But, of course, the flavour was lovely, it's just the rolling up.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10And in third spot we've chosen this one.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12A major cut across the top. Not as much rolling.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15There's a little bit of a bend, but it has given way.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18And number two is here.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21- Me.- The little sieved cocoa on the top made a nice finish.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25And quite neatly rolled up, but not quite tight enough.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27So, obviously
0:29:27 > 0:29:31- the winner, Jo. Well, done. - Well, done, Jo!
0:29:31 > 0:29:33You've managed, you've managed to get a nice roll
0:29:33 > 0:29:37and there's even an attempt to make a roll inside as well, so well done.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45When they was getting to number three I was thinking, "I'll take third. that's OK."
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Then it was not three. I was thinking, "Two. Two's better than three."
0:29:48 > 0:29:53Then there was one and I was like, "Oh, my God, I'm first!" Fantastic!
0:29:53 > 0:29:58I'm not best baker. I'm not worst, but in the middle is still dangerous,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02because in the middle with five people is quite close to the bottom.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04Just put so much pressure on tomorrow.
0:30:04 > 0:30:11Wouldn't mind so much if it was something that I was really good at tomorrow, but it's not.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25It's the last day of the quarter final.
0:30:25 > 0:30:32Just one challenge remains before Paul and Mary decide which baker will be going home.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37So, two challenges down, who do we think's looking in trouble?
0:30:37 > 0:30:39I actually think Holly's in trouble, which is...
0:30:39 > 0:30:42which is a bit of a shock.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46But on the other hand, she's been right down and she can pull right up.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- Mary-Anne?- Again, another one in the danger zone, wouldn't you say?
0:30:49 > 0:30:52She's in the danger again. She's quite good at pulling up.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Yasmin. She had a sort of middling, middling couple of challenges.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59- Yasmin, again, is in the danger... - Not so good.- There's a few of them down there!
0:30:59 > 0:31:01But then you've gone from Janet...
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Janet's gone from the top to the bottom. She has a poor one today,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06she's straight in there as well.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09It's Jo that really did the best over the first two challenges.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13- She had a great day. - For me, Jo's the only safe one.
0:31:15 > 0:31:16Good morning, Famous Five.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Hope you're all doing well, feeling fresh.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25This is, of course, Showstopper Challenge day, and really it's your
0:31:25 > 0:31:29last chance to prove that you should have a place in the semi-final of the Great British Bake Off.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34This challenge is to make a croquembouche-inspired bake
0:31:34 > 0:31:37that's really going to impress Paul and Mary.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42You've got five hours to complete this Showstopper Challenge, so all that remains to say...
0:31:42 > 0:31:45- OK, fabulous fembots, on your marks...- Get set...- Bake!
0:31:51 > 0:31:56Traditionally served at French weddings, a croquembouche, literally translated as
0:31:56 > 0:32:00"crunch in the mouth", is a spectacular tower of choux pastry buns
0:32:00 > 0:32:03held together with hardened caramel.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07This particular challenge is fantastic.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10You're dealing in lots and lots of profiteroles that all have to be
0:32:10 > 0:32:15exact colour, exact shape, and, finally, exact flavour inside.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19The assembly is going to be extremely difficult and then the final decoration.
0:32:19 > 0:32:25It's a really difficult challenge and I wish them well and I can't wait for the results.
0:32:25 > 0:32:31- A few months ago if somebody said to me, "Can you just, just whip up... - Knock up.- "..108 choux buns."
0:32:31 > 0:32:33I'd have gone, "You're off your rocker."
0:32:35 > 0:32:40- Tell me about your culinary disasters this week.- Oh, collapsing piles of profiteroles and...
0:32:40 > 0:32:41- A flat choux.- Yeah.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44More like a pump.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47For the profiteroles, the bakers need to make choux pastry.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50First, butter is melted into a large amount of water...
0:32:50 > 0:32:53I wish this would hurry up and boil.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Then flour is stirred in until a firm paste is formed.
0:32:59 > 0:33:05This will be my fourth time I've made this now, so I feel like I've practiced quite a lot.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10Apparently, the one that I made on Sunday is still standing in the fridge, half of it anyway,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13so that's a good sign. Uh!
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Jo is making a limoncello and white chocolate croquembouche,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21covered in caramel and topped with spun sugar.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23So, what have you got over at the end here?
0:33:23 > 0:33:27My choux pastry is cooling down on a stone and then I'll add my eggs into it after that.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31- We see all sorts of different processes. That's brand new to me.- Oh, really?
0:33:31 > 0:33:38Yes. I would just leave it in the pan and then put it to one side on a cold surface. It's going to work.
0:33:38 > 0:33:39It's your way of doing it.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46When the paste has cooled, beaten egg yolks are mixed in a little at a time.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51The bakers must gauge when the mixture has reached the perfect glossy texture
0:33:51 > 0:33:54which means its ready for piping.
0:33:55 > 0:34:01The thing is to get the right consistency, not too sloppy and not too stiff.
0:34:01 > 0:34:07Janet is making a vanilla and orange zest croquembouche, presented on a nougatine base.
0:34:07 > 0:34:12There are certain things where you can be a bit more cavalier and do what you want, you know?
0:34:12 > 0:34:18But I think with something like this, you do have to be a bit more precise, you know, really.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31I am making a black forest gateaux croquembouche
0:34:31 > 0:34:36with a gingerbread house and snowy scene inside.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41So, I'm calling it Hansel and Gretel's Croquembouche.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Holly is putting a new twist on this French classic.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49Instead of using caramel, her croquembouche will be held together with dark chocolate.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52At Christmas, I'd never make something just for the adults,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55I'd make something the children could have too.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57- You're the perfect mum. - Gosh, I'm really not.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00You're the only one doing a double-narrative croquembouche.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05- I mean, that is quite something. I'm looking forward to it. - Good luck.- Thank you.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09OK, I think the flavours in there will be spectacular.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13The idea of the cherry, the black forest theme, will be beautiful.
0:35:13 > 0:35:18My only concern is how is it will bond without the use of caramel.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Come on, don't mess around.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Fiddly is not the word.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40We're going to try for dainty.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45The jury's out on whether it'll actually come off, but we're going to try.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Mary-Anne is making an orange and praline croquembouche,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51held together with cardamom-flavoured caramel.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56Just where I've finished piping, it's stuck up in a little cone.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00I'm just using a damp finger to dab it down
0:36:00 > 0:36:03so that it doesn't stick up and burn.
0:36:06 > 0:36:14An hour into the showstopper bake and the first of many batches of choux buns go into the oven.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Choux pastry puffs up in the oven when the moisture evaporates.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Holly has a method that intensifies this process.
0:36:32 > 0:36:38Basically, in the oven, the water turns into steam
0:36:38 > 0:36:43and makes the pastry rise better, I think.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45That's the theory anyway.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Out of the oven, the bakers prick their profiteroles to release the steam.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06This prevents the buns from going soggy.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11So now these, I'm looking around the room, mine are a lot darker than everybody else's.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Not bothered. I'm not fazed.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15I like the colour.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Next, the bakers need to make their creme patisserie filling.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28This is a French custard that has the addition of flour to stabilise it.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33My creme patisserie for my croquembouche is flavoured with rose syrup,
0:37:33 > 0:37:37because it's a favoured flavour in my house
0:37:37 > 0:37:39and it looks really pretty.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42The custard comes out a pink colour because of the syrup.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Yasmin's rose croquembouche will be covered in caramel
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and decorated with sugared almonds.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Has she added pink colouring to this? Look.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- Look at this violent pink. - Yes, I know. I watched.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00This is creme patissiere with cream,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04whipped double cream, and then it's got limoncello, lemon zest
0:38:04 > 0:38:08and 300 grams of white chocolate running through it as well.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13Jo's adding cream to her filling in the hope it will make the texture lighter.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18Bakers, this is your halftime shout-out. You've got two and a half hours to go.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23With so many choux buns to fill, the bakers need to maintain focus and momentum.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27It's all quite lots of repetitive stuff.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29Ow!
0:38:32 > 0:38:37No time for slacking, that's for sure.
0:38:39 > 0:38:44Inside this tent you've got five bakers baking desserts entirely from scratch.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48However, post-war, Britain took on a very new approach to baking,
0:38:48 > 0:38:53as technological advances in food production meant a rise in convenience baking.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Modern-day convenience foods are embraced by the nation.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04It's estimated that the readymade dessert industry is worth £1.8 billion.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10And some of the country's biggest manufacturers produce over seven million desserts a year.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19But back in the 1950s, before these convenience foods were available,
0:39:19 > 0:39:26British housewives had the desire to create delicious puddings, but lacked the necessary skills.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32During the war, so many women were working in factories or on the fields that their offspring
0:39:32 > 0:39:35were relatively de-skilled, and especially when it came to
0:39:35 > 0:39:37very specific kinds of cooking, like baking,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40they really couldn't keep up with previous generations.
0:39:40 > 0:39:45These new housewives, even though they're struggling, are still expected to put a delicious pudding
0:39:45 > 0:39:49on the table at the end of dinner, so that's where they really needed a helping hand.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53The solution came in the form of pre-packaged meals that had been
0:39:53 > 0:39:56developed by food manufacturers for the troops during the war.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00By the 1960s, as they began to appear in the kitchens of Britain,
0:40:00 > 0:40:05a new generation of domestic goddesses appeared and the age of convenience baking was born.
0:40:07 > 0:40:12This is the era of the prepacked, the plastic-wrapped, and it's there to help
0:40:12 > 0:40:16the woman who wants to slough off the perceived drudgery of cooking.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19So, now you can get hold of all sorts of packet mixes
0:40:19 > 0:40:22for instant whips and desserts and delights,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26and, of course, the kind of ubiquitous late 1960s pudding,
0:40:26 > 0:40:30the lemon meringue pie, where you did in fact have to still bake the case.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32You also had to make the meringue, but the lemon curdy bit,
0:40:32 > 0:40:36which was quite complicated, in the middle, came out of a packet.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41And that was the great magic of the packet mix, that you could pretend that you weren't really cheating,
0:40:41 > 0:40:46because you had to add an egg or a bit of lemon juice or a bit of milk and whisk it yourself.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50The home freezer, first patented in 1923, only started to become affordable
0:40:50 > 0:40:56to the masses in the 1970s, having a direct impact on the type of convenience desserts available.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Once more people had freezers at home, they no longer had to rely
0:41:02 > 0:41:06on packet mixes, they could buy the readymade article direct from the supermarket.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Whether that's a Black Forest gateau, or a baked Alaska,
0:41:10 > 0:41:14it just comes straight out, defrost and straight onto the table no effort whatsoever.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Part of the appeal of frozen desserts is that those kind of foods
0:41:17 > 0:41:20are exactly the ones that it takes longest to make. They're finickety,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23they require a certain amount of knowledge to bake.
0:41:23 > 0:41:29And, therefore, frozen puddings were ideal for busy housewives who didn't want to spend all day cooking.
0:41:29 > 0:41:35With over 98% of the British population eating a readymade dessert last year,
0:41:35 > 0:41:40it would seem our love for convenience is as evident as our love for the desserts themselves.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49A croquembouche can take up to a day to bake and assemble.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Our bakers have only an hour to go.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00The caramel that binds the profiteroles together is the next big challenge.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04I've done three lots of this at home. One lot really worked well...
0:42:04 > 0:42:06and the other two didn't.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10It's made by melting sugar to around 175 degrees.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14In the pan, it must be shaken but not stirred.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Sugar always wants to return to its natural form and if you
0:42:19 > 0:42:23start with granulated sugar, that's what it's gonna try and get back to.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26So, if you stir it, it does something to the sugar crystals and
0:42:26 > 0:42:30they just all go voom and within seconds you've got a solid lump.
0:42:30 > 0:42:35And any tips on not burning my fingers, cos I've done a lot of that as well.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37How much caramel or sugar are you gonna use here?
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I'm going to make a big amount.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44- When you bring it out, do you put it in cold water to stop it? - No, I haven't been.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49OK. It's a good tip though, to stop it burning more, cos it'll carry on...especially a large amount.
0:42:49 > 0:42:54Once it's melted, caramel can turn from golden brown and delicious
0:42:54 > 0:42:57to burnt and bitter in the blink of an eye.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59It could go at any time!
0:42:59 > 0:43:02We smell burning sugar.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Is that me? No, it isn't me.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Yes, I've burnt my sugar, my first lot. It's just gone over.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12It was fine when I took it off, but as...
0:43:12 > 0:43:15because there's so much of it, and I didn't get it in the water
0:43:15 > 0:43:19quick enough, it hasn't cooled quick enough. So I'm making a second lot.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26It's just like an amber pot of burning liquid.
0:43:26 > 0:43:33With the caramel nearly twice as hot as boiling water, the bakers need to work with a great deal of care.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36It's so hard not to burn your fingers though.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Ow. Ah!
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Not only has Yasmin burnt her fingers, she's also ruined her
0:43:45 > 0:43:51second attempt at making her caramel by splashing tap water into the pan.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54I just wanna cry.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58- Well, you can't help it! It's an unstable thing, isn't it?- Mmm.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03It's all right! You know, it's difficult.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05This finger?
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Yeah.
0:44:07 > 0:44:12OK, that's 30 minutes, 30 minutes, until your croques are in my bouche!
0:44:15 > 0:44:18Janet and Mary-Anne are going the extra mile
0:44:18 > 0:44:21by making a nougatine base for their desserts
0:44:21 > 0:44:22with flaked almonds and caramel.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35I'm going to leave you in peace.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39- And when it gets a bit cooler you can use your fingers.- Yes.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43Before the nougatine cools and becomes too brittle,
0:44:43 > 0:44:47they mould it into the shapes they need for their bases.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50It's terribly hot, cos it's caramel, isn't it?
0:44:50 > 0:44:53I won't let it win.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56The bakers must now start to build their towers.
0:44:56 > 0:45:01I did practise with a cone and it was, oh, very... it wasn't a pretty sight. It collapsed.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03So I'm going to build it freehand.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07I figured that if things were going to go wrong I could see them and make adjustments.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11Jo and Yasmin have both chosen to use a metal cone.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15- You're filling the inside of the cone?- Yes.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17- And then you'll take the cone off? - Yes.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20I thought what you had to do was stick them on to the cone.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22Oh, really?
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Holly is making her own disposable paper cone.
0:45:25 > 0:45:31With chocolate, it's so hard to get out, so you actually need to unpeel it, I think, to make it work.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34Quarter of an hour left, bakers!
0:45:34 > 0:45:36That's 15 minutes left!
0:46:02 > 0:46:03Mmm, that's OK.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10It's traditional for a croquembouche to be decorated with spun sugar.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Oh, that's good! Look, that's good!
0:46:12 > 0:46:17'This is made by flicking liquid caramel until it forms hair-like strands.'
0:46:17 > 0:46:22At home I'm a bit worried flicking it. Here, I might just flick it, because I haven't got to clear it.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28You can only do what you can do.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32There's no point in me pretending I'm amazing.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Just do the best I can.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43For the bakers using cones, it's the moment of truth.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46Have you got any longer ones of these?
0:46:52 > 0:46:57OK, bakers, you've got one minute left!
0:46:57 > 0:47:00The 60-second countdown has begun.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08Don't fall off, please.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15APPLAUSE
0:47:15 > 0:47:19- Yeah!- Ah, my fingers!
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Let's see.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25- Now, this is the big moment. Is it gonna fit?- No.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29It's like the hair of Rapunzel.
0:47:38 > 0:47:39Ah!
0:47:39 > 0:47:42OK, everyone, that's time up, please! Time up, everyone!
0:47:42 > 0:47:46If you'd like to bring your croquembouche to the end of your benches!
0:47:48 > 0:47:51I did everything that I could do and, apart from burning myself,
0:47:51 > 0:47:54I'd probably do the same again.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58I think my choux buns were quite crisp.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02That was my major worry. I'm hoping they've stood up to being filled.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09I think I did my best, given the time constraints.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13It's a miniature version of what I wanted to do, really.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17I hope they think it's a good effort.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21I'm all ears as to whether they like the flavour combinations,
0:48:21 > 0:48:23but they can't really rain on my parade.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30Jo's tower is caving in and beginning to lose its shape.
0:48:30 > 0:48:31So disappointed.
0:48:33 > 0:48:39I just thought I was gonna have one week where I wasn't gonna be bottom of something again.
0:48:51 > 0:48:58So, bakers, it's time for your succulent towers of delight to be judged.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04So, what do we have here?
0:49:04 > 0:49:06A bit of a deconstructed tower, by the looks of it.
0:49:06 > 0:49:11Should have just used the creme patissiere, but I wanted it to be a lighter cream. But...
0:49:11 > 0:49:13- Mmm.- I realise now that was obviously the wrong thing.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15You've answered your own question.
0:49:15 > 0:49:20- I know.- You were asked to do a tower and it really is for an event, for an occasion,
0:49:20 > 0:49:23- and it's got to stand up when the guests are here.- Yeah.
0:49:23 > 0:49:28So, just remember, no cream with a creme patissiere.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31- Mmm.- They are to die for.
0:49:31 > 0:49:38- Thank you, Mary.- Oh. - The caramel, it's crunchy. They're absolutely wonderful!
0:49:38 > 0:49:39No complaints there.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42- The caramel is delicious. - Spun sugar too!
0:49:42 > 0:49:44I think you've done a good job, but, unfortunately,
0:49:44 > 0:49:48if you'd baked it and then used only the creme patisserie with the limoncello
0:49:48 > 0:49:51you would have had a nicer, more stable croquembouche.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53Thank you.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58I like the look of it.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01- They're great colours in there. I like the nougatine base too.- Good.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08- Some of the caramel has crystallised.- Yes.
0:50:08 > 0:50:09That is because you've stirred it.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13I took some from the top and, you know, I might lose my teeth on it.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16- Oh, sorry. - I think your flavours are great!
0:50:16 > 0:50:19- Mmm! Delicious!- The filling is lovely. You've certainly got that orange coming through.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23My only issue is the overall appearance of it. A little bit bigger maybe.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Yeah, you're right. No, I intended to make it bigger.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28- Oh, did you?- But I ran out of time.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41I think my issues are that you've burnt the sugar
0:50:41 > 0:50:45and the profiteroles look quite dark as well.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47It's a shame when you overcooked the caramel.
0:50:47 > 0:50:52- But it's well constructed and it's held up.- It is constructed extremely well. It's a shame.
0:50:52 > 0:50:57- The flavour of the rose is coming through, but it's been ruined by the caramel.- Right.
0:50:57 > 0:51:02- It's the bitterness is... is hanging on the tongue and that's down to the sugar.- Yeah.
0:51:08 > 0:51:09Close up it looks lovely.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11It doesn't look so good from a distance.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Up close I can see some profiteroles, which I was very concerned about,
0:51:13 > 0:51:17cos I think you may have overdone it slightly with the chocolate on the outside.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- I added more chocolate to try and make it crack.- It is very...
0:51:20 > 0:51:22- It's very bitter with that chocolate.- I agree.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24It's not sweet at all.
0:51:24 > 0:51:30The actual profiteroles underneath are crisp, dried out and the cream in the middle,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34- with that bit of cherry brandy is delicious, but over chocolaty.- Mmm.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38Now, Holly, underneath there is a gingerbread house.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42Yes. The idea was I did one layer so you could take it off easily.
0:51:42 > 0:51:43- Oh, isn't that... - That's gorgeous.- Yeah.
0:51:43 > 0:51:48- I want to live in it.- That's what an estate agent would call bijoux. - It is absolutely sweet.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59Mary-Anne, that really has held up well.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02I think you've got a nice crisp on the profiteroles as well.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06And you've done spun sugar and very well done spun sugar.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08Thank you.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12- They taste very good.- Mmm.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14Your creme patisserie is absolutely perfect.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16The cardamom is just coming through.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19- Mmm, it's an after... - Mmm.- It sits on the tongue.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24- I'd like to have seen the profiteroles a bit bigger. Just a little.- I was being dainty!
0:52:24 > 0:52:25You're being dainty.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29- Thanks very much, Mary-Anne.- Well, done, Mary-Anne.- Good effort.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38Listen, that was a really tough and exacting challenge.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Please go and have a cup of tea.
0:52:40 > 0:52:45Obviously, Paul and Mary are going to retire to consider their verdict
0:52:45 > 0:52:48and to decide who is going to progress.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54They loved the flavours, but obviously, you know, it collapsed!
0:52:54 > 0:53:00So, I am really, really, really disappointed in myself.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05You know, I would have liked them to like it, and I just don't feel that they did really.
0:53:05 > 0:53:11Today has not gone very well for various reasons, so, yeah, I think I'm going home!
0:53:14 > 0:53:19On balance, over the three challenges, Paul, who would you put in the frame to be Star Baker?
0:53:19 > 0:53:25Up until today I would have said Jo instantly if this had sort of stood up proudly.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28But the interesting one and the best for me was Mary-Anne,
0:53:28 > 0:53:32because she had a little bit of cardamom in it
0:53:32 > 0:53:35and she had a very interesting creme patissiere
0:53:35 > 0:53:38that she'd bothered to add that extra orange and so forth.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40We shall leave that dilemma with you two.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43Who do you think we might be saying goodbye to?
0:53:43 > 0:53:47At this stage it's extremely tricky over the three challenges,
0:53:47 > 0:53:51where you get one's good in another and weak in another. It was a really bad week for Holly.
0:53:51 > 0:53:56She was at the bottom on two. But Yasmin had an equally pretty bad couple of challenges.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00When you look at Yasmin's profiterole, it's overcooked
0:54:00 > 0:54:05and the bitterness coming from that sugar is breathtakingly bad.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10Holly has really disappointed me. I mean, she has great technique.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14She could tackle anything, she's an experienced cook, she's shown us
0:54:14 > 0:54:18all the way through, and then she goes boom down this week.
0:54:18 > 0:54:22I think we have to look back retrospectively regarding Holly and Yasmin,
0:54:22 > 0:54:26because at this stage it is really difficult to pick between them.
0:54:26 > 0:54:31I think what we'll both look at now is the technical challenges since the very beginning.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34That gives us the level playing field we need to be able to
0:54:34 > 0:54:36make that decision who is going to leave us today.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49The remaining five bakers have competed for six gruelling weeks.
0:54:49 > 0:54:55For one of them, their dream of winning the Great British Bake Off will soon be over.
0:54:58 > 0:55:04Let's start on a positive note, and the question, of course, of this week's Star Baker.
0:55:04 > 0:55:12Now, I think it's fair to say that, before today, there was no question in Paul and Mary's minds
0:55:12 > 0:55:17that the Star Baker accolade should be given to Jo.
0:55:17 > 0:55:23But with the sad demise, shall we say, the little collapse that went on with the croquembouche,
0:55:23 > 0:55:27they had to go back to the drawing board and rethink.
0:55:27 > 0:55:32However, because of the sublimeness of your flavours
0:55:32 > 0:55:37and the outstanding deliciousness of the whole croquembouche experience,
0:55:37 > 0:55:40and I can say because I had a lot of it myself...
0:55:40 > 0:55:45- And I had the other half. - ..it's coming right back at you, Jo. You're Star Baker.- Well done, you!
0:55:45 > 0:55:47Brilliant work.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51And now for the harder and sharper end of the spectrum.
0:55:51 > 0:55:57This week was a very tough call. It was the closest call we have ever had.
0:55:57 > 0:56:03In fact, two people were so sharply in contention that Paul and Mary have had to go back
0:56:03 > 0:56:08and look at the results of all of the technical bakes this series. That is how tight it was.
0:56:08 > 0:56:15And so, after reviewing all that, the person that very sadly will be leaving us...
0:56:18 > 0:56:20..is Yasmin.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27The rest of you, congratulations, you are semi-finalists. Well done.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32- I'm so sorry.- No, don't be sorry. I'm relieved.- Really?- I'm relieved.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36'I'm going because my baking's not up to scratch, obviously. I've had a fair innings'
0:56:36 > 0:56:37and I'm pleased with how far I got.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39You did brilliantly!
0:56:39 > 0:56:41You made the quarter final!
0:56:41 > 0:56:43That's a massive achievement. Well done.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45- Oh, Janet.- Poor little sweetheart.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47I feel terrible.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51You live and learn. I'm really lucky to be there next week, really lucky.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54I feel like I owe it to Yasmin to do well.
0:56:54 > 0:56:59I feel like, you know, that's my, my job now is to kind of do us both proud, so...
0:56:59 > 0:57:05It became very obvious that Holly was stronger in the Technical Challenges than Yasmin,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07therefore Yasmin had to leave.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10It was a shame, but it was the only fair way we could look at it.
0:57:10 > 0:57:16Chuffed still to be here. I mean, I've loved doing all the challenges, so go me!
0:57:17 > 0:57:21I'm just amazed that I'll be in the semi-final, you know?
0:57:21 > 0:57:25I don't think I've been in the semi-final of anything in my life before!
0:57:25 > 0:57:30To get Star Baker and to be in the final four is like, yes!
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Yeah, yeah, it's really good.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39Next time, it's the semi-final.
0:57:39 > 0:57:43Definitely feel the pressure more, now there's only four of us left.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Having gone through this, it'd be a shame to go out now.
0:57:46 > 0:57:51And the bakers must showcase their patisserie skills to perfect some famed pastries and cakes.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54Could all go wrong at any point really.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Making their signature mousse cakes.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59I don't know what has gone on there!
0:57:59 > 0:58:03Paul sets his final technique challenge - iced fingers.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06What's in a few grams? But they will make a difference.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09I just know he's going to have his eagle eye.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12And it's the most demanding showstopper yet -
0:58:12 > 0:58:1512 intricate croissant and Danish pastries.
0:58:15 > 0:58:20I could look at the fillings and go, "No. I don't like that. Don't like that. Don't like that."
0:58:20 > 0:58:23- But who will fail at the last hurdle?- I can't believe I did that.
0:58:23 > 0:58:29And who will make it to the grand final of the Great British Bake Off?
0:58:36 > 0:58:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:39 > 0:58:41E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk