0:00:02 > 0:00:06Our search to find Britain's finest amateur baker has taken us on an incredible journey.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09We have seen airbrushed cakes, we've seen macaroon topiary,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11we've seen croque-en-bouche skyscrapers.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Now there are four bakers remaining.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Welcome to the semi-final of The Great British Bake Off.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Last week, the bakers got stuck into desserts.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24What level of stress? Give me a number between one and ten.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26- Nine and three quarters. - Oh, my lord.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30This doesn't count as a roulade. It looks like a disaster area.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Let's face it, I'm just showing off for the judges.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37- Jo won the Star Baker accolade... - THEY APPLAUD
0:00:37 > 0:00:41- They are to die for. - ..and Holly had a narrow escape...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44It's over-baked, which has make it dry and claggy.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46..struggling to keep her place in the bake off...
0:00:46 > 0:00:48I'm really lucky, REALLY lucky.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53..but instead, the judges decided that Yasmin's time was up.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55This week, the semi-final...
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Now I'm feeling hurry-scurry coming on.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00..and the bakers must demonstrate
0:01:00 > 0:01:03a variety of new and different skills...
0:01:03 > 0:01:06- Don't know what has gone on. - Can't believe I did that.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08..including the most sophisticated of all,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10croissant and Danish pastry dough...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12It's blooming hard work.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16If we don't get through today that's it. We're going home.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20..but which of these five exceptional home bakers have the talent and passion
0:01:20 > 0:01:24to fight for a place in the final of the Great British Bake Off?
0:01:24 > 0:01:27We're being British and going, "We want everyone to do well,"
0:01:27 > 0:01:29and actually we're all going, "Die, one of you, die!"
0:01:52 > 0:01:55This week, it's all about patisserie,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57which is a French word, roughly translates as,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01"Oh, I'm going to have to let the waistband out on my trousers."
0:02:01 > 0:02:04This competition represents the yin and yang of baking.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07You've got the bakers inside, sweating nervously,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11but on the outside you've got two presenters, pleased as Punch, calm as you like,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13just waiting to eat the whole lot.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Bakers, good morning and welcome.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26We are one small step away from crowning Britain's best amateur baker.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29So we'll kick off with a signature bake
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and we're asking you to bake a layered mousse cake.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Now, how many layers you produce is entirely up to you
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and also the filling is entirely up to you.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41We need the sponge to be light and moist,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and we need the filling to be rich and creamy. That's a personal request.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46You've got two hours on the clock.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48On your marks...
0:02:48 > 0:02:49- Get set...- Bake.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52With a place in the final within their grasp,
0:02:52 > 0:02:59the bakers know they have to deliver their very best to the judging table, in every challenge.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03I was panicking before I came in, I was getting really stressed
0:03:03 > 0:03:07cos it's the semi-final you, sort of, feel the pressure more.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Cos I'm thinking so much that my head's too full of thoughts.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13You're thinking so much that you can't think.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14It's really stressful.
0:03:14 > 0:03:20Patisserie is a term used to describe delicate fancy cakes and pastries.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23The signature mousse cakes will be judged on their flavour,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25the bake and how they're layered and decorated.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30It's more important than ever to meet the expected high standards of the judges,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32acclaimed master baker Paul Hollywood
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and distinguished cookery writer and baker, Mary Berry.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39The sponge must be light and moist,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42the mousse must be creamy and thick
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and then finally, you can't just get away at this stage
0:03:45 > 0:03:47bunging a strawberry on the top.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51It has to have the finesse to finish off a great cake.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Right now, they've got to up their game
0:03:54 > 0:03:56and with the final looming next week
0:03:56 > 0:03:59I'm expecting exceptional results today.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Jo starts by making her sponge mix.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08The baked sponge will then form the structural layers of her mousse cake.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Hello, Jo. Now, the smell of raspberries is overcoming us all.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Tell us exactly what you're doing.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I'm making a Gen... Gen...
0:04:18 > 0:04:23- Genoese?- Genoese?- Genoese sponge and I'm making a raspberry mousse for the middle.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27You're comfortable with the timing? It's quite tight...
0:04:27 > 0:04:33And I can see from the look on your face you're saying, "Please go away and leave me in peace!"
0:04:33 > 0:04:39For Jo, taking part in the bake off represents more than just a chance to indulge one of her hobbies.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'When I got married I was only 17,'
0:04:43 > 0:04:45so I've never really had a career or anything
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and it would be nice if I could get the confidence
0:04:47 > 0:04:50to do something for myself afterwards.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55I really want to prove to myself that I can do this.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58This will be such a major achievement for me.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Jo's hoping that her raspberry and strawberry mousse cake,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04layered with a technically challenging Genoese sponge,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06will book her a place in the final.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10The texture of a Genoese sponge is light and delicate
0:05:10 > 0:05:13and one of the most difficult to pull off.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I don't make these lots at home. It's something quite new to me.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Unlike a standard sponge, no raising agents are added.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Instead, air is beaten into the mixture to create volume.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I think there's more pressure because it's so important.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29If we don't get through today, that's it, we're going home.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34I'm certainly feeling it - I just need to grab a bowl, sorry.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Definitely a tough challenge, time-wise.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Not long to make something like this.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Holly is also making a Genoese sponge.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46However, she's struggling to create the necessary foamy texture.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50I don't know what has gone on there.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51Dreadful. Ergh!
0:05:51 > 0:05:55I could have got away with it not looking perfect on week one,
0:05:55 > 0:05:56but week seven I can't,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and I REALLY would love to be in the final,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02and I never thought I'd be like this kind of obsessed with it!
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- THREE!- Yes, three! Well done.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11Since having children, Holly has taken a break from her career in advertising.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- She is a methodical and precise baker.- That's it.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18'My competitiveness comes out in being quite focused.'
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I have to focus when I'm working.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22'I'm the sort of person who likes to practise,'
0:06:22 > 0:06:26I know that if I don't practise something it usually will go wrong.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31I'm not someone who can wing it and I get quite upset if things don't go well.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Holly's hoping that her weeks of meticulous planning
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and baking homework will pay off today
0:06:36 > 0:06:40with her white chocolate, hazelnut and raspberry Genoese mousse cake.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- Hi, Holly.- Hello.- So, a Genoese is being made, is it?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Yes, a bit of a disaster, it wasn't doing what it was supposed to.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49What was going wrong?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51It wasn't rising enough as it was being whisked,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54I thought it was going to be flat if it goes in like that.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- You were doing it over hot water?- Yes.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- Could be the eggs. - Not fresh enough?- Yeah.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03A fresh egg makes more volume than an egg that you've kept for a long time
0:07:03 > 0:07:05because the whites go runny.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09A really fresh egg, when you crack it, the white clings to the yolk.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Is your pan still boiling, or has it stopped boiling now?
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- Still boiling.- I would just take it off the heat.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18You can over-boil it by putting too much heat underneath.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23- You only should put it on the least boiling water and that's it.- Oh, OK.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28It's the first time I've ever made this particular type of sponge.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30What it is, it's one without butter.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I think I probably did make one back in the dark ages, you know.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37In fact, Janet's signature mousse cake is untested.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40I don't think that's bad, actually.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42All this practising rubbish...
0:07:42 > 0:07:44looks a bit floppy, doesn't it?
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Shall we cut it in half and give half to you and your mummy?
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Grandmother Janet spent many years living abroad as a language teacher.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56She learned to adapt her baking to whatever ingredients were available.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58My baking is very haphazard.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01'I dip in the cupboard and if I haven't got enough'
0:08:01 > 0:08:03I'll find something else to put in...
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Look out for the train.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07'..I'm not into, like, to the ounce.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'Raymond Blanc would say, "Oh, the last gram matters."'
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Well, tough, because I don't do that last gram!
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Janet has decided to make chocolate amaretto mousse cake
0:08:17 > 0:08:19with a notable difference.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22So, I'm making a shortbread base,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24thinking that if I make sponge on the base
0:08:24 > 0:08:26it could all flop when I get it out
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and then I thought I'll make my mousse, pipe on the mousse
0:08:30 > 0:08:32and then put a layer of cake,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34brush that with Amaretto liqueur,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36put another layer of mousse, another layer of cake...
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- Chocolate mousse, is it? - Chocolate mousse
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- and then the Amaretto liqueur brushed on the...- In the sponge.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45- Yeah.- This is a recipe you've been making for some time
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- with a variation?- With a variation.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Experimental baker Mary-Anne
0:08:52 > 0:08:55once again attempts something unique with her bake.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Instead of baking a cake and cutting it into thin layers,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I'm just baking a very thin layer of cake,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04and just to make it a little bit more pretty
0:09:04 > 0:09:08I'm going to be doing a decor paste pattern in the sponge.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Decor paste is made by mixing together unsalted butter,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16icing sugar, egg whites, flour and food colouring.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It's then piped and frozen to set.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I like doing something that's just a little bit different.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26It'll either work in my favour or against me.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Sponge batter can then be spread on top without affecting the pattern.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Can you find the pepper...
0:09:32 > 0:09:34in the drawer?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Mary-Anne's passionate about inventing new recipes.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40She gets her ideas from her vast collection of new
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and historical recipe books.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45I've got pushing 700 recipe books
0:09:45 > 0:09:48and if I'm not baking I am reading about baking.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51'I have no formal qualifications.'
0:09:51 > 0:09:54All I've done is read an awful lot of books
0:09:54 > 0:09:57and I think, "Well, I know which end of a spoon is up,"
0:09:57 > 0:10:00so I have a go - sometimes it's great and sometimes it's not,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03but if it's not so great I've learned something.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Her chocolate and orange mousse cake
0:10:05 > 0:10:08is created with joconde sponge layers.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10This is almost flourless and fatless,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14making it easy to manipulate for intricate bakes.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17The maverick of the group, Mary-Anne...
0:10:17 > 0:10:19What I'm fascinated to see,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23she's got orange and chocolate, colours representing the flavours,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26that pattern round the outside is going to be fantastic.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30As long as she manages to set everything in time,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32it could be a really beautiful thing.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35I'm thinking simple...
0:10:35 > 0:10:37well executed,
0:10:37 > 0:10:43could, actually, win against fancy, not quite so well finished off.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45That's what I'm hoping, anyway.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48OK, there's an hour remaining. Just one hour remaining.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50You're halfway through.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58For better or worse, here we go.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59SHE LAUGHS
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It's just not coming up like it does at home.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07In they go.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23Modern patisserie is a glamorous mix of high-tech design and creativity.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29With dramatic window displays and brightly coloured confectionary,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31this is baking at the highest level.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36The art of patisserie in Britain dates back to the Regency period,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39in the early 19th century.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Favoured at the time by international royalty,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Parisian chef, Marie-Antoine Careme,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48worked for the Prince Regent at the Royal Brighton Pavilion.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53It's a gloriously glamorous period in the history of food
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and a period when people are obsessed by food arts,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59by gastronomy, by the glamour of food.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Careme was a very important innovator.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04He believed in actually building with food
0:12:04 > 0:12:09and created extraordinary follies, really, hermitages,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13fallen temples, ruins, made out of pastry and sugar,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17freely mixing all the decorative and architectural styles of the period.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20He wanted to shout, "Patisserie is art,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22"it's as important as a great building or painting,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25"a great piece of sculpture."
0:12:25 > 0:12:30It's not really the way that he pipes meringue that advances patisserie.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35It's the way he piles up the meringues in the shop window
0:12:35 > 0:12:36and the carriages stop to look,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39and that was really the key to his fashionability
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and the importance of his patisserie. It was food theatre.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Cited as an early practitioner of this elaborate style of baking,
0:12:47 > 0:12:48Careme was unique,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52in that he documented his works in highly illustrated books.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56With these as reference, his artistic approach to patisserie
0:12:56 > 0:12:59continues to influence the work of patissiers today.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Modern patisserie, it's all about glamour, sophistication,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05bringing the dream to the client,
0:13:05 > 0:13:10showcasing amazing display and, of course, all about the taste.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12In the old days, the clients,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15the most important thing was what the cake was going to look like.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20They didn't even start to think what it could taste like and that's a huge revolution now.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24People want the cake or the dessert to taste as good as it looks.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27There is more to patisserie than just making delicious cake.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31It's the whole concept, really, of sophistication and glamour.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35From the Regency kitchens to our modern chic confectioners,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39patisserie is one area of baking that is a true art form.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Fab Four, you've got half an hour left.
0:13:48 > 0:13:5130 minutes on the baking clock.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Yeah, they look nice, and they smell really lovely as well.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59To be honest, my second sponge isn't brilliant
0:13:59 > 0:14:04and I feel like I, kind of, already know what's going to happen.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I'm just really, really upset with myself.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11- Oh, yeah.- Oh, well done. - It's a nice effect.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14I'm actually going to cut a strip of this
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and use it to line a spring-form pan
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- and then cut another circle and use that as the base...- Yeah.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23..and then put the mousse in and have another circle
0:14:23 > 0:14:27- with the pattern showing on the top. - A 360 pattern.- Fantastic.- Thank you.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31- It's brilliant - it's a cake and a children's activity centre! Perfect.- Thanks.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40I am now painting the sponges
0:14:40 > 0:14:45with some highly alcoholic hazelnut liqueur, which is delicious.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I'm just going to drizzle in some framboise,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52which is a raspberry liqueur, just a little bit of a taste, that's all.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55Time is ticking away.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57The bakers must make their mousse
0:14:57 > 0:15:00so they can start to construct their layered cakes.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03It's called iced chocolate Amaretto mousse.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04Everybody loves it,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07so, you can't go wrong if you make something people like, can you?
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Mousse is made by mixing the baker's chosen flavour with cream, sugar
0:15:11 > 0:15:15and then thickened with either beaten egg whites or gelatine.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19The mousse must be light and airy,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22but strong enough to support the sponge layers.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Really, it is quite nerve racking!
0:15:25 > 0:15:26The only thing you can do
0:15:26 > 0:15:29is strengthen it with support of fruit round the outside
0:15:29 > 0:15:33to prevent that two layers on top concertinaing the sponge,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36so standing up fruit round the outside is a bit of a tip.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55This is the praline crumb.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58It didn't go brilliantly well at the start,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00but I think I've brought it back.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05The problem for me is that I have in my mind
0:16:05 > 0:16:08something which is not the reality.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Make it up as you go along, really.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22With time running out, Mary-Anne has made a crucial mistake.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25I've put the sponge the wrong way round on half of it.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31I can't believe I did that.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Bakers, the end is almost nigh.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35You've got 60 seconds left.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50They're leaning slightly.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04- Just don't say.- OK. - I reckon they won't even...
0:17:04 > 0:17:06- (They'll never know.)- No.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Bakers, time is very much up now.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12There is a mousse loose aboot this hoose!
0:17:12 > 0:17:13- And we're going to eat it.- Yup.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Mary and Paul's critique of the layered mousse cakes
0:17:22 > 0:17:27is crucial to the bakers' chances of making the grand final.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Very nice.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39It's set well.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42I mean, it's set really well.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Looks good, I think I would have liked another layer of sponge.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47The ratio to mousse,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50it should be equal and we've got much more mousse.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52A tad over generous.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- It tastes lovely.- Mm. - It really does.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Very clever idea to put the shortbread.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- I thought it would be too thick, it isn't at all too thick.- No.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04I think the overall appearance, it needed to be more polished,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06but the flavours are great.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- Good.- It's really nice. - Good. OK, thank you.- Well done.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20I think your Genoese, it's a little bit dry, but the flavour's great.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- I think the praline's superb. - The praline is excellent.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28I'm just debating whether it would have worked more as a flatter cake
0:18:28 > 0:18:33with less weight, with more mousse because the flavour of that mousse is fantastic.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And also, I would have liked to see a raspberry glaze over the top.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39It doesn't look finished to me.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47The strawberries, although they're magnificent,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- they're too big...- Yes. - ..for the cake.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- They will not give you the stability that you're looking for.- Yes.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57If you halve a small one, it would give you the stability
0:18:57 > 0:18:58cos it would have the edge.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03- Thinner, structured layers would have been nicer than one big fat one.- Mm.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04The Genoese is too dry.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07You must have lost a bit of height.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10The mousse mixture, if you look carefully there are lumps of white,
0:19:10 > 0:19:15but as we walked up to it, it certainly looked stunning.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19- You wouldn't miss that on a tea table, would you?- No.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27- Oh.- What happened to the other side?
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Erm... We have beauty on the inside!
0:19:30 > 0:19:33It's not just that I put it the wrong way round, no, no.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- I personally think this looks great. - The mousse is very good.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Your sponge is baked well, it's very, very light
0:19:40 > 0:19:44and I think you've done a... I think you've done a really good job.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- You've shown us so many skills. - Thank you.- Well done!- Thank you.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Yes, they really liked it,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55I'm really pleased that despite my gaffe, they enjoyed it.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57They liked the flavour, actually.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01I was pleased that they liked the Amaretto that was coming through the sponge,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05that they liked the shortbread base, which was still nice and crispy.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07So, it wasn't all bad at all, you know.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I thought that looked really good. They didn't.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12That's quite difficult, now,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14because I just don't have that standard they want.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18I'm a bit disappointed about the comments, obviously they weren't the best.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22So I'll have to just try a bit harder this afternoon.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32With only three places in the final up for grabs,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35the bakers now face the challenge they all fear...
0:20:35 > 0:20:37the technical.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39There is no time to prepare,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43as the recipe is only revealed at the start of the timed challenge.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Today's technical challenge is one of my all-time favourites.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48Iced fingers.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Indeed, and not just any iced fingers.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56These are Paul Hollywood's own iced fingers. OK?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59So we need 12 identical fingers.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02We want them filled with cream and jam
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and, as always, this one is going to be judged blind,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09so Paul and Mary, I'm going to ask you if you'd mind leaving the tent.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- So please, on your marks, get set, bake.- Bake.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18All four bakers have been given the same ingredients.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20The judges have stripped back the recipe
0:21:20 > 0:21:25to put their knowledge and skill to the test.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Never in my life have I made an iced bun.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31It's not a thing I'd be yearning to make normally,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34but, you know, I might be converted.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38I'm sure Mary and Paul must have had some sort of spy camera on me all my life
0:21:38 > 0:21:42and just doing everything that I've never made before.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44No, I've never made iced buns before,
0:21:44 > 0:21:49mind you, I'd never made pork pies before and I got second in that, so...
0:21:49 > 0:21:50it's all to play for.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54The iced finger dough the bakers are working with
0:21:54 > 0:21:57contains the additional ingredients of milk and sugar,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01which gives the fingers a richer taste,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05but these make the dough respond differently when being shaped and baked.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07What I've learned from technical bakes
0:22:07 > 0:22:13is don't mess with the instructions or ingredients, just do what it says.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14Follow the rules.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Obviously you've got to get the dough really good
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and get the elasticity and everything.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Oh, I'm not really great at the technical.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26I know roughly how things should feel,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28but I don't know the physics of everything.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Kneading stretches the gluten strands
0:22:32 > 0:22:35created by mixing the flour and water together.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39If the bakers cut short this process, the fingers will not rise properly.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44I'm not 100% sure how he wants them to look at the end,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47which is always tricky in the technical.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50I've got an image in MY mind.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Whether that's what's in Paul's mind...
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Now, there are several criteria I'll be looking for.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00The first thing is the colour of the bun, it has to be cooked properly.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04The second thing is the shape - all even, all the same size.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06The icing must be perfect
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and the texture of that bun must be lovely and soft.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Consistency is what they look for, especially in the batches and they want 12.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19And when the judges ask for a batch
0:23:19 > 0:23:22they want consistency across the batch...
0:23:23 > 0:23:25..which is why I'm taking the time to make sure
0:23:25 > 0:23:29that the dough is approximately the same weight,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32about 85 grams in each one.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34What are a few grams? But they will make a difference.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38I just know he's going to have his eagle eye
0:23:38 > 0:23:41looking for unequal looking buns.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54(It's very quiet, isn't it?)
0:23:54 > 0:23:57It's because the competition is now insanely intense.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Have you all talked about... - No.- ..openly?
0:24:02 > 0:24:04We're being really British and going,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06"No, we all want everyone to do so well,"
0:24:06 > 0:24:10and actually we're all going, "Die, one of you, die!", you know.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13So, it literally is very much the British bake off, isn't it?
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- It so is.- It's so British.- So is.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18All these mums going, "Oh, I just want everyone to do well."
0:24:18 > 0:24:20No, you don't.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22You want someone to leave.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23MEL TITTERS
0:24:28 > 0:24:30The shaped fingers go into the proving drawer.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34The warm temperature accelerates the activity of the yeast.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39This fermentation process produces carbon dioxide,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42which should puff the fingers up to double their size.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47They're not looking very high, you know.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50I can't even remember what they're supposed to look like any more.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52You know, you sort of buy one, don't you,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and you don't examine it really for height and width, so...
0:24:55 > 0:24:57just going to have to hope they're OK.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00OK, you're halfway through.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Never having made them before,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I don't know how much these are going to rise,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12so I don't know if I've got them spaced far enough apart.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Well, you've just got to go for it at some stage.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20For better or worse, get in and cook.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35A perfect iced finger should be soft, light and airy.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Under-baked and they will be too doughy in the middle...
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- (Oh, look at those.) - Have to turn them round.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44You see the end ones are getting a little bit burned.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48How long have they been in? They need two more minutes, officially.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Over-baked and the batch will become tough and crispy.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- A good dollop of icing will cover a multitude of sins.- Good.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Some are slightly darker than the others.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00They're nice and light.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02- Oh!- They're not very dainty.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06- Iced fingers aren't supposed to be dainty!- Oh, right.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09You've got to stuff your face with them. Look at that, the way it rips apart.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I'm salivating really badly.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Actually, they look OK. I'm actually quite happy with that.
0:26:15 > 0:26:1915 minutes, Bake Off queens, for your icing and slicing.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Oops! The pips keep blocking up the nozzle,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31so I'm going to try sieving it a bit.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38I wasn't going to sieve it and then...
0:26:38 > 0:26:42actually sat too long, watched everybody else and decided to.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43I don't want to take any risks.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Oh!
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Gosh, blooming hard work!
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Now, to put the icing on top of the fingers you use the dip technique,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58which is literally just dip in, run your finger across the top
0:26:58 > 0:27:00and then leave it to set.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- That's what I'd call water icing... - A water icing, yes.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05- ..a simple icing sugar and water. - That's right.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- So this was Paul's way. - Yes.- This is dipping.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11This is dipping. I don't like the dipped look.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15I lost half of it on the table where it all dripped down.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17I'll try and tidy this up a little.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22I didn't trust myself to be able to dip into a thick paste,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26so I thought I would put a line of icing across the top.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32I'm quite good at making things look the same,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34so even if they don't taste that good
0:27:34 > 0:27:37I hope I'll get a couple of points for the fact they look similar.
0:27:40 > 0:27:46I want to do the best icing I can, so I'm sort of smearing it.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56- Boutique feminisation about to occur. - Oh, I don't know, ooh.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00A slight sense of, sort of, scar tissue, isn't there, with it? MARY-ANNE LAUGHS
0:28:00 > 0:28:04- What you've done basically is you've made Frankenstein's buns.- Yes.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Bakerettes, you've got 60 seconds left on the clock.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28OK, fingers to the ends of benches.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29Time up.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32They're done, for better or worse.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Mary and Paul always judge the technical bake blind.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48They have no idea which batch belongs to which baker.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58- Gosh. Don't they look good? - I'm pleasantly surprised.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00They're a pretty even batch across the field.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04They do smell very, very good, all of them.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08The texture's good.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11It's soft, it's got an equal colour.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16The icing hasn't covered the whole top, but the idea is nice.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18It's got a nice taste, hasn't it?
0:29:18 > 0:29:21- Mm.- It's very, very good. - Absolutely delicious.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23And it's SO soft.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- Nice amount of jam.- The only thing I'd say was it needs more cream.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31There is not enough cream in there. OK, let's move on to this one.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34This one looks a little bit paler, a little bit fat.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37There's a dough line that's running along the bottom,
0:29:37 > 0:29:42which needed another couple of minutes. It's not quite done inside.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44A bit tight at the bottom, isn't it?
0:29:44 > 0:29:45The icing's nice enough.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47The cream and jam's good.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48It's a fairly uniform shape,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51but it's the bake that's let that one down.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Now, this one, it's got more of a uniform icing on it,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59although the icing was a little bit too wet,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01that's why it's run down the side.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05That's got a good bake, that one. It's nice and soft.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08The texture's good. Some of them are a bit irregular.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11- They all have to be the same size. OK?- Mm.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14These are nice, good even bake. Icing's not bad.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17- Quite nice, this zigzag...- Perfect size.- ..finish here, isn't it?
0:30:17 > 0:30:21It's got a nice finish, bit of arty flair.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Just done. Another minute too less they wouldn't have been baked. As it is, they're baked fine.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28These are far nicer than any...
0:30:28 > 0:30:29..Shop bought ones.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33Yes. I've never had such delicious ones. They really are good.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- Lovely and buttery. - I think you've all done really well.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38You should be very proud of yourselves.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41That was the doughy one.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45The judges must now make their final deliberation.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49These two were good.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Two, three, four.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59In fourth is this one here.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02They were not quite done at the bottom.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04In third place, we've gone for this one.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08- Me.- Normally you dip in and then run your finger along it.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11They would have been fantastic. The flavour was very good, but it's purely
0:31:11 > 0:31:13based on aesthetics with this one.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17And number two, a little bit of originality with the jam,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20absolutely delicious.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23And that leaves Holly, number one. These are a great iced finger.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26The bake, the colour, the texture,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30- the flavour, it was all there. Well done.- Well done, all of you.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- Well done, everyone.- Yay!
0:31:36 > 0:31:38'I'm really, really pleased.'
0:31:38 > 0:31:40I really needed that after this morning.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43I feel like I'm back on a level playing field
0:31:43 > 0:31:46in an average position, because this morning didn't go so well.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50I needed to do well this afternoon. I also need to do well tomorrow as well.
0:31:50 > 0:31:56'It was a bit disappointing, you know, because I thought I'd done OK.'
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I'm going to have to pull out all the stops tomorrow, I think.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01'Could have been worse.'
0:32:01 > 0:32:03I could have been bottom.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07But, hey. Bring on tomorrow.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24It's the showstopper, and the bakers' last chance to prove they're worthy of one of the three places
0:32:24 > 0:32:26in the Great British Bake Off final.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Here we are, halfway through the semi-final.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37- Who's in danger, who's looking good? - I think Mary-Anne has come up and up.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Her cake was so professional.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Holly, I didn't much like her mousse cake,
0:32:44 > 0:32:48and then in the iced buns she won, so she's picked herself up slightly.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Janet's failed on the iced bun, but her cake was fantastic.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55- So, again, she's got it all to play for.- Let's move on to Jo.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59- She's in serious trouble. - Her cake didn't have the finish.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03She had a cream filling but there were lumps of unmixed cream in it.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08But then you look at the iced bun challenge and I think she was second from bottom in that one as well,
0:33:08 > 0:33:14so at the moment, Mary-Anne's fairly safe, but Holly, Janet and Jo are all in the danger zone.
0:33:16 > 0:33:22Your showstopper challenge this week, ladies, we'd like you to make, please, a selection of pastries.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Danish pastries, pain au chocolat, or your simple
0:33:25 > 0:33:31all-butter croissant, but we'd like you to make all the pastries, please, out of the same dough.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35And that dough, when put in the oven, needs to be crispy and golden on the outside
0:33:35 > 0:33:37and it needs to be soft and buttery on the inside.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42And you'll know, as experienced home bakers, that this process takes a long time.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44So, bakers, on your marks,
0:33:44 > 0:33:46- get set...- Bake.
0:33:46 > 0:33:53The bakers are producing three different types of pastries, all to be made from the same dough.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56This dough, known as layered or laminated pastry,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00is labour-intensive and technically demanding.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05It's created by repeatedly rolling and folding alternate layers of butter and dough.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10This particular showstopper is, for me, the hardest one we've had so far.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13You have to make your dough, you have to fold the dough,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17you have to choose your shape, you have to roll it out to a perfect level,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20then you have to choose your filling, then prove and bake.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23It's difficult to get to perfection. It's all about the stages.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28I'm looking for some unusual shapes and a very professional finish.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31They should be well risen, a lovely golden brown,
0:34:31 > 0:34:36so they've got to look right, they've got to taste really special.
0:34:36 > 0:34:44First they make their dough, a classic sweet bread dough made from flour, yeast, salt, sugar and water.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47This is kneaded until elastic.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50It could all go wrong at any point, really.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53I mean, this probably is the most essential bit.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58To get the base of the dough, you've got to have a good foundation to then have a good pastry.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03Jo is making a classic pain aux raisins, chocolate twists
0:35:03 > 0:35:07and her own original invention, a banana and raisin pastry.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12The banana and raisin, how are you putting that into the Danish? As a pain aux raisins style?
0:35:12 > 0:35:14- As a, you know, the folded one... - Oh, right, got you.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17- The square with the bits folded in. - Yeah. Mm.- Fantastic.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19I think banana and raisin works a treat.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23I've never had a banana and raisin one before.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25I've had an apple and raisin one.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28I adapted it with a banana because I thought that might be quite nice.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33- What yeast did you use in your...? - I used the fast action.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36- We've learnt which Paul liked best. - It's a good tip for me.
0:35:36 > 0:35:43The bakers now need to introduce a layer of butter into their bread dough.
0:35:45 > 0:35:46Are you having that as well?
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Yeah, it has to have a pound of butter.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Oh, my...
0:35:52 > 0:35:55This is an obscene amount of butter!
0:35:55 > 0:35:58The dough is wrapped around the slab of butter.
0:35:58 > 0:36:05This is the way I do it. Just get it into a block and then you make sure that every bit of pastry has got
0:36:05 > 0:36:10the same amount of butter in it, and the same amount of layers.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13The bakers then roll the pastry out.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19You don't want the butter to start melting
0:36:19 > 0:36:23and you want to keep it quite firm because it'll then stay in layers when you fold it.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28If it starts warming up, it will sort of ooze out of the edges.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Next it is folded...
0:36:30 > 0:36:34covered with cling wrap...
0:36:34 > 0:36:36and left to rest in the fridge.
0:36:36 > 0:36:43This process is repeated at least three times over four hours to create the layers.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46I've never made croissants or Danish pastries before
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and I think it's such a laborious process.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53If someone else can make something better than you can then you should probably buy it.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57Holly is making apricot, macadamia and white chocolate pinwheels,
0:36:57 > 0:37:01almond croissants and apple, raisin and cinnamon plaits.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03- How's it going?- Not too bad.
0:37:03 > 0:37:10I can tell when you look at this in particular, now what you're looking for is a marble, and you can see
0:37:10 > 0:37:15the marble in there, which is an indication of a decent dough.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20The dough now needs to prove in the fridge for 12 hours.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26The cold temperature allows the gluten to relax while the yeast causes the dough to rise.
0:37:31 > 0:37:37The croissant. It's about as Francais as striking, smoking and randomly shrugging.
0:37:37 > 0:37:42Bouf! Ah, mais non. In fact, the mythology and history of the croissant
0:37:42 > 0:37:46is as rich, multi-layered and intriguing as the pastry itself.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50What we do know for sure is that the croissant
0:37:50 > 0:37:53is not French. Sweet pastry was brought back to medieval Europe
0:37:53 > 0:37:56from the Middle East by soldiers returning from the Crusades,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and croissant-like pastries were being consumed in Austria
0:37:59 > 0:38:02long before there is any record of their arrival in France.
0:38:02 > 0:38:09According to one legend, the story of the croissant began in Vienna in 1683.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Some bakers, working through the night, heard digging,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16and Turks were discovered trying to tunnel under the city wall.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21In honour of this, a pastry was created to represent the crescent on the Turkish flag
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and named the kipferl, meaning crescent.
0:38:24 > 0:38:30In the late 1830s, the Boulangerie Viennoise opened in Paris and began
0:38:30 > 0:38:35selling kipferl, which quickly adopted the French equivalent name of croissant, also meaning crescent.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Around the turn of the 20th century, it evolved from the brioche style
0:38:39 > 0:38:43dough of the kipferl into the light puff pastry we know today.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47Since then, we've added almonds, chocolate, even cheese,
0:38:47 > 0:38:49all 20th-century additions to the original.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55Whatever the truth about their origins, croissants have been sold and baked here
0:38:55 > 0:38:58in Paris since the middle of the 19th century, where they sold
0:38:58 > 0:39:01like hot pastries to members of the aristocracy,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05and one of the first places to bake them was right here, in the heart of the city.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21The same amount of pastry, fifty-fifty.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27'Although the rolling is now done by machines, this part of the process used to be a gruelling task,
0:39:27 > 0:39:34'with French patissier chefs hand rolling large volumes of dough until thin sheets of pastry were formed.
0:39:34 > 0:39:39'Still today, the most difficult part of the process is done by hand.'
0:39:47 > 0:39:49And I'm going to do it in six seconds.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53So I'm thinking you stretch it, and that's going to break in a minute.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55- And then...- Then you roll. - Roll it.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58This is the fattest croissant that ever was.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00This is a British croissant.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06I think we've found out that when it comes to this particular pastry,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10it's very much England nil, France 1. Well done, you lot.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18I'm very sad to see my croissants aren't there. Very sad. But these are yours. Let's try them.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21- OK.- Mm.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Mm. It's the best.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- So you do speak English?- Only that.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49While the dough is still resting in the fridge, the bakers begin to prepare their fillings.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58I'm just making the caramelised bananas there for my topping,
0:40:58 > 0:41:03and creme patissiere for my pain aux raisins and my chocolate twists.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06That's looking nice now. That's just how it should be.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Beautiful.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12Creme patissiere is a classic French custard filling, stabilised with flour.
0:41:12 > 0:41:18It's technically challenging, as the mix needs to come off the heat at exactly the right moment.
0:41:18 > 0:41:24Too thick, it becomes claggy when baked. Too loose and it will leak out of the pastry.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I wish this stuff would hurry up and thicken.
0:41:26 > 0:41:32I'm stirring it quite carefully, and I don't want a pan of scrambled eggs.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35It's just using a lot of time, but if I don't do it I don't have
0:41:35 > 0:41:39pain aux raisins, so it's Hobson's Choice, really.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Janet is going for the classic French trio -
0:41:42 > 0:41:48together with pain aux raisins, she's also baking plain croissants and pain au chocolat.
0:41:48 > 0:41:53You've got creme patissiere in there and you're being very careful to keep it at a low temperature.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58- Yes.- The essential thing is not to overheat it and to stir all the time.- Yes, that's right, yes.
0:41:58 > 0:42:03Because if you over-cook it, you'll get a very nasty texture.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05I'm quite sure you're not going to do that.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09No. That's why I took it off the thing while we're talking.
0:42:09 > 0:42:15I prefer savoury things over sweet things and although I think the two
0:42:15 > 0:42:19sweet flavours I've got lined up are really nice, I wanted one for me.
0:42:19 > 0:42:24For her pastries, Mary-Anne's creating raspberry rose Danishes,
0:42:24 > 0:42:29praline spirals and also savoury Alsatian plaited Danishes.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31- Hello. - Hi, Mary-Anne.- Mary-Anne.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35- Hi.- Now, Mary-Anne, you're the only one to do a savoury Danish pastry.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39Yeah. It comes from the Alsace region of France.
0:42:39 > 0:42:47They make a kind of pizza, usually with very thin bread dough and a bit of creme fraiche, onion, bacon
0:42:47 > 0:42:53and goats' cheese, so I thought I'd take that and transfer it to the filling of a Danish pastry.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55It's interesting. I am really looking forward to this.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59That's a bit of a "could be good, could be bad" when Paul says "interesting".
0:42:59 > 0:43:04- Good luck.- Thank you very much. - Go for it. See you later.- Thank you.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10She certainly is the one who always experiments and pushes the boat out,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13- and usually it works.- Yes.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17I could look at the fillings and go no, no, no, don't like that, don't like that.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21But Mary-Anne's surprised me in the past, so I'm reserving judgment
0:43:21 > 0:43:24because I've never heard of those fillings before.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27I just expect to be wowed.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30OK, there's an hour remaining, bakers.
0:43:30 > 0:43:35The chilled doughs finally come out.
0:43:35 > 0:43:40While in the fridge, the dough has also been proving and should be double in size.
0:43:42 > 0:43:48Could have been a bit puffier, but I did wrap it quite tightly because the two times that I've practised
0:43:48 > 0:43:54this dough, it's burst out of the Clingwrap and it's dried out where it's been exposed to the air in
0:43:54 > 0:43:58the refrigerator, so I really didn't want that to happen, so wrapped it
0:43:58 > 0:44:01quite tightly and that might have constricted it a bit.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03I'm just going to cut it into
0:44:03 > 0:44:07three so that I know what I've got for each section of pastry.
0:44:07 > 0:44:13To make a croissant, the dough needs to be cut into a triangular shape.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18I looked up on the internet what the size should be and then I tried a few different sizes
0:44:18 > 0:44:26and decided that 28 centimetres long by 12 centimetres across was the optimum size.
0:44:26 > 0:44:31I've practised the shaping quite a bit at home because it's quite hard to do, frankly.
0:44:31 > 0:44:37So I wanted to sort of prove I could make a croissant, but it's not easy.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40Come on. Don't let me down.
0:44:40 > 0:44:46I rolled mine up and I don't know whether they were too wide for the length or something.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48Anyhow, they're proving to be a disaster.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50They're not very well shaped.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53You know, I'm looking at Holly's and I wish I hadn't looked.
0:45:00 > 0:45:0645 minutes to go. The bakers shape and fill their pastries.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09Really, these three pastries are the embodiment of the bake off
0:45:09 > 0:45:15to me because the raspberry rose one reminds me of Mary because it's pink and delicate,
0:45:15 > 0:45:19and then I've done praline because of Paul, who said last week he quite liked it.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23Shameless attempt to curry favour with the judges.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27Janet, I've been admiring your buns from afar and, quite frankly, they're so large,
0:45:27 > 0:45:31you can be at any point in the tent and be aware of their beauty.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35- I mean, look at that. That's a lovely bit of pastry. - I really hope they'll be nice.
0:45:35 > 0:45:41They probably should have been an inch wide, but I thought, what the hell, I might as well use the lot.
0:45:41 > 0:45:46OK, this is your Danish countdown, 25 minutes remaining.
0:45:50 > 0:45:55At home, I might leave them to rise a little more, but I just don't have time.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59The pastries start to go into the oven.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01Pray and behave yourself.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04However, varying bake times due to the different fillings
0:46:04 > 0:46:10means that the bakers now face a very tricky, staggered and finely balanced last hurdle.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15'I don't feel too confident at all.'
0:46:15 > 0:46:20Janet's going for the classic French trinity, I think.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Looking at what she's doing currently with the pains au chocolat,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27they're going to be from the Land of the Giants.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31- They're going to be huge, aren't they?- They'll be colossal.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35I think all of them at the moment have come up with some great flavours.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Some, for me, I'm more attracted to than others,
0:46:38 > 0:46:43- but it's all about baking now. That's the crucial bit.- Yeah.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Getting better done the other way round.
0:46:59 > 0:47:04I'm just hoping they're cooked all the way through because that's been my major issue with them at home.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06That one's unravelled. That's not good.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10Just give them a couple of minutes more, you know.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13Don't want them to say, "Mm, doughy!"
0:47:14 > 0:47:17Bit to go yet.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21I'm not cutting it fine at all!
0:47:23 > 0:47:27Obviously, when there's so many different components, there's sugar
0:47:27 > 0:47:30in all of them, so you don't want to over-sweeten anything,
0:47:30 > 0:47:35but then you don't want it to taste bland either. It's really... it's quite nerve racking.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41OK, that's one minute remaining.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09That's it. Done.
0:48:10 > 0:48:16OK, that's time up. The baked French goods to the end of your benches, please. Thank you.
0:48:40 > 0:48:47The semi-finalists have endured seven weeks and 21 demanding bakes.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51Their fate now rests on the judging of this showstopper.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54OK, Holly, you're up first.
0:48:55 > 0:49:01They look so professional, all evenly brown. Don't they look lovely?
0:49:01 > 0:49:03I think they look absolutely stunning.
0:49:03 > 0:49:10I think they really do. The lamination on the Catherine wheel, it just hasn't done it inside.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13You can see a couple of the layers where they haven't baked.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16It's probably down to you. The oven's been slightly too hot.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20The croissant especially is difficult to make with almond inside it.
0:49:20 > 0:49:25You can see you've got a beautiful structure inside. These are really tricky to make properly.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29Lovely. Really nice.
0:49:29 > 0:49:30So buttery and light.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33I like the apricot ones.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35The apricot is strong. Each one of those
0:49:35 > 0:49:39is beautifully neat. I should have been standing over you to learn how to do that.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42- It really is beautiful. - There was a ruler involved.
0:49:42 > 0:49:43- I saw it. - I missed out on that.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45It was like a geometry lesson.
0:49:45 > 0:49:50I kid you not, they are great specimens of pastries. Well done.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Well done, Holly.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55So, Janet.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59Gosh, that's a basket of bounty, isn't it?
0:49:59 > 0:50:03I'm afraid, excessively large.
0:50:03 > 0:50:04How many do these feed?
0:50:06 > 0:50:09- A hungry person. - The croissant is a poor shape.
0:50:09 > 0:50:14- Yes, I know.- The top of your triangle has to be about four or five inches.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16The bottom, you can take down to 12 inches.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19What you then do is roll it all up and that gives you the layers.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24What's happened is that you've basically got quite a fat triangle and you've rolled it up
0:50:24 > 0:50:29- and it's quite thick. - Yeah, I didn't know how much one could handle the pastry, you know.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32This one looks great. It's just massive.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36Cutting your Catherine wheel, it's lovely and spongy.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40I could have done with a little more fruit in here.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42Did you over-cook your creme patissiere?
0:50:42 > 0:50:44It was thick, spreadable.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47- It's thickened up too much. Stodgy. - Oh, sorry.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51It's very difficult because it's bound to thicken up with the intensely hot oven.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54The bake on those are OK. The lamination is fantastic.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57The flavour's good on all of them. It's down to the shape.
0:50:57 > 0:51:02- That is purely your downfall, the shape.- Yeah, I know. - Thanks very much.- Thank you.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04Well done, Janet.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Mary-Anne.
0:51:11 > 0:51:17This is more the savoury style of things, savoury meets sweet.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19They haven't quite cooked properly.
0:51:19 > 0:51:20They're quite raw inside.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24- Yeah.- Which is a bit of a shame. This is the rose, isn't it?
0:51:24 > 0:51:26Mm. Raspberry and rose.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29The moment you get your nose there, it's roses.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33- That's amazing how you got that through.- Isn't it? - And it's delicate as well.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37- This is bacon, caramelised onion and goats' cheese?- Yes.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41- It's a nice idea. The flavours are great.- Tastes good.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44I am getting the crisp, it's just slightly underdone inside.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46It's very sad about your sort of Catherine wheel.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50- It's sort of come open.- It's very difficult with that amount of paste,
0:51:50 > 0:51:53though, to bind. It'll never do it in a million years,
0:51:53 > 0:51:56because of the amount of filling. I mean, at the end of the day,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59- it's down to the bake.- Yeah. - It's down to the finish
0:51:59 > 0:52:02and the bake that was lacking on this one. Some of the flavours
0:52:02 > 0:52:04that you got are unique and have worked,
0:52:04 > 0:52:07- but it's down to the bake itself. Thanks very much.- OK. Thank you.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10Well done, well done.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19I think they all look fantastic.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23- Thank you. - They just look so tempting.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26And they're so lovely and shiny and polished, aren't they?
0:52:26 > 0:52:30- I can tell you now, from the structure, they are fantastic.- Oh, thank you.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34The structure is absolutely spot-on.
0:52:34 > 0:52:39It's crunchy, done just as brown underneath as it on top.
0:52:39 > 0:52:44That pain aux raisins is delicious. You've got a crispy outside, golden brown, you've decorated it
0:52:44 > 0:52:48with the jam, you spun some icing sugar on it as well.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51And the texture, the flake inside,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54is impressive.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58- I'm gobsmacked. I really am. I think they're lovely. - They really are very good, Jo.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01- Well done.- Thank you.- Thanks, Jo.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03- Thank you.- Well done, Jo.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06If I hear the words "I'm through", it'll be better than what Paul's just said to me
0:53:06 > 0:53:09just now, with my bakes, and that was pretty awesome.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11I just really hope that I'm now in for next week
0:53:11 > 0:53:15and I hope that my mousse cake doesn't go too much against me.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17So it wasn't the best feedback ever.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22Could I have blown it at the last fence? Who knows? I don't know.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24There's a time for everyone to go,
0:53:24 > 0:53:28and for me in this competition, today might be that day.
0:53:31 > 0:53:38Paul and Mary must now look back over the bakes to decide who will miss out on the grand final.
0:53:38 > 0:53:44So, Paul and Mary, before you are the 12 clinchers to decide
0:53:44 > 0:53:46who is going to go through to the final.
0:53:46 > 0:53:52I mean, Jo, I thought her cake yesterday was very weak. It wasn't sweet enough.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54Structurally it wasn't sound, and you look at
0:53:54 > 0:53:57the iced bun challenge, she was second from bottom.
0:53:57 > 0:54:03- But today...- Just so good. She was the only one to get the pinwheel right.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Jo has created a miracle.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Only something of that quality could save her.
0:54:08 > 0:54:13- And then Holly.- This week, although her layered mousse cake was all right, it wasn't spectacular
0:54:13 > 0:54:16and I'd certainly put it in second from bottom.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19But, with her pastries today, I think she could be saved.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Where do you stand on Janet?
0:54:21 > 0:54:24Janet yesterday, I quite liked her layered cake.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26- She came bottom in the iced buns. - She came bottom,
0:54:26 > 0:54:30and again, today, she struggled a bit with the pastries.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32They really are huge.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34That croissant's more like a neck support.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37It's a shame, because the flavour of the pastry is OK.
0:54:37 > 0:54:43Mary-Anne yesterday, she did that very beautiful cake with the orange swirls on the top.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Mary-Anne, going from being the only in the position of safety
0:54:46 > 0:54:48has jeopardised that because these weren't baked.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51No, they're not baked. They're quite raw inside.
0:54:51 > 0:54:57So Janet, who struggled over the weekend, and who's come up with something that needed to be better,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00and Mary-Anne, who started high and then just dropped.
0:55:00 > 0:55:05- OK. Well, we'll leave you to your deliberations.- Go confer.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28Firstly, congratulations, all four of you. Normally, at this point,
0:55:28 > 0:55:32we'd announce a Star Baker, but the judges really feel that you all deserve
0:55:32 > 0:55:38a special commendation and that no-one should be singled out because you are all semi-finalists.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41So well done.
0:55:41 > 0:55:47OK. Now, you know we can't take all four of you with us into next week's final.
0:55:47 > 0:55:54So Paul and Mary have decided that the person not coming with us is...
0:56:00 > 0:56:01Janet.
0:56:01 > 0:56:06- That's fine. Can I just say, I've had a great time.- Yay!
0:56:06 > 0:56:11Thanks to everyone for your generosity, your kindness and everything.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13You are brilliant.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23I suppose, you know, everybody would want, if they entered the competition,
0:56:23 > 0:56:28to get through to the final, but, you know, I've gone so much further than I ever dreamt I would.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31I mean, my luck did run out today, quite obviously,
0:56:31 > 0:56:37because my pastries were not up to the standard they expected.
0:56:37 > 0:56:43You know, it has to be on merit, and clearly I didn't merit being in the final three, so...
0:56:43 > 0:56:44and that's fair enough.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48'I'm so chuffed to be in the final.'
0:56:48 > 0:56:52I feel very emotional, but in a really nice way. Yeah.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54I, I'm a little bit...
0:56:54 > 0:56:59never lost for words, of course, being me, but I am a little bit.
0:56:59 > 0:57:04It hasn't quite sunk in yet, that I managed to survive despite my baking efforts today,
0:57:04 > 0:57:10but I'm not going to dwell on it because clean slate next week and everything to play for.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13Oh, I really am
0:57:13 > 0:57:15totally gobsmacked.
0:57:15 > 0:57:16Sorry!
0:57:18 > 0:57:21I can't, I really can't, honestly, truly believe it.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27- Next time...- Why is my hand shaking?
0:57:27 > 0:57:30- It's the final.- I've been feeling nauseous since yesterday.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33I still think anyone could win it.
0:57:33 > 0:57:38Holly, Jo and Mary-Anne must bake for a street party.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41- You seem very quiet. Is that focus? - That's blind panic.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46I think nerves are a really, really big issue.
0:57:48 > 0:57:49Only perfection will do.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52It's a huge disappointment.
0:57:52 > 0:57:57Absolutely stunning. It's a perfect home bake.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00It's the toughest decision Mary and Paul have faced.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03They've really got to prove themselves.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06Never has pastry been so scrutinised.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09Who will be crowned the winner of the Great British Bake Off?
0:58:09 > 0:58:12The winner is...
0:58:36 > 0:58:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:39 > 0:58:42E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk