0:00:04 > 0:00:08The Great British Bake Off sees 12 home bakers battle it out
0:00:08 > 0:00:10over cakes, pies and pastries
0:00:10 > 0:00:13in a bid to become Britain's best amateur baker.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Some rise to the challenge, while other fall apart.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- HE SIGHS - It's a shame. It's a shame.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Technically, this is absolutely rubbish.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Recovery from disaster.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Each week the bakers are asked to complete three challenges.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30But the most feared by far, and the most revealing,
0:00:30 > 0:00:32is the Technical Challenge.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36- Who knows how it's going to go?- It's like the worst nightmare, this is.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Always a closely-guarded secret,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42success in this challenge relies upon their baking skills...
0:00:42 > 0:00:43Oh, my days.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45..experience...
0:00:45 > 0:00:48The number of decades I've been baking, it does help.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..and intuition in the context of a classic recipe.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I do know what it should be like in the end. Just not entirely sure
0:00:55 > 0:00:57how to get it to that point.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03But now it's the turn of Bake Off's very own judges to get baking themselves.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Queen of cakes Mary Berry and master baker Paul Hollywood
0:01:06 > 0:01:09have so far been judging other people's efforts.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12- Good flavour.- Looks like a chocolate breeze block.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14That is absolutely delicious!
0:01:14 > 0:01:17- I think it works.- It's different. I don't know that I like it.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21To say it was a disaster would be a humiliation to disaster.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Go on, say something nice!
0:01:24 > 0:01:28But now it's time for Mary and Paul to show off their skills
0:01:28 > 0:01:30and make all of the Technical Challenges,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33so that you can get the perfect result every time.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Well, Paul and I have had it pretty good, just judging.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41But now it's all on us. So we've got to show you exactly what to do,
0:01:41 > 0:01:46step by step, to get even better results than the bakers.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52Paul will be making his rum babas, a light and fragile sponge dessert
0:01:52 > 0:01:54soaked in rich rum syrup,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58a mind-boggling eight-strand plaited loaf
0:01:58 > 0:02:00with its perfectly golden crust,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02and Paul's traditional hand-raised pie,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05packed full of tender chicken and juicy apricots.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Mary brings us her recipe for treacle tart - a real classic
0:02:10 > 0:02:14with a perfect balance of thin pastry and decadent filling,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16and creme caramel,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20a freestanding sweet custard with a layer of moist caramel on top.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And finally, if you've ever wondered how to shape dough,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29pipe meringue or create spun sugar, Mary and Paul will show you
0:02:29 > 0:02:33how to get the perfect results with a series of quick tips.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Finally, a chance for Mary and I to get baking ourselves
0:02:37 > 0:02:41in the Bake Off tent and show you guys exactly how to do
0:02:41 > 0:02:44all the Technical Challenges properly. Game on.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11This year, the Bake Off began with cakes.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15The bakers started by creating colourful concoctions
0:03:15 > 0:03:17with their own take on the upside-down cake,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21before wowing the judges with their ingenious
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and technically difficult hidden design cakes.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29But what caught many of them out was Paul's half cake/half dough
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Technical Challenge.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Bakers, adopt the brace position.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36This is your first Technical Challenge.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40This recipe is for a classic, 1970s' staple.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Rum baba.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Four perfect babas with cream in the middle
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- and perfectly-sliced fruit on top. On your marks.- Get set.- Bake!
0:03:50 > 0:03:52I'm quite afraid of this recipe.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55I've got no idea what I'm doing!
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Rum babas are cakes made from leavened dough,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04a highly enriched batter that is soaked in rum syrup,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06decorated with fruit and Chantilly cream.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11Rum baba. It's that strange hybrid between cake and bread.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14But it's something very special. But a little bit tricky.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Very tricky.- But you'll show us that it's easy.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Let's just see how easy it is, shall we?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21What would you like? Can I do any weighing for you?
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Can you weigh up 220 grams of strong flour, please?
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Sometimes plain flour is used for rum baba, isn't it?
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I tend to use strong flour because it's quite a wet dough,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33and so strong flour will give you that spring in the oven
0:04:33 > 0:04:37- to give you that dome on the top of the rum baba itself.- That's it.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Thank you. Could you also give me seven grams of fast-action yeast?
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Half a teaspoon of salt.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Keep the salt and yeast separate in the bowl to start with
0:04:49 > 0:04:52as the salt will slow the development of the yeast.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Measure out 50g of sugar, 2 medium eggs and 70ml milk.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Add a little bit of milk to start with.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05- I want to develop the dough first before I add that butter.- Right.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07So just start stirring in the mixtures,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11just taking it from round the side, more milk.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15So carry on working this dough,
0:05:15 > 0:05:22manipulating it, building up that gluten and moving the bowl around,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24keeping it active.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28There's always a danger of giving up too soon,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31but the batter needs as much air in as possible to create the sponge.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36And what you could start doing now, please, Mary,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38is begin to add the butter.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Measure out 100 grams of softened butter.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44It's important to develop the dough fully before adding the fat,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48as fat slows the gluten development and makes it weaker,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51which is why enriched dough is soft and fragile.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Rub that butter into that dough.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58This is the most important stage of making rum baba.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02See, it's getting more gelatinous now, more stringy.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05You have to incorporate all the butter properly -
0:06:05 > 0:06:07otherwise you'll get streaks in there.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Now you are extremely strong and have got very good arms,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15could I please do this in a machine with a dough-hook?
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Course you could. Just take your time, it'll take about ten minutes,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20so imagine how long it'll take doing this.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23I thoroughly recommend using a dough-hook, then.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25It's beginning to come now.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29- It's lovely and shiny, not a lump in sight.- No.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32What I'm going to do is coat that in a little bit of flour now.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36You get moisture molecules sitting on the outside of the dough/batter,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and the moisture is soaked up by the flour
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and it just helps you to manipulate it a little bit easier.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Give it a light coating in the flour.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49So you're taking in quite a bit of extra flour
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- to the flour that you've used. - I'm coating the outside of it.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- Any moisture it's holding there... - Right.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57..will soak up.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01At that stage, I'd leave that for nature to take its course.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05A good hour in a warm environment and that will start to grow.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- Can I just feel it?- Yeah, of course.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Now when you press it, the indentation stays there.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- That's right.- And when you've proved it, it should spring back.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17It will, but don't forget, that's a very soft batter.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21If you have risen batter and put your finger in it, it'll still leave an indentation, it could collapse.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22- It's very delicate.- Right.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Cover in clingfilm and leave for an hour to double in size.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33OK, Mary, here are four rum baba moulds.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Would you mind brushing the inside with plenty of butter
0:07:35 > 0:07:38and then just a light coating of sugar, please.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Now, this is the mix which has been resting for about an hour.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44It's sort of about double the amount.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47It's quite aerated already, and it's perfect for going straight
0:07:47 > 0:07:51into a piping bag and then we'll pipe that into the bowls themselves.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54I've well buttered that. I don't have to do it in the middle, do I?
0:07:54 > 0:07:55You can a little,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58cos I'm trying to get a little bit of a lip on it as well.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Well, I'll make sure I do it well. Otherwise I'll get blamed!
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- Yes, you will.- Right. And then sugar?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Just a light dusting of sugar, please.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Sugaring the moulds helps get these fragile cakes out of the tins once baked.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14But for some in the Bake Off, it didn't go to plan.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- I've ruined it completely. Do you know what I've done?- What?
0:08:19 > 0:08:23- Used salt in my tin.- Oh, no! - I want to go home!
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Oh, I've messed up big-style here.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It's going to put me in the bad books from the start,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35it's going to..."John's the boy who messed around with salt."
0:08:37 > 0:08:40So, you do that.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45That's sugar.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51- It'll give it a nice crust, won't it? If you have sugar.- Absolutely.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56And all you do is pipe round the mould, about halfway up.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Because that will grow. Snip it off, and there you have it.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Join the rest up with your fingers.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09- And another one.- Keeping up with Hollywood is quite difficult.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Come on, Mary, hurry up. Thank you. And again, pipe the last one in.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17There you go.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20So they need to rise for about an hour in a warm place,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22and then they're going to be baked. You must cover it,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26because what you don't want, at this stage, is for the top to get a skin on.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30So you take a polythene bag, prop it up with a couple of spice jars
0:09:30 > 0:09:32or something and tuck the rest underneath.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34What we've got, though, is proving drawers,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38essentially a humidifier. Set it around 32, 33 degrees.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41These are going to go in there, and we'll leave them to rise
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and have a look in about an hour.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- Wow!- Yes.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- Here we go.- They look absolutely beautiful. Really well risen.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57And you were quite wise to suggest that it was buttered all over,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59because it's just come over the rim.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02That'll give it the little ridge that you put your cream on.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04But you see it, it's soft, it's delicate.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07You've got to be really careful at this stage.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It's an enriched dough, any form of knocking will drop that
0:10:10 > 0:10:11and it'll lose its dome.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14So these are going to go straight into the oven now.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16160 fan, 180 non-fan,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19for about 20-25 minutes until they're beautiful and golden brown.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Because of the amount of butter and sugar in this enriched dough,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26the tops can colour quickly and the babas may look baked
0:10:26 > 0:10:28before they're actually done inside.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Here's hoping.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34If over-baked, the babas will become crispy on the outside.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Under-baked, and these delicate sponges will collapse.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41A challenge the bakers found tricky.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Oh. It's all gone wrong.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48They're all stuck to the dish.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- They look a bit of all right. - Nice and golden brown.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56They've released quite well.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Do it while it's warm, because the butter's still warm in the mould.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04And actually they'll come out easier.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06What I've got to make now is a syrup
0:11:06 > 0:11:09to go with this and let it soak in while it's still warm.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14For the syrup, measure out 250g of caster sugar, 20ml of hot water
0:11:14 > 0:11:20- and then add the rum.- How many tablespoons?- Three to four.- One...
0:11:20 > 0:11:25- two, three.- You call that a tablespoon?!- Absolutely perfect.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30- Don't want it too weak. - Mary, that's brutal!- No, just right.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32OK, all I'm going to do is heat this up now.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36I can feel that that's actually all dissolved in there
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- amongst your half a bottle of rum! - You might need a little more rum...
0:11:39 > 0:11:43We're not putting any more rum in there! Let me have a look and see.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Actually, it's pretty good.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55So we've got warm babas, hot sauce and on it goes.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58If you find that it's not soaking in, we can turn it upside-down.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00It's to ensure that it's equally spread.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02If that was a normal cake mixture
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- and you tried to turn it upside-down, it would all break apart.- Yeah.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08This is quite strong, with big holes in,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11and so it will take being turned over.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15The other way of doing it is to tilt it, take more syrup,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17then just drizzle it over the top again.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- And then you serve it while everything is very, very cold.- Yes.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Allow the hot babas to completely soak up all of the rum syrup.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Then put them in the fridge to cool for about half an hour,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32so that they are ready to decorate.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35It's lovely. It's just the right amount of rum.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Now I've got some cream in here, whipped up some vanilla
0:12:39 > 0:12:40and some icing sugar.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44All I'm going to do is pipe around, keeping it in the centre.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46After that, fruit on the top.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Lovely. Now, the finishing touch...
0:12:52 > 0:12:57- ..is some icing sugar.- This is my most useful thing in the kitchen.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00You know when you burn the side of an apple pie - I'm sure you never do -
0:13:00 > 0:13:04you put an awful lot on that side and a little less on the others.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05But these are perfect.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09And, of course, once you've done it, because they're moist, they do...
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Soak it back up. How simple is that? - I think they look wonderful.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17A rum baba made by hand. Piped cream in the middle, fruit on top,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20covered in a stock syrup with rum inside it.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22That's how simple it should've been.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Well, this was the first of our Technical Challenges, Mary.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34And obviously there was a bit of a Rumgate between me and yourself.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39So the only way to see if the rum was the right level is to eat it.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40Absolutely.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44This is the strange hybrid between cake and bread,
0:13:44 > 0:13:45never been seen before on Bake Off.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48And that's what caught them out, I think.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- Enough rum?- Well, I wouldn't mind a little bit more.- Unbelievable.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54It's moist, it's sharp with the fruit,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57you've got that beautiful Chantilly cream inside.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01- It's unusual and it's different, and it's so good.- Mm.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Mm! Lovely.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09And now Paul's top tip to perfectly pipe with cream.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15When I first started in a bakery, my first chore was to pipe cream
0:14:15 > 0:14:17into either doughnuts or the top of the cookies.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Very simple rule - get a good bag,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23either a cloth one or a plastic one like this,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27and make sure it's filled to the top and you seal the top,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30either with fingers, by twisting it, or just with your hands.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Put a bit of tension on there. Just so the cream comes right to the end.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36So you start...
0:14:36 > 0:14:40and then turn, turn, turn, release.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44That inside any bun, or on top of any cake, looks fantastic.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48The next ones you can do, hold your piping bag straight down,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51pipe till you're happy you've got enough, release.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Then you can do any swirl. So again, start from the top,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57keeping the tension all the way.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03And so the whole thing is neatly done with equal pressure.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06That's the key when icing or piping.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Week two of the Bake Off saw the bakers doing battle with bread.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15They were asked to make signature flatbreads...
0:15:18 > 0:15:21..and a show-stopping batch of bagels.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25But it was Paul's tricky Technical Challenge
0:15:25 > 0:15:27that really got the bakers in a twist.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30We are calling this the Rapunzel Challenge.
0:15:30 > 0:15:37We're asking you today to prepare and bake an eight-strand plaited loaf.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40We want each plait to be an even width and length,
0:15:40 > 0:15:47- with a nice golden crust and a soft crumb.- On your marks.- Get set.- Bake!
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Time to experiment a bit.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56I didn't even know there was such a thing.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00A complicated eight-strand plaited loaf,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04with a crunchy golden crust and dense crumb structure.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09Eight-strand plait. To me, it seems a very difficult choice.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11That's precisely why I chose it.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14I wanted to see them sweat a little bit on the Technical Challenge,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18and it was nice to choose something even a baker would find difficult.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21So to start with, we need to make the base dough.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25So can you put 500g of flour into there for me, please?
0:16:25 > 0:16:29- And strong flour, of course? - Strong flour. High in gluten.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31That gives you the elasticity and strength
0:16:31 > 0:16:34to hold the bubbles inside as the bread grows.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Seven grams of fast-action yeast, please.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42If you can only get the fresh yeast, then you need to add 12 grams.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Give me 10 grams of salt.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48That goes in there to the other side of the bowl. Why do we do that?
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Because if you put it over the other side with the yeast,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- it slows down the action. Am I getting there?- You are.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Come and work with me any time. OK, the next ingredient I'm adding -
0:16:57 > 0:17:00- olive oil.- Does that have to be a good olive oil?
0:17:00 > 0:17:04You don't need to use virgin olive oil, just any olive oil is fine.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Now, I'm adding about 320ml of water.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Cool water is absolutely fine.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Start off by adding half of it.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Fingers like a mixer.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20- In you go. And then just turn it.- So often bread recipes say warm water.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- You were saying cool.- If you want to use warm water, that's fine.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25It just speeds it up.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29And the thing about making bread is, the slower the prove,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32the more intense the flavour, the better the fermentation.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36All I've done there is crushed the dough together
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and you end up with a soft dough like that.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41That still needs work.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Olive oil onto the bench, pop your dough into that.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49And just coat the outside with the olive oil.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53One thing I've learnt from you is not to add too much extra flour,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57and also having a nice oily surface, it's much easier to work.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01If I add lots and lots of flour to that, it'll take forever to rise,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05air holes will be very tight, and it'll end up like a house brick.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09So as I work it more, I begin to speed up.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14And you do this for about ten minutes.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16But it is important at the very beginning
0:18:16 > 0:18:18to have that fairly wet dough,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22which looked as though it would stick to the table
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and everything else, but because of that olive oil, it's completely free.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28It's very difficult for bakers to teach people how to knead.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Everyone's got their own way. I hold the bottom...
0:18:32 > 0:18:36grab the top. You've initially stretched it. Then you roll it up.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41So you're in, you've ripped and then you're rolling up.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47And that's the motion I've used for many, many years, and it works.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Everything's been incorporated in. It's got a lovely shine from the olive oil.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It's quite stretchy and resistant as well.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56So pop that in a bowl,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00clingfilm that and leave that for about an hour.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Here it is then, Mary. - That's fully proved.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17It couldn't get any more proved. It'd be climbing out the bowl and trying to get off the table.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22- It will carry on growing.- So the aim is to get it to double its size?
0:19:22 > 0:19:23At least double in size.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27And you can see it, it's just full of air.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Sinking back in, you've burst all the bubbles and it starts to drop.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Those little creases there are actually signs that the bread
0:19:36 > 0:19:38is risen and then fallen back.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40We call it "the drop".
0:19:40 > 0:19:44If you saw your dough like that, you'd instantly go, "It's fully proved."
0:19:44 > 0:19:46It's exhausted all the flour and it's fallen back
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- and created creases. - So the next move?
0:19:49 > 0:19:53The next move is to tip it out, just stretch it slightly.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Bang it down a little bit.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Now you want to divide it into eight, so find roughly halfway.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02And then divide that again.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07And then once you've got your pieces, lay them out.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10That one's a bit small. That one's a bit big.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11This bit was quite tricky.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14And I know the bakers will struggle with this.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17The bakers were asked to divide the dough
0:20:17 > 0:20:22into eight equal portions, which some took more literally than others.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- It's 106 grams per portion. - OK, that's pretty precise!
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- So this is per strand, is it? - Per strand.- To make the octopus.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33The eight strands must be evenly rolled out,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36or else you'll get an uneven, lopsided plait.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42I haven't done any of the kind of fancy weighing out,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46but I figure if they're all roughly the same thickness...
0:20:46 > 0:20:49But I might've completely stuffed it up.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55You've got to roll each piece out nice and neat and equal.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58You start in the middle, rolling it.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01And then you roll out.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04You put quite a bit of weight on your hands and you can see,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I open and flare my fingers like that.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10And sometimes you'll hit an air pocket like that one there.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14That will affect the growth, you see, if it wasn't knocked out.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17You can see, on the bench, there's not a lot of flour, is there?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19You want that dough to stick.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21If there's too much flour, it just skids.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24- You need that bit of adhesion, don't you?- Yeah, you need that bit of bite.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28So we roll it out. Now, you went something like that, did you?
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- I'm not doing karate on it, Mary.- I have every sympathy with our bakers.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- I can tell you, it's pretty difficult.- It's hard.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41Roll out eight equal strands. And then you're ready to assemble.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44So all I'm going to do is line them up, like an octopus.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48I think if I were doing it, it would stay a bit like an octopus!
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- HE LAUGHS - OK.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Gather the ends and then just tuck them together and tack them
0:21:54 > 0:21:59to the table. So you've got something to plait with.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01That's your starting point there.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Each one of them is numbered. One, two, three, four, five, six,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07seven, eight. What you've got to be careful of,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11and no matter who you are, you will need the sequence to do this.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15If you haven't got the sequence, you won't get it.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18And even with the sequence to follow,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21the bakers found themselves in a bit of a knot.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23"Eight over five, until the dough's ended."
0:22:26 > 0:22:30I'm feeling like this could go horribly, horribly wrong.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32"Eight under seven, over one..."
0:22:34 > 0:22:37One, two, three, four, five.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40"Eight over five.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43"Two under three..."
0:22:43 > 0:22:47That looks a bit weird. But how can I mess that up?
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Eight...
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Then eight over five, so one, two, three, four, five. That goes there.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Eight under seven,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and then seven...
0:22:58 > 0:23:01over one. I've got no idea what I'm doing.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Six over one.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Three over eight. Three over eight...
0:23:07 > 0:23:10What I love about this particular challenge is that after a while,
0:23:10 > 0:23:15everyone sounds like Rain Man. Eight over five, five over two.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16Oh, dear!
0:23:16 > 0:23:19MEL: This is like the Generation Game gone bad.
0:23:19 > 0:23:25Seven over one. Is that seven? I've no idea. Seven over one.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I'm going again. I'm going again.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32OK, so what you've got is eight strands laid out.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34As you move it, you then recount.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42The first move is the only move you don't repeat. So you start off...
0:23:42 > 0:23:45- Eight under seven over one.- OK.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48So when we count again, that's one, two, three, four, five, six,
0:23:48 > 0:23:49seven, eight.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53The next move is your start of your four sequence.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57So two goes under three
0:23:57 > 0:23:59and over eight.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- Simple.- Simple.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04And then one over four.
0:24:04 > 0:24:10The next move is seven under six over one.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12And then eight over five.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- There.- I'm keeping very quiet so as not to muddle you.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22There's two under three over eight, and you repeat that till you finish.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Seven under six over one. Eight over five.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Two under three over eight. One over four...
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Paul might've been doing this for years,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35but to make this complicated plait yourself, make sure you have
0:24:35 > 0:24:38the sequence written down in front of you before you start.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39All the way...
0:24:39 > 0:24:45down to the bottom.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46HE CHUCKLES
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Like that. Squeeze.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00There you have it.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04An eight-strand plait. Very simple...ish.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06That is magnificent.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- Easy.- Easy peasy. - Easy peasy. I mean...
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- How old were you when you first did your first one like this?- 16.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17What you're looking for, you've got your line running across the top,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21you've got the two either side and then you roll it over.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22There's your sequence again.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25You need to prove that up.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Allow the dough to prove again for about an hour,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31although the plaited structure will prevent the dough from rising
0:25:31 > 0:25:33as much as it might normally.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Once it's ready, brush it with egg wash and a pinch of salt,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39to help form the crunchy golden crust.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Bake in the oven for at least 25 minutes,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44until the dough is fully baked inside.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Paul might make it look simple,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52but the bakers got themselves in a bit of a twist over this challenge.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Oh, go in!
0:25:58 > 0:26:01There's no turning back now.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Technically this is absolutely rubbish.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08It's just... There is nothing good about this loaf.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- Is it stuck, Sarah Jane?- I don't know if it's right or not.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I kind of freestyled a bit towards the end.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Oh, my giddy aunt.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- SUE:- What's wrong with that?
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Cooked! Yay!
0:26:27 > 0:26:32- OK, Mary, let's have a look.- Well, that's got the wow factor, for me.
0:26:32 > 0:26:38- It looks amazing.- If you knock it, it's a loud, hollow sound.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41And if you lift underneath, I've got asbestos fingers,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45you've got all the beautiful colours underneath - the golden brown -
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and you can see where it's all interlaced all the way down.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52- And it smells divine. - Can I have a taste then?- No.- Why not?
0:26:52 > 0:26:54You want to leave it for at least half an hour,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56three quarters of an hour.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58The inside of is still going to be very, very hot.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02- Even the very, sort of, end? - Leave it alone!
0:27:11 > 0:27:15- Now it's time to eat the plaited loaf.- Seems a long wait.- Absolutely.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19- You want the crust?- Definitely. That just looks wonderful.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Look at the structure inside.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24How even it is, considering it's all been plaited individually.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28It's such a beautiful loaf. Once it's baked and it's cooled,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31which is the best way of keeping bread?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I just wrap it up in loose paper and put it in a breadbin.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37- Not in a fridge?- No, no. If you put it in a fridge, they stale three times quicker.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40The cool air in the fridge draws all the moisture out from it.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I love it cos it's crusty.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48- It tastes like bread ought to taste like.- Mm.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Really lovely.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54And now Paul's top tip for shaping a bloomer perfectly.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59You start with your dough, which has been rising for about an hour.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03From the bowl, in the flour, just flatten out the dough gently.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06This is to distribute the air pockets that have started growing
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and to make them equal inside the dough. Grab the ends of the dough
0:28:09 > 0:28:11and fold them over each other.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Knuckles in, and you can hear the air pockets
0:28:14 > 0:28:17bursting as you use your knuckles. Top of the dough,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21fold over. Fingers go over. And use your thumbs.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24You roll the dough up, keeping it nice and tight.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30One quick roll. Tuck the ends to neaten it up.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Make sure you get one line underneath, because the bread will be weak where the line is,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and if it's right at the bottom of the loaf, it'll mean the loaf
0:28:38 > 0:28:41will bloom up naturally without splitting at the side.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Onto a baking tray, leave that to rise for about an hour.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49Then get a knife, cut - and there you have it. The perfect bloomer.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Week three of the Bake Off tested the bakers' knowledge of tarts.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58From fruity tarte tatins...
0:29:01 > 0:29:03..to spectacular designer fruit tarts,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06the bakers battled and baked to impress the judges.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10But it was an old, classic tart recipe that Mary chose to test them on
0:29:10 > 0:29:12in the Technical Challenge.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14This week the Technical Challenge is going to be...
0:29:14 > 0:29:19a treacle tart with a woven lattice top.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23OK, this is Mary Berry's recipe, OK? No pressure!
0:29:23 > 0:29:25It's got to be perfect. So...
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- On your marks.- And get set.- Bake!
0:29:34 > 0:29:38I've never made a treacle tart ever.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41So... I've probably seen one,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45but I've never like, "Oh, treacle tart - I need one."
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Mary Berry's recipe - such pressure. It's got to be perfect.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52A traditional English dessert made with shortcrust pastry
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and a thick filling of golden syrup, breadcrumbs, and lemon juice.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Why did you pick this as the Technical Challenge?
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I chose treacle tart because it's pretty tricky to make.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03But it's an absolute British classic.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07First off, put a heavy baking sheet in a pre-heated oven
0:30:07 > 0:30:11at 200 degrees, 180 fan.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15When you come to bake the tart, this will bake the pastry base perfectly.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19With cake tins at home, you forget the exact size.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23So I always, with a waterproof pen, write "7 inches, 18 centimetres"
0:30:23 > 0:30:25and you know exactly where you are.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Seriously, that's what you do? You go round your whole kitchen...
0:30:28 > 0:30:29All my cake tins.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34- Next time I'm at yours I'm going to check all your tins.- Most of them.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37But it does help. So there it is, ready for action.
0:30:37 > 0:30:42- We've got to make the pastry first. So 250 grams of plain flour.- 250.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44130 grams of butter.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51And then just process that until it becomes like breadcrumbs.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57Then I'm going to add just over three tablespoonfuls of water.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01And that is just about right. And off they go.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07That's it. And I'm going to gather those bits up by hand.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09I like doing it by hand, the whole thing,
0:31:09 > 0:31:13- because I feel more in control. - I feel very in control with this,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15and I can nip and do other things at the same time.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17I know by the sound when it's done.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21You're a professional baker and I'm a home cook.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- So I'm just going to knead that, first of all.- Can I feel that?
0:31:24 > 0:31:28- I mean, it's still quite short, isn't it?- That's what I want.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31I want it short, but I don't want it to all break apart
0:31:31 > 0:31:33when I roll it out.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37So that's come together very nicely and I'm just going to chill that.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39It'll be easier to handle.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to relax the pastry.
0:31:43 > 0:31:49Now I'm going to take off 150 grams of that for the lattice.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Put that to one side, flour the board and then roll it out,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56and I want it to be nice and thin.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- We do not want a soggy bottom. - No, absolutely not.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02So the aim is to keep it fairly round and keep freeing it.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07Still, I want that thinner. Yeah. So, I've got my tin here.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11I take that base and slip that underneath there,
0:32:11 > 0:32:16to the middle, and then fold the sides in, so all the way round.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21And it's very easy to transport it into the middle here.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25And then just flick the sides over.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30So I'm just going to push that in all the way round,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33first of all with my finger like that, pressing it in,
0:32:33 > 0:32:38and then take a little lump of pastry and you press that in,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40keep flouring it like that. All the way round,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44so you get the indentations of the tin.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48That's it. And I'm ready to roll out the lattice.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Roll out the set-aside pastry for the lattice so that it's very thin
0:32:52 > 0:32:54and big enough to fit over the tart.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Place on clingfilm and leave in the fridge to chill,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59which will make it easier to cut into strips later.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Then we'll get on to the filling.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05There's about six slices here of white bread, it's a day-old.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09You can always use the crust, make breadcrumbs of them
0:33:09 > 0:33:12and use them perhaps for cauliflower cheese or something like that.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- That's perfect.- Lovely and fine.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21If you use one or two-day-old bread, you'll be able to get it fine.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25If you use really fresh bread, you can't really get it fine.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29For the filling, measure out 400 grams of golden syrup into a pan
0:33:29 > 0:33:31and put on a gentle heat.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35Add the zest and juice of two lemons and fully mix in your breadcrumbs.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Prick the thin pastry base with a fork
0:33:39 > 0:33:41so that it doesn't rise during baking,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45and pour the smooth treacle filling into the lined pastry case.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48If the mixture looks runny, add a few more breadcrumbs
0:33:48 > 0:33:50until you have a thick, smooth mixture.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53MEL: It's awesome. It looks really, really good.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57It's gone very Krypton Factor, hasn't it?
0:33:57 > 0:33:59I could watch this for hours.
0:34:05 > 0:34:06Agh!
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Let's try that again.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22To make the perfect lattice,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26remove the chilled rolled-out pastry from the fridge and egg wash.
0:34:26 > 0:34:32I am going to glaze this now rather than try to do it on the actual tart.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36- That's a nice tip, cos it just stops it going straight into the treacle, doesn't it?- It does.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Then wet all the way round the edge there.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- That's ready for the lattice to stick.- Yeah.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46I'm not letting it drip down the sides, cos I know
0:34:46 > 0:34:49there's a bit of pastry left that some little person will be making jam tarts.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53So I'm going to cut those strips.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57And you can make them as thin or as wide as you like,
0:34:57 > 0:34:58but I like them fairly thin.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02And you need ten, five across one way
0:35:02 > 0:35:04and five across the other way.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Carefully line the vertical strips across the tart,
0:35:07 > 0:35:11and weave the horizontal strips through them.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13I'm quite nervous having you looking over the side of me!
0:35:13 > 0:35:17Make sure the strips are longer than the tart tin so that they hang
0:35:17 > 0:35:20over the edge, preventing any shrinkage during baking.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23We want these strips to stick to the pastry,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25and I'm just going to press down gently
0:35:25 > 0:35:29and let the actual tart tin do the cutting.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Just go round, pushing it down, and I know that all those
0:35:33 > 0:35:39pieces of lattice are sticking to the actual pastry underneath,
0:35:39 > 0:35:44so you can gather all those together into a ball and use them later.
0:35:44 > 0:35:45There we are.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Bake in the pre-heated oven on the hot baking tray
0:35:48 > 0:35:52for about ten minutes until the pastry has started to colour.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Then reduce the oven temperature to 180, 160 fan,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59until the pastry is golden and the filling is set.
0:36:06 > 0:36:07Oh!
0:36:08 > 0:36:12This just looks like the cat's been sick on.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16To be quite honest, I've got not a clue whether that's done or not.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22- Your latticework was the neatest one out of all the bakers that did it.- Do you think I might've won?
0:36:22 > 0:36:25- You might've got through. - Number one?- Maybe.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Your treacle tart is perfectly baked when it is a rich golden colour
0:36:29 > 0:36:32and the filling is set, not wobbling inside.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Allow to cool a little so that the pastry edges shrink away from the sides,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39so you can lift it out of its case cleanly.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Slide the tart off the base of the tin onto your plate,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45and serve warm with a little cream or custard.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50And let's have a look at the bottom. How's that?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52No soggy bottom there, Mary.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55That's because we put it on very, very hot baking sheet
0:36:55 > 0:37:00and we haven't baked it blind, and it's got wafer-thin pastry.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02That's it.
0:37:02 > 0:37:07Now that, as you can see, looks lovely and soft in the middle.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10It looks so good. I mean, that pastry is wafer-thin.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18That's lovely. It's light, beautiful lemons coming through.
0:37:18 > 0:37:23And the good thing about this treacle tart is you can make it ahead,
0:37:23 > 0:37:26just serve it warm and it'll keep too,
0:37:26 > 0:37:31so you don't have to eat it all on one day - though perhaps we might!
0:37:31 > 0:37:33- A true classic.- Mm.
0:37:33 > 0:37:39And now Mary's top tip to get cold butter the perfect temperature.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43One of the real problems when you're creaming butter and sugar together
0:37:43 > 0:37:46to make a cake is getting the butter at the right temperature.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51It's nearly always too hard. This is a foolproof way of softening it.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Here I've got butter. It's very, very cold, straight from the fridge.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Put those squares into lukewarm water,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01sort of the temperature of a baby's bath,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04and leave it for about ten minutes.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06This now is squidgy and soft.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10Just the temperature for doing a creaming method.
0:38:10 > 0:38:11Get rid of that water.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And there it is, as soft as can be.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19A simple, simple, foolproof way of doing it,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21and that is absolutely perfect.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Look how lovely and soft that is.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Softened butter in no time - a perfect tip ready for cake making.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Desserts was the battle ground for week four of the Bake Off.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37The bakers created flourless tortes in all shapes and sizes.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42And incredible layered, gravity-defying meringues.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47But despite these elaborate bakes, it was the Technical Challenge that brought on a bit of a wobble.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Today's Technical Challenge is the mainstay of French cuisine -
0:38:51 > 0:38:56creme caramel. You've got to master a baked custard and a caramel,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59and you've got to turn it out and give it a nice wobble we're looking for.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02- On your marks.- Get set.- Bake.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09This was a popular thing in the'70s, like Black Forest gateau.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Quite a lot could go wrong, so it is actually quite difficult.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15I do know what it should be like in the end,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18just not entirely sure how to get it to that point.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21A freestanding sweet, baked custard
0:39:21 > 0:39:25topped with a layer of moist caramel. Easy when you know how,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28but the technique is notoriously hit-or-miss.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32First of all, you need to make the caramel that goes in the bottom of the dish.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Measure out 160 grams of granulated sugar
0:39:35 > 0:39:40and place into a stainless steel pan, with six tablespoons of water.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42One, two, three...
0:39:42 > 0:39:46Avoid using a non-stick pan, because the mixture will crystallise.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50I can still feel a little bit of grit at the bottom there.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Once all the sugar has dissolved, do NOT stir it,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57but wait for the mixture to become clear and boil rapidly,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01- watching it the whole time.- Don't be tempted to put a spoon in there,
0:40:01 > 0:40:06because it will immediately cloud over and begin to crystallize.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09When sugar is heated,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13each crystal is broken down into carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17The hydrogen and oxygen re-combine to form water, which evaporates,
0:40:17 > 0:40:19leaving the carbon, which becomes caramel.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- Now you can smell the caramel. - You can.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26And notice it was making that rapid noise. It's now quietened down.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Don't let it get too dark. Have everything ready.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32And I have not buttered the ramekins.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35If you butter the ramekins first, what happens is you pour
0:40:35 > 0:40:38the caramel in and it'll go cloudy and crystallise.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42Then just gently pour that into each one.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Now this will cool very rapidly, won't it?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Start to solidify within minutes.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51And this is very, very hot.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55And it is very important to be aware how hot this is.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- Don't have any children around you at this time.- No.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00- Do you know how I get the sugar off? - How?
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Put water into that, you just fill it halfway full, boil it,
0:41:04 > 0:41:08and within 30 seconds your pan's clean. I'll pop that one over there.
0:41:08 > 0:41:09That's a jolly good tip.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13So these are a sort of deep caramel colour,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and we'll leave those just on the top here.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19They don't need to go in the fridge. And they will set.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20Then I will butter them.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25Making caramel correctly is something that can really impress.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28But the bakers didn't find it as easy as Mary makes it look.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Panicking here a little bit now.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Oh, bloody hell. Is that burnt?
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- Let's smell it.- It smells burnt. - That's burnt.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Even though it's really tempting to stir this,
0:41:39 > 0:41:41it really is best to leave it alone.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43I'm dicing with death here.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52So, we now make the custard. Four medium eggs.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58- 25 grams of sugar, perhaps you can get that ready for me.- Caster sugar?
0:41:58 > 0:41:59Caster sugar.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03And then I'm going to add some vanilla extract.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07Now, there are all sorts of kinds of vanilla you can do for this.
0:42:07 > 0:42:13You can infuse a vanilla pod in the milk, you can use vanilla paste.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16I prefer not to use essence. It's not as good.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20This is extract, and I'm going to add a good teaspoonful
0:42:20 > 0:42:22and that will give a good flavour.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25So I'm going to beat that together until it's smooth.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30Gently warm 600ml of full-fat milk in a pan.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34When I put my finger in and I can't keep it in, that is the temperature.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38- That's perfect. I could just hold it in there.- OK.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Right, so just beat like that.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43For custard, it is important to add the hot milk to the cold mixture,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45and NOT the other way around.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50We poured the hot milk onto the eggs. That's the right way round.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54If you do it the other way round, the egg would overcook.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Cos you're putting egg mixture into a hot pan
0:42:57 > 0:42:59and it would start to scramble it.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02To make sure there are no lumps in your custard,
0:43:02 > 0:43:03you can strain it.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08Once the caramel has completely set, butter the ramekins generously.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12The one thing that I like about caramel custard
0:43:12 > 0:43:13is you can make it ahead,
0:43:13 > 0:43:17and it is greatly improved by making ahead.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19And we're going to cook them bain-marie,
0:43:19 > 0:43:24and bain-marie simply means that you're cooking it in boiling water.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Divide the custard equally between the ramekins
0:43:27 > 0:43:29before adding the boiling water for the bain-marie.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33Whatever heat the oven reaches, the water can never go above 100 degrees,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36and the evaporating water simultaneously cools it.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38The heat is dispersed evenly by the water,
0:43:38 > 0:43:41baking the custard gently so that it is perfectly tender.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44It's important that when you're putting the water in,
0:43:44 > 0:43:48it doesn't go into the custard, because it would weaken it.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52Put them in a pre-heated oven at 150 degrees, 130 fan.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57We're aiming to get a custard that doesn't have a bubble in sight.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59If there are bubbles all the way round,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02it means that the custard is tough,
0:44:02 > 0:44:04and we don't want a tough custard.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the custard is perfectly set,
0:44:08 > 0:44:10with just a very slight wobble.
0:44:15 > 0:44:21Not good. So I'm hoping if it starts cooling, it should set a tiny bit.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28SHE GIGGLES
0:44:31 > 0:44:34It came out in one piece and it's got a caramel on the top!
0:44:36 > 0:44:39No, I... Oh.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42- We're going to smash porcelain! - Oh, my goodness.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45There's little bits of broken china on there and everything!
0:44:47 > 0:44:50Yeah, that's what I thought. Yeah... Pfft.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52- HE CHUCKLES - Oh, well.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Right, let's see if they're done.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00So they should not be coloured.
0:45:00 > 0:45:05I'm just going to test whether, in the very centre here, there's a wobble.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08- Now can you see there's a wobble? - Definitely, Mary.- That's right.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12Leave them in the water just for another ten minutes or so,
0:45:12 > 0:45:17and they will just gently go on cooking right through to the middle.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Let them get stone cold in the fridge,
0:45:19 > 0:45:25and then the custard makes the hard caramel underneath soft,
0:45:25 > 0:45:28so that when you turn it out you get that lovely runny sauce.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Now, we've made six.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34You could easily have made just one in a two-pint dish.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37Again you would do it in the bain-marie, but it would take
0:45:37 > 0:45:39about 10 or 15 minutes to cook.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43Once cool, leave them to set in the fridge
0:45:43 > 0:45:45for as long as you can, preferably overnight,
0:45:45 > 0:45:48so that the custard absorbs the caramel flavour
0:45:48 > 0:45:50and they are ready to be turned out.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Tip them forward
0:45:52 > 0:45:57so that the weight of the custard will drop down a bit.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00- Can you see the caramel coming up? - Yeah.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05We've been all the way round, and then you simply take the plate,
0:46:05 > 0:46:10like that, and I'm going to give that a really good shake, first of all.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15- And then over there, another shake. - Do you want me to have a go?
0:46:15 > 0:46:19No. Because I would be at home without you, or without my Paul,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22and you have to be able to cope on your own.
0:46:22 > 0:46:23I'm going to make quite sure it's coming out.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27I heard a plop - I thought I did. So let's just lift that up.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32There it is. Now that is a perfect colour.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35It is sort of a deep caramel.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40- If it's looking any darker than that, it will be bitter.- Yeah.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42And that's just lovely, and you've got your custard.
0:46:42 > 0:46:47Now, if you do that too soon, the very top here becomes pale.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49It loses its colour.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53So by all means loosen them, but turn them out just before.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57I think they look absolutely fantastic, Mary.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00Absolutely perfect, and I can't wait to try one.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07That's delicious. It melts in the mouth.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10It's smooth, texture's superb.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Caramel's excellent.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15- Not a bubble in sight. They're gorgeous.- Mm!
0:47:15 > 0:47:20And now Paul's top tip for perfectly spun sugar.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23All I've got in a pan is sugar,
0:47:23 > 0:47:26it's been caramelised with a little bit of water.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30Make sure you've got a good lump of sugar on the end of your whisk. Get a steel ready.
0:47:31 > 0:47:37And quickly, as it cools it crystallises.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39This is basically candy floss.
0:47:39 > 0:47:44And you end up with a nest of sugar
0:47:44 > 0:47:47that on top of any gateau looks fantastic.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57Now, what I've got here is a bowl that I brushed with olive oil.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59I'm just going to draw a line across the top.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03You need to do this a few times to build up the strength of the cage itself.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07And you can see now, the structure's beginning to form.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12So just crack the bottom to release the caramel.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21And there you have it - a sugar basket that will make
0:48:21 > 0:48:25any pudding or cake look a million dollars.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31It was halfway through the Bake Off that our bakers faced Pie Week.
0:48:31 > 0:48:36They pitted themselves against puff pastry for their Signature Wellingtons,
0:48:36 > 0:48:41and went all Stars and Stripes with their show-stopping American pies.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44But this week saw another of Paul's Technical Challenges,
0:48:44 > 0:48:47when he set them the notoriously tricky hand-raised pie.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50For today's Technical Challenge, we would like you
0:48:50 > 0:48:54to make a hand-raised pie.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57Now, this is made with a hot water crust, which is the kind of pastry
0:48:57 > 0:49:02that basically defies all the rules of pastry making.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05Hand-raised pies were actually used by Sweeney Todd
0:49:05 > 0:49:08and Mrs Lovett to conceal their victims,
0:49:08 > 0:49:13so Paul and Mary better watch out if the judging is unfavourable.
0:49:13 > 0:49:14- On your marks.- Get set.- Bake.
0:49:20 > 0:49:25"And mix in with the flour until it comes together and turn out."
0:49:27 > 0:49:31Shall I just stick it...? I'm going to stick it all in.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I'm just, I'm totally perplexed by this.
0:49:36 > 0:49:37HE SIGHS
0:49:37 > 0:49:40It's going to be an interesting experience.
0:49:40 > 0:49:45A savoury pie made with hand-raised hot water crust pastry
0:49:45 > 0:49:48and a juicy chicken, bacon and apricot layered filling.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52It's basically a hand-raised pie around a dolly,
0:49:52 > 0:49:57just like this, crimped round the outside, egg washed and baked.
0:49:57 > 0:49:58Pretty straightforward, you think.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02But the difficulty is making the hot water crust pastry itself,
0:50:02 > 0:50:04because you're using boiling hot water.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07For the pastry, weigh out 50g of butter,
0:50:07 > 0:50:12200g of plain flour, and 40g of strong flour.
0:50:12 > 0:50:18The strong flour gives it that little bit of strength to keep the walls of the pie straight.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21Then use your hand to crumb the mixture together into breadcrumbs.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26Weigh out 60g of lard and leave it to melt in 100ml of hot water.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30Add to the flour mixture and mix together with a wooden spoon.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34It comes together quite nicely. It's still quite warm.
0:50:34 > 0:50:39It feels lovely, but it needs a little bit of manipulation.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44Traditionally, a hot water crust pastry was made of flour and lard, wasn't it?
0:50:44 > 0:50:47You've added a bit of butter to it. Is that for flavour?
0:50:47 > 0:50:51I think it adds to it, gives it a lovely flavour. And colour.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53And it's very warm, have you felt that?
0:50:53 > 0:50:57- It's lovely. It's a totally different pastry, isn't it?- Absolutely, yeah.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01The more you work this, two things happen. It becomes more glutinous.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03But secondly, it begins to cool.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06When it becomes cool, it becomes very rigid.
0:51:06 > 0:51:11So what we want to do is try and manipulate this around a dolly now,
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- while it's soft.- Right.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Just cut that in half. Just take off a little bit.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19I'm going to make two little balls, for the lids.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21- A very small amount for the lid, a thin lid?- Yes.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24It's only basically the width of the dolly.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28I'm going to rub some oil into the side of the dolly.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31I haven't got one at home and when I make this sort of thing,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34- I use a jam jar. - Yeah, you can use a jam jar.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38The advantage of using a jam jar is, when you come to get it off,
0:51:38 > 0:51:41you can put very hot water in the jam jar, and that
0:51:41 > 0:51:43melts the lard a bit and it pulls it out quickly.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45That's a good idea, actually.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49- Just gently shape the bottom of it. - Mm-hm.
0:51:51 > 0:51:52Place your dolly into the middle
0:51:52 > 0:51:55and then draw it up the side of the dolly itself.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59Making sure we haven't got too much of a fat bottom.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02I'm trying to make it look as neat as possible
0:52:02 > 0:52:04and as equal as you can up the side.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07Shape the pastry evenly around both of the dollies
0:52:07 > 0:52:11and place them on a non-stick baking tray. Trim the top of the pastry
0:52:11 > 0:52:14so there's a smooth, neat edge to the top of the pies.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18Don't make them too tall, as the walls could sag during baking.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20All I'm doing is flattening down the lid.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24You can use your fingers or roll it out with a rolling pin, then cut it with a cutter.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27As long as it's roughly the size of the dolly.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29I'm going to pop these in the fridge as they are.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32- Shall I do that for you? - Yes, please, Mary.
0:52:32 > 0:52:33What's it worth not to drop it?
0:52:33 > 0:52:37- HE CHUCKLES - You'll do them again!
0:52:37 > 0:52:40But dropping them was the least of our bakers' worries.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43I've never seen one of these before in my whole life.
0:52:43 > 0:52:44I don't know if this is right.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48This is going to go really wrong.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52I'm going to start again.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58How do you get these things off?
0:53:00 > 0:53:04So far, we are all in exactly the same predicament.
0:53:04 > 0:53:08Nobody was able to get their pastry off of the dollies.
0:53:08 > 0:53:09MEL: Is knocking going to help?
0:53:11 > 0:53:15- Why use a stupid thing like this? - Must be a technique.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19- This can't be right.- It's out! It's out, it's out, it's out!
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Right, how did I do that just then?
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Sometimes they can be a bit tricky to get out.
0:53:32 > 0:53:38I would've thought it's quite a good idea to put clingfilm firmly round the dolly before you put it in.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42Absolutely. You can use clingfilm, you can use paper, baking parchment.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46Very neat. And nice thin pastry there, you've got.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50For the filling, chop up smoked bacon, chicken and dried apricots.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53The amount you need will depend on the height that you've made your pie.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Make sure you cut the raw meat on a different board
0:53:56 > 0:53:58to the apricots.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00- You're making chicken and bacon.- Yep.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02- You could make them all sorts of flavours.- Beef's fantastic.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04Pork and apple works extremely well.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08But as long as you've got them cut up into enough chunky pieces,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12- they'll go well.- Season with pepper, salt and fresh thyme.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16Oh, there's nothing like fresh thyme. You can grow it in a window box.
0:54:16 > 0:54:21- Is it easy to grow?- Terribly easy. You can grow it from cuttings
0:54:21 > 0:54:23and it's got such a lovely flavour.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27So we're going to put a line of bacon at the bottom.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30- How many layers are you doing? - We're going to do two.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33Make sure it's pushed in right the way down to the sides.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37The next thing to add is chicken, and again, push it all to the walls.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40These are going to be the support of the pie as it's baking
0:54:40 > 0:54:41because it's not in a mould,
0:54:41 > 0:54:44so it's going to need some support from the filling.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- That'll keep it upright, won't it? - Absolutely.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51Then add a layer of apricots, and repeat with all three layers
0:54:51 > 0:54:53until the pies are full and compact.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56Now what we have to do... is put our lids on.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59I'm going to cut out a little circle, because when it comes out
0:54:59 > 0:55:03the oven, that's where the gelatine will go inside and set the interior.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06Put the lids onto the pies, making sure that they fit neatly
0:55:06 > 0:55:11inside the edges. Crimp the edges to seal them, leaving no gaps
0:55:11 > 0:55:12for the filling to leak out.
0:55:12 > 0:55:16Make a gap with your finger and then push with the other one in,
0:55:16 > 0:55:20and then again a gap, and push in.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Gap and push in. Gap, push in.
0:55:23 > 0:55:28Non-meat eaters could use all butter in the pastry if they wanted to,
0:55:28 > 0:55:31and do all sorts of roasted vegetables and things like that.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34Yeah, mushrooms work really well in there.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39You want some form of substance in there to make the pie a proper pie.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43Egg wash the top of the pies, as this will bond the walls to the lids
0:55:43 > 0:55:45and give the pastry a lovely golden colour.
0:55:45 > 0:55:50OK, an hour in the oven. 160 fan, 180 non-fan.
0:55:50 > 0:55:51Can't wait.
0:55:51 > 0:55:56Whilst Mary might be looking forward to them, the bakers weren't enjoying
0:55:56 > 0:55:58making the pies anywhere near as much.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01Isn't this the most horrible challenge you've ever done in your life?
0:56:01 > 0:56:03They look absolutely awful.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09Mine do look bad.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13They look a bit of all right.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17Final thing to put in there is, of course, the gelatine.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21And what I've got in here is water, vegetable stock cube and gelatine.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25That has to go in while this is hot, because, as it dries,
0:56:25 > 0:56:27it congeals and then solidifies.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30The jelly is crucial, keeping all the layers in place
0:56:30 > 0:56:32by filling the gaps and keeping the pie moist.
0:56:32 > 0:56:37But it's also crucial that the jelly stays inside the pie.
0:56:37 > 0:56:38Please do not leak.
0:56:41 > 0:56:42Stop dripping.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46It's going down and then out the bottom!
0:56:48 > 0:56:50HE SIGHS
0:56:55 > 0:57:00They've been resting overnight, the gelatine's now beautifully set.
0:57:00 > 0:57:04- Here we go. You should see all the layers.- I'm most excited.
0:57:04 > 0:57:09That is a picture in itself - the apricot, the chicken, the bacon,
0:57:09 > 0:57:14all in beautiful proportions and the pastry's crisp all the way through.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17Oh, look, the jelly is absolutely filling every gap.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19Everybody's got to have a go at this.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23Great pastry, easy to make - I think it's a fantastic pie.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27It's a wonderful combination and I'm enjoying every mouthful.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30Five Technical Challenges done and complete,
0:57:30 > 0:57:35and we've still got five more to go, which I think get harder and harder.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38This one is a real winner.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40You can say that again, Mary.
0:57:41 > 0:57:48Next time, Mary and Paul take on five more of the Technical Challenges that they set the bakers.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50I don't think anybody could ever resist those.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52Have a go of that. Go on, Mary, chuck it down.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Your cakes have just dropped in the oven - think about that.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58- That's the one!- The king and queen of the kitchen will take you through
0:57:58 > 0:58:01- each of the recipes step by step... - It's tricky to make,
0:58:01 > 0:58:05but it is one of the most delicious cakes you'll ever make.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08..offering all the hints and tips to get the perfect result
0:58:08 > 0:58:09every time at home.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12And I hope everybody at least tries to make one.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15Paul shows us his knack for kneading dough,
0:58:15 > 0:58:19and Mary gives us her twist on how to pipe the perfect meringues.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23Join us next time for the Great British Bake Off Masterclass.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25Can I have some more, please, Mary?
0:58:37 > 0:58:40Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd