Puddings The Great British Bake Off

Up until last week, the recipe for a successful bake off was simple -

two judges, three challengers, a couple of perimenopausal numpties

and a set of strictly adhered to rules.

But then the mother of all lime pies was created,

-and suddenly, there was a whisk in the works.

-Very good!

Because in baking, literally anything can happen.

Welcome to the Great British Bake Off.

Last week...

This is coming out in about...56 seconds.

Pies proved to be Manisha's downfall.

Sarah Jane just clung on.

SHE GASPS

It's out! It's out, it's out, it's out!

And against all the odds...

You've absolutely nailed that.

Ryan's stunning key lime pie snatched Star Baker.

I didn't realise it was that good.

-This week...

-My strudel's got a haemorrhage.

..seven bakers tuck into pudding...

I'm just prepping my cloots.

..with a Royal technical challenge.

Mine's not browning at all.

A Showstopper that will stretch them to breaking point.

OK, I was worried for second. I've calmed down now.

And the hardest decision Mary and Paul have ever made.

-It's tough.

-I know.

The rain clouds are a sign of impending doom.

So this week, I'm thinking something hot, I'm thinking something spongy.

I'm thinking something saucy,

I'm thinking something with a little bit of bite, but mainly just...ooze.

I think you should just take that into your personal life, Mel.

I don't want to hear about it. There's a dating website you can use.

Just go for it. It's pudding week.

Bakers, welcome to yet another beautiful summer's day here in the marquee,

and you, the Magnificent Seven.

But, of course, we'll be losing one of you at the weekend

and there are still three more challenges to come,

the first of which is, of course, the Signature Bake.

We'd like you to make two different flavoured sponges,

please, with two different accompaniments.

They should be individual-sized portions, please,

and they can be baked, boiled or steamed.

You've got two hours to do this challenge,

-so on your marks...

-Get set...

-Bake!

A sponge pudding is a quintessentially British dessert,

consisting of a light sponge that is usually

accompanied by a sticky topping, custard or ice cream.

I feel a bit panicky already, which is not a good way to start.

The bakers have been asked to produce two varieties.

Six of one, six of another with two different sauces.

How simple is that?

If we can't knock a couple of sponge puddings up in two hours,

then we don't deserve the accolade of even being here.

They've got to be not under baked, so it's got a gooey middle,

and not over baked so they're so dry.

So they've got to pitch it just right.

Perfecting two recipes is hard enough,

but doing both at the same time

makes this the most demanding Signature Challenge the bakers have yet to face.

The judges are making the challenges harder and harder.

To do this in the first week would have sent us all into a frenzy.

It's coming towards the second half of the competition, you know, you can't play safe any more.

You just have to do your best dish.

If it involves making risky dishes, so be it.

Dad-of-two Ryan has so far found texture troubling.

It's a little solid for me.

Has struggled in the technical challenges.

It's a bit scrambled egg like inside.

-But has often impressed with flavour.

-Sheer perfection.

For his signature puddings,

he's making chocolate fondant with sticky ginger and date pudding.

Fruit can inhibit the sponge's rise,

so he's trying to give it an extra lift.

-I'm using both bicarb and baking powder.

-And what kind of flour?

-I'm using self raising.

-Why are you using three raising agents?

It's just a recipe I picked up a long time ago,

so I don't want to play with something that's traditional.

Doesn't sound very traditional to have three raising agents.

You would normally add plain flour and then the other raising agents.

-Right.

-Well, we'll see.

-Last week's Star Baker.

You've got a lot to live up to.

These are dates and they're going to go in the banoffee pudding.

I've actually got some really nice Cavendish banana as well,

which is, kind of, slow-dried banana.

So that looks a bit like the dates, but it adds a much richer flavour.

If the flavour combinations don't go down well, I'm a bit stuck.

Intensive care consultant Danny has quietly emerged

as one of the Bake Off's strongest contenders...

That's quite something.

-..excelling with flavour...

-They're fantastic, really good.

-..and presentation.

-That's impressive layers.

Her banoffee puddings will be topped with a walnut butterscotch sauce

and she's adding orange extract for her twist

on a classic chocolate fondant.

-Are you good multitasker, Danny? I sense you are.

-I am in some respects.

It is a bit of a cliche, isn't it, that women multitask more easily?

Yeah, Catherine and Sarah Jane have both said to me -

I'm sandwiched between them - "Don't let the side down."

I was like, "What do you mean?" They were like, "More of them than us, do not let the side down."

What's happening? There's a bit of sort of...

-All the girls on this side and all the boys on that side.

-I know.

HE HUMS

I haven't gone in for any fancy tricks.

The rhubarb and ginger's a classic combination,

but the strawberry adds another dimension to it

and it rests on top of this very lovely sponge mixture

with lots of crystallised ginger in it.

So far, retired recruitment consultant Brendan

has rarely put a foot wrong.

Really well baked.

I like the structure, I like the flavour, it's unique.

-It's something we've never seen before.

-Oh!

As well as his signature rhubarb, strawberry and ginger puddings,

he's making a classic sticky toffee pudding, flavoured with rum.

Technically you have been very strong.

Your knowledge has been quite staggering,

I've been impressed with what you've known.

When it comes to puddings, though, would you say this was one of your strengths or weaknesses?

I wouldn't say it was a strength because I only make them occasionally.

If I'm giving dinners, I would prefer to do desserts.

I'm trying to concentrate on delivering authentic flavours

in the authentic way, rather than trying to be inventive.

So we won't be seeing any molecular gastronomy from you? No nitrogen oxide?

Heston Blumenthal has a lot to answer for.

Brendan, Sarah-Jane and John

have all chosen to make a classic sticky toffee pudding.

I try not to think about what everybody else is doing, to be honest.

For their base, they're all combining the simple brown sugar sponge mix

with the traditional dates and golden syrup.

Everyone likes a good sticky toff, well, I hope they do!

But John has taken things a step further.

I've got Lady Grey tea.

You usually soak the dates in some water, but I'm soaking mine

in Lady Grey tea just to give it a bit of a spicy flavour.

Law student John's passion for baking...

Felt like he cut through my heart.

-..has seen him claim Star Baker.

-The flavours are lovely.

-Absolutely lovely.

-And never allow criticism to deter him.

It looks like a chocolate breezeblock.

I wanted it to be a robust, dark cake.

His spicy sticky toffee pudding will be accompanied by

a raspberry and white chocolate pudding, enriched with mascarpone.

-You don't seem to let it get to you that much.

-Well, it's baking,

and it means a hell of a lot of me and I'd love to win this.

But if you're going to fail in life,

-hope it's in your work and not in your family life.

-No, that's very sensible.

-But having said all that, you'd love to win?

-Oh gosh, yeah!

So much so, I've already tried to trip Brendan up a few times.

But that man is infallible. He's like a machine. I'm sure he's the Terminator

-I know. He is. He's the Bake-inator.

-The Bake-inator!

-Isn't he?

I'm a bit all over the place this morning.

I think because there's two different recipes,

there's a lot of ingredients about.

Trying to remember what goes on where, at what time.

It's just kind of getting me a bit...confused.

Mum-of-two Sarah-Jane

has been steadily building on a series of successful bakes...

I really enjoyed it. It's unique, it's very different.

That tastes absolutely delicious.

..until the pressure in the marquee...

Oh, my God Almighty.

..began to tell.

It's the worst thing I've probably ever made.

She's attempting to get back on track with a sticky toffee pudding

and another of her family's favourites.

-I've got my granny's saucy lemon puddings.

-You've used Granny's recipes before, haven't you?

-I have, yes.

-Did she teach you to cook?

She was always cooking something. They lived in a big farmhouse

and she was always making pastry and, you know, puddings and stuff like that around.

So there's a lot of my cooking memories are to do with my granny.

Sometimes your techniques let you down a bit,

but flavours have always been there.

The bakers are all using bain-maries.

The steam created during baking prevents their puddings from forming an unacceptable crust.

But James' puddings require a little extra protection.

I'm just prepping my cloots.

These bits of muslin are what the...

clootie dumplings are going to be boiled in.

Medical student James has consistently experimented.

-I love that!

-And impressed with flavour...

I like the lavender and I think you have really conquered that.

..and innovative techniques.

Fascinating. I mean, it really is.

He is making his signature banana puddings with home-brewed beer

and a Scottish classic - rich fruity clootie dumplings.

Flour the muslin before you put the clootie in.

And what that does is when it cooks, it creates a skin.

It doesn't sound all that appetising, a skin over the clootie.

That keeps it fresh. I'm not really feeling anxious about this one.

It's, as far as I'm concerned, a very safe one to play because it is very nice.

Bakers, headline news - you have got ten minutes with your sponges.

Oh, stress! Why am I stressed? Just baking.

For checking the time on my timer because I, um, didn't set it

but I remembered I didn't set it,

so it's not coming out in one minute, but I was checking.

And I'll check it in one minute.

But they're not ready come out. I need a small saucepan.

Mum-of-two Cathryn

has frequently doubted her natural baking talent.

Oh, it's terrible, isn't it?

-But all too often...

-It's beautifully moist.

-..she's proved herself wrong.

-Yes!

-Oh, hello!

-Get in there!

She's running out of time trying to complete her chocolate walnut whipped puddings

filled with Italian meringue and her elderflower sponges, topped with clotted cream rice pudding.

Three things going on at the same time there.

Pouring, dipping, mixing and also baking. That's actually four things.

-I learnt a big lesson from that. Sorry, I'm coming back.

-Yes.

I'm just ushering the spoon. Here we go. Ushering the spoon. Good.

Yep, my oven's beeping.

Ooh, look at those!

They look good!

OK, it's a pud alert.

You've got five minutes, bakers!

Delicious, hot muslin parcels.

-There's the clootie.

-Oh, it's a wee bit soft.

-OK. Is that all right?

-No, not really.

There's a little dip there as well,

which is a good indication that it's moistened slightly,

so hopefully I got the right balance today.

I don't think I floured it enough.

There should be a skin of flour around the outside.

Look at the state of me. My hand is shaking. My... Oh, my giddy aunt

Oh! Oh, no!

-Can I help you, Danny?

-Yeah, I've got some more mixture.

It just fell off when I was taking them out of the oven.

I could cry.

Let's put these in here.

It's ruined. Absolutely ruined. I'm so going out.

Danny, my love, you got four good sponges.

Yeah, I haven't got six to present to them.

-Two fell on the floor. I've got it all down my shoe.

-Don't panic.

You've got two more in the oven. That's good.

Come on. I think this is going to happen with all of them.

Bakers, you have got one minute.

That side out!

OK, bakers. Time is up on your hot, comforting sponges.

Please step right away from them. Thank you.

I am waiting to be mauled by Paul, actually.

I'm going out.

It's that tight.

There's no way I can pull this back.

Did you cook these sticky toffee puddings

with some toffee sauce on the top of it

-or did you put it on when it came out?

-I put it on when it came out

and then I did a bit of blowtorching on it

to have it bubble up a bit.

You've crystallised the toffee, haven't you? It's quite grainy.

I did it with the blowtorch.

I don't think I would go to the lengths of blowtorch.

I don't think it's necessary.

I don't think it improves it because it changes the texture of it.

Right.

Actually, the strawberries really works with it.

And the ginger is lovely. Mm. That is a perfect creme anglaise.

-It's a good sponge too.

-With a quote "perfect creme anglaise".

-Pretty good.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

The lemon isn't actually coming through strongly,

and I was expecting a little bit of sauce at the bottom.

As a souffle it's very good. As a sponge? Very different.

-Not quite a sponge.

-OK.

-That is not a sponge.

I've totally broken the rules. I can be eliminated.

It's got some lovely flavours in there.

-It's a little on the dry side, a little overbaked.

-OK.

Can I disagree with you, Mary? I think the opposite.

I think it's actually all right.

I wanted to check with that one, because you've got a big load

of moisture in there, which is why it holds and wets the finger.

-Right. OK. Is that a good thing?

-Yep.

-OK.

-Yeah.

They look indulgent.

Not as light as I thought it was going to be.

It's got a very dry texture. The flavour's OK. Right.

To me there's too much raising agent in there.

It's a bitter taste at the end

and I didn't taste the brandy sauce with it

because I wanted to make sure.

-These look impressive, actually.

-You're totally original on this.

-Yeah.

-Totally something different.

The rice is undercooked.

-Oh.

-Al dente.

-It's not a good thing on that.

-I'm sorry. I know it's not my job.

I have to butt in and say I think that rice is cooked.

-I think the rice is cooked.

-Sorry.

(Thank you.)

-You don't like those either?

-That's too dry.

OK.

They're a little bit solid.

But you're getting away with it because you've put a meringue there,

and if you had lots of ice cream with it, it would be fine.

But what a clever idea, what a good presentation.

Just get that sponge a little bit lighter next time.

You've got a lot of white chocolate in there and raspberries.

It's quite solid, but that's because you've got so much fruit in it.

-Sponge is bland.

-Bland?

-Absolutely.

If you never had anything else with it you might as well be

chewing on a piece of card.

-Wow, that's a bit harsh.

-Honestly.

Mm. That's very moist. And you've got the topping just right.

-How could you refuse that?

-Kicking with flavour. Well done.

-Thank you.

That's proper. I think that first one needs a lot of work.

Now, this one, clootie.

I think it's very nice that almost everything you do,

you bring from Scotland, including your temper.

It's too much of a chew, do you know what I mean?

The texture's not right on the outside.

I feel the ratio of topping to the amount of sponge we've got,

I'd like to see more of the topping.

It's a beautifully made sponge. It tastes fantastic.

All the favours are coming through but it does need a little bit more sauce.

Danny, accidents happen, don't they?

Only too often in my kitchen.

We'll start by cutting into these.

I really like them. The flavour's there and the texture's excellent.

I think they are slightly overbaked for me.

-That is a very moist sponge.

-Thank you.

That's delicious.

Orange comes through really sharp and strong and tangy.

Both of them taste extremely good but just be careful of your bake.

Thank you very much.

I can't say anything more than how decent they were about it because they were.

They were both very, very decent.

I couldn't have hoped for better really. That was great.

What annoyed me most is that I think they went in there ready to give me a good kicking

because I put three different raising agents inside, yeah.

I don't think it made that much difference to the bake.

Not great, no. It wasn't great at all. I haven't had great for weeks.

I was hoping to kind of up it a bit this week

but it hasn't happened so far.

When we think of puddings, we think of hearty, suet-y, stodgy, arterially cloggy,

but once upon a time, when wealthy diners wanted to satisfy their sugar cravings,

they did so by using an art form that required its very own kitchen, the confectionery,

and working inside was the sugar wizard they called the confectioner.

In some stately homes like Syon House in Middlesex,

wealthy aristocrats of the 18th and 19th century

had whole kitchens built called confectioneries,

where the most ornate and elaborate of puddings

would've been created by a craftsman of sugar called the confectioner.

Confectioners would've commanded huge sums of money

to whip up sugary sensations to form the piece de resistance

of any aristocratic banquet.

Who are you looking at?

Having one's own confectioner was a real mark of wealth,

something the third Duke of Northumberland had in abundance,

along with a penchant for puddings.

Kitchens in great houses were usually detached from the main block,

in this case because of the instant consumption

of these particular items.

A small confectioner's kitchen was placed within the bounds of the house, which was slightly unusual.

So the Duke was such a pudding fan

that he couldn't wait for the desserts to be transported

from an out building, they had to be right there

so that he could click his fingers and suddenly, meringue tower.

Very likely, yes.

What about the confectioners themselves,

-were they well looked after?

-Very well indeed.

A confectioner would have been highly valued

and there would have been competition to procure his services.

They were very highly paid, more so than any other servant.

The confectioner himself

undoubtedly would've had a separate suite of rooms just for himself.

The confectionery contained all the equipment,

ovens and moulds for the confectioner to conjure up

not only hot sponges and desserts but cutting-edge creations.

The ultimate accolade would be to produce an iced cabinet pudding.

The original cabinet pudding was a steamed pudding,

which was made with leftover sponge cake in between layers of custard

and raisins or other dried fruit.

This is an iced cabinet pudding,

which is a wonderful French micky take

of our stodgy kind of puddings made of waste bread

and boring old bits of dried cake.

And the French have taken the same ingredients but turned it into

this wonderful little caprice of ice cream and ginger and sponge cake.

If it's just made out of bits of old sponge,

why is it so difficult to make?

It's not really difficult now cos we have freezers and fridges

but they didn't in the early 19th century.

You needed an icehouse,

which was a major building project.

You then had to get your gardeners to collect ice off the lake

during the winter.

It involved a tremendous amount of work.

'Despite being conceived by the French to poke fun

'at our stodgy puddings,

'this decadent creation actually became incredibly popular

'in 19th-century Britain,

'giving aristocratic diners the last laugh.'

I think it looks very elegant. I'm about to destroy its elegance

with a big spoon.

Right, OK, I can wait no longer.

Here we go.

Mm.

I'm certainly getting the sub-zero tang on the filling.

That is delicious!

Nice, isn't it?

If I was a duchess, which I'm not - which may come as a surprise(!),

I would pretty much lock you in here 24/7.

I'd give you your own suite of rooms, but you couldn't go anywhere.

That is too good!

No wonder they were so prized.

'Pudding is about to become a little less pleasurable.'

So, bakers, it's time for the second challenge

of this bake off.

And it is, of course, the Technical Challenge.

You know the drill.

Mary and Paul will judge this blind so please, Mary and Paul...

With great respect and love, please leave.

What we'd like you to make is...

Queen of Puddings.

Now, Queen of Puddings

is layers of baked custard and jam

topped with a chewy meringue.

This recipe, no pressure(!),

comes from the queen of puddings, Mary Berry.

So, if you get it wrong,

it's sort of an act of treason

and she will be mounting your head on a cocktail stick,

and then dusting you with icing sugar.

-On your marks.

-Get set.

Good luck, and bake!

-Did you know that?

-Yeah.

'To master the Queen of Puddings is a juggling act

'requiring the dexterity of a court jester.'

LAUGHTER

'Custard, jam and meringue should come together

'in three distinct layers,

'rather than one "royal" mess.'

There's always a certain amount of dread

that you'll make a prat of yourself of the Technical Challenge.

'The bakers each have a copy of the basic recipe,

'but some of the technical details have been omitted.'

You kind of just have to draw

on everything you know about, ever,

in the space of five minutes.

There's a few things worrying me. Never made custard before.

Never made jam before.

Erm, that worries me a lot.

I don't know...

The Queen of Pudding.

I think it's many families'

favourite pudding,

and it is quite tricky,

and you have to get every stage right.

The custard, for example,

has got to be cooked at a fairly low temperature

so it doesn't curdle.

They'll make their own jam.

Not too firm - because they won't spread it across the top.

And then, the meringue.

That will cause them problems.

They've got to beat it until it's really, really stiff.

People are nervous, and end up with rather a runny mixture.

I want to see nice peaks on the top.

Oh, listen to that.

A really nice, crunchy top.

There you've got the custard layer,

the jam layer, and lastly, the meringue.

Mm!

It's all right that, Mary.

Glad you're enjoying it.

The bakers start with their base layer of custard

by heating milk, butter,

lemon zest and sugar,

and gradually whisking it into a bowl,

with egg yolk.

There are many elements to this dish.

Many elements.

Custard isn't a solid foundation

for any type of construction,

so bread crumbs are placed at the bottom of the baking dish for stability.

"Pour the liquid over the custard,

"so the breadcrumbs absorb the liquid." Well, that's absorbed.

It just feels like it won't do

what it's supposed to do.

Egg protein

changes shape when heated,

and allows the custard to set.

But if it's heated too long,

the surface will crack and the custard will be ruined.

It's just a waiting game now. I have really no idea how long everything will take.

While the custard's in the oven,

the bakers need to move onto the next layer.

"Make the jam."

That's detailed, isn't Mary(?) "Make the jam."

The bakers have been given summer fruits and sugar.

I'm just trying to remember how to make jam!

It's not supposed to be like a you'd have in a jam jar.

It's more of a saucy jam.

They need to make a jam thick enough to clearly separate the custard from the meringue layers...

I'm going to put it on a low heat and slowly boil the liquid away.

..but thin enough to spread over the fragile custard skin.

Every single week in Technical Challenge is a guessing game.

For me, anyway.

I'm looking for a soft-set jam.

So, look, we're nearly there. It's just moving a little bit.

There are some advantages to being older.

You learn when the setting point of jam

is just right.

Bakers, you've got one hour to go.

Yes, one hour to go. 45 minutes have gone.

An hour and 45 minutes isn't long enough.

The bakers must take their custard out of the oven at the perfect moment.

No, that is not done.

Runny.

Underdone, and it won't carry the weight of the jam.

I'm going to give that five more and then I'll bring it out.

Maybe not even five, maybe just four.

No, because I opened the oven. I'll give it five.

Overbaked, and it will split.

What temperature is he, Doctor?

It's 83, which is very high.

It's incredibly high. D'you think he'll live?

Erm, no.

I don't really want to put the jam on yet.

If I was at home,

I'd wait another five or ten minutes,

but I think it would be worse to run out of time.

The jam must completely cover the custard,

without seeping into it.

That's all right.

I was worried if I poured the whole lot on, it would just go straight in.

That just looks awful. Mary's going to slap me in the face.

Perfecting the final layer is even harder.

Right, meringue. Let's get on it.

To make meringue, the bakers whisk egg whites to make a foam,

then add sugar.

I get a bit scared with egg whites.

I don't want to over-whip it.

But I think you need to whip it till it's quite stiff,

so I'll just keep going.

Protein molecules in egg white trap air,

creating the classic stiff peak.

But over-whisking weakens the molecules,

causing the air bubbles to burst,

and the meringue will collapse in the bowl or the oven.

Oh, God, this is runny.

Don't put that over my head, please, Ryan.

I think this is a bit runny

but it's going to go in there. I won't make another one.

I think my meringue's gone over.

It's a bit runny.

I'm just going to do it again.

Bakers!

You only have half an hour left!

If I like the look of it, I'll use this one.

And if I don't,

I'll go back to my original one.

The Queen of Puddings should be crowned with tall mountain tops of meringue.

The bakers are doing their best to get an extra inch.

Bit disappointed by the meringue.

It kind of collapsed a bit, it was a bit gooey.

I was hoping to make it puffier, and then make peaks.

The judges will demand a light, golden colour

and crisp surface.

Please be good.

That looks better.

The Queen of Puddings' presence

is required.

In 15 minutes.

The centre of the meringue should have a soft marshmallow texture.

There's problems, there's issues.

Mine's not browning

at all.

But under-baking will allow the moisture trapped in the egg protein

to weep into the custard.

These Technicals, they suck you in.

You look at the recipe and think, "This should be simple enough.,"

Then you do it and it's like,

"Oh."

OK, bakers.

One minute's left on your monarch's meringues.

One more minute!

Get back in there.

I've actually had to crank the oven up,

just to make it go.

I just want it to be perfect for them.

But nothing in life is perfect.

So, bakers, the Technical Challenge is over er.

-POSH VOICE:

-Please bring your Queen's Puddings up here.

We chose that dish for you, so you can't hide anything.

It's got a nice colour on this one.

A lovely colour on that,

and they've troubled to pipe it. Listen to that crunch.

Can you hear?

That's the crunch, and nice and marshmallow-y inside.

The layers aren't too bad.

It's a lovely flavour!

-A nice crisp top.

-It's a nice custard, this one.

Mm-hm.

What a difference it makes to make your own jam.

It's got a nice crispy top to this one.

It needs that height, doesn't it, in the meringue?

It needs a little bit more whipping.

Meringue is a funny thing.

Difficult to over-beat it. It's usually under-beating it.

Little bit of a crisp,

bit more marshmallowy in this one.

Jam's very runny on that one, isn't it?

Jam's just a bit runny, yes.

The custard's good.

Oh, dear.

Look at that.

Yes. Now that is an example

of the custard...

Custard's gone.

..overcooking, and that means it's gone watery.

It tastes all right, but that custard's been obliterated.

Piping's good.

At least there's been an attempt to get a bit more height out of it.

Nice custard.

Good jam.

We needed a little more volume.

Pretty, this one, isn't it?

It's a good meringue.

The base is good and the top looks very good.

Lovely marshmallowy texture.

Having tasted all the bakes,

the judges must now rank this Royal Family of puddings,

from lowest to "Her Highness".

So, starting off with number seven.

It's here.

The custard has separated.

It is very watery.

And that affects the jam,

which mixes with it.

Number six is this one.

The jam is a little bit thin up one end.

I'd like to have seen a bit more height in that meringue.

John came in at number five, followed by Sarah-Jane

and Cathryn's queen is third in line to the throne.

Number two is this one.

Good meringue, good base.

And number one.

-Well done, Brendan.

-You've done it again.

What can I say about this one?

It has really good volume and height from the meringue,

a perfect colour on top,

beautiful layers

sheer perfection and a joy to eat.

'She couldn't fault it - Mary.'

If she's often referred to as an "old-fashioned" girl, then I'm an "old-fashioned boy".

My confidence has grown, so I think I've found my feet.

Not so good, but it's not as if I haven't been here before.

'Just have to pull it out of the bag tomorrow, you know,'

and try to save my bottom.

Goodness, that wasn't very good, was it?

It's not very nice to be bottom.

For one of these seven bakers, the final challenge of the weekend

will be their last in The Great British Bake Off.

There are a few people who need to perform because they're in trouble.

-Paul, who are those people?

-James - he was bottom of the technical challenge,

and the flavour of those sponges weren't particularly good, the texture was hard on one of them.

Ryan had a problem with using too much raising agent.

-John...

-He has to be in there based on the one thing that he did wrong.

The sponge was a bit bland.

Sarah-Jane had an interesting day.

-You'd have to put her in there as well.

-The sponge that she did was not what I would consider a sponge.

Who's excelling at the moment?

-Brendan again.

-It's a bit like a stuck record, that.

-What about Danny?

-Accidents happen to all of us.

-When you actually tasted that, it was perfect.

-It was delicious.

It wasn't done, though.

If you looked at it, even the ones that weren't dropped,

they had a fat bottom, all mis-shaped, yes, it tasted good...

Paul, I thought that they were an excellent flavour,

-the texture was very good...

-Oh, yeah...

-..and also her second bake...

-What about the look of them, though?

-The look of them, she'd had an accident...

-No, the ones that didn't.

-There were two that were upright.

-They weren't, they were lopsided, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

It's getting harder for us, which is why we're arguing

all the time because we're relying now almost on one Showstopper

to make the decision for us.

-And it's a really difficult one this time.

-Look at the smile.

-Absolutely marvellous.

Whoa-ho-ho-hah!

Today, we're going to ask you to bake that Austrian classic -

the strudel.

We're going to be asking you to make one large strudel,

either with a sweet filling or a savoury filling,

but what Mary and Paul want to see is extremely gorgeous, delicate strudel pastry

with a very professional finish.

You've got three-and-a-half hours to go, so...on your marks, get set, bake!

'A strudel is made by stretching a piece of pastry until it is wafer thin.

'It's then filled with cooked vegetables or fruit, gently rolled and baked.

'The filling should be moist and succulent,

'while the pastry should be brittle with a flaky finish.'

Until I began practising making this particular strudel,

I had never made strudel pastry before.

In lots of recipes, it says, "Use shop-bought," so that's what I do.

'First, the bakers must make the pastry by mixing eggs, flour and water.'

Apparently, they've been making strudels since the 2nd century BC or something.

'Strudel pastry is so difficult to make that even top chefs buy it in ready-made sheets.

The one pastry that I have to confess I would buy.

Very tricky to do - elastic dough, that's the key.

Are we being mean asking them to do a strudel challenge at this juncture in the bake off?

Absolutely!

Oooh! Of course!

Yeah, I'm having to start again cos I cos I stupidly.... It's my own fault.

I put my finger into the Magimix and slid it across the blade.

It's knocked me off-balance a little minute but I'll be all right.

It's tricky because it's getting the elasticity into the dough...

erm, so that you can get this stretching, stretching, until it's almost tissue-paper thin.

Brendan's making a spinach, cheese and walnut strudel.

I noticed from your notes that you are going to roll up your sleeves

-and oil your arms.

-Yes, the idea is to...

-I'm watching this!

-The idea is that you...

Yes, you need to oil up to here because you're going under the pastry.

Are you going to stretch it out with your forearm?

Yeah, so that I really do get it really thin.

I thought it would be nice to see the roses through the thinness of the pastry.

-Yeah.

-You're raising the bar, Brendan.

That's what it's all about - roll it carefully so it doesn't break

and keeping it moist as you do it - you'll end up with a great strudel.

'Kneading causes friction, which helps the gluten in flour become elastic.

'If the bakers don't work the pastry enough, it will rip when they try to stretch it.'

Apparently, you should be able to read the Bible through your pastry, it should be that thin.

You should be able to put it on top of a page and still read through it.

'Sarah-Jane is making a sweet strudel with sour cherries.

'She's added beaten egg whites to ricotta cheese

'and is hoping the filling will set and not seep through the sides.'

Obviously this is your strudel dough, made with plain flour?

-Plain flour - much easier to roll out.

-Hang on!

Is that needed? Is that what you do?

No, that's not what I've been doing.

All you're trying to do on a strudel...

is build up the resistance, build up the gluten in the dough itself by stretching it.

It's the speed that stretches it quicker, you see? It's decent dough.

So you're grabbing and twisting it?

-Grab and twist and flick?

-Yeah, try it.

-Grab and twist and then... slap and toss.

-Right over here.

THEY LAUGH

-Oooh!

-That's quite fun.

-He's doing the smashing thing.

-Yeah, it's rubbish.

It is utter rubbish. It's traditional, so you can't slag it, but it's rubbish.

This would put in more power than I could ever put in, so...

-Hold it by the end and flick it.

-It's horrible.

No, no, that looks really good - so far that you...

-Oh!

-Well, I'm glad I wasn't standing there!

-Oh, it's such a joke!

-Whose dough is that?

-Oh, Cathryn!

-Oh, it's so hairy!

-I'm so sorry.

Don't be silly, you didn't throw it on the floor.

But I made you try and throw it on the floor. Don't throw it away.

-Have you seen the carpet in it?

-Well, take the carpet out.

-Wrap it in some oil.

-It's got green carpet in it. I'm not serving Mary Berry green carpet.

-Cathryn, do you blame me?

-Completely, but, you know, I'll get over it.

Of course I don't! It's fine.

The dough needs to rest for half an hour to give it a chance to strengthen before its final stretch.

The bakers use this time to prepare their fillings.

I'm just piercing these raisins here,

so as that they are more likely... to absorb water,

so this should stop myself having a soggy bottom.

James is making a strawberry, rhubarb and ginger strudel.

The hardest bit for me is the filling.

Rhubarb and strawberries, what they've got in common - they ooze a lot of water.

The last time I made it, my girlfriend said that it looked like a plate of sick,

so it doesn't really bode well, does it?

He's just removed his glove and the blood is all down his arm.

-What's the matter?

-John's cut himself.

His glove is full of blood.

I need to wash it. Don't... Look, don't...

-It's making me feel really dizzy.

-That's fine. Just sit down.

I'm going to have a quick look, all right? Don't look.

'John's been soldiering on with a cut finger,

'but it's deeper than first feared and stretching the pastry has stretched the wound.'

It's not actually bleeding now, which is good.

'Luckily, there's a doctor in the marquee. Danny is an intensive care consultant.'

-Have you got a dressing?

-I've done everything. All I need to do now is make the dough.

You can't do it with your finger like this.

The last thing you need to worry about is a strudel.

'John's wound is too deep for him to carry on baking.

'He's leaving the marquee earlier than anyone expected.'

'I'm just so gutted because I think my strudel's going to be amazing.

'I've got to see a doctor now. It's a waste of time for everyone involved.'

I just think, "What an...idiot!"

It's annoying cos John would have probably made one of the best strudels here.

'It's a real shame. He'll be absolutely gutted.'

'Six bakers remain in the Showstopper Challenge.'

Bakers, you've got one hour to go.

'The bakers must now turn their ball of dough

'into a wafer-thin sheet, measuring over two metres long.'

It's got to be super, super thin and if you get a hole in the middle of it,

at the start, before you've finished stretching,

you can't stretch it any more,

so we don't want any tears at all early on in the pastry-stretching.

'Stretching a strudel needs a delicate hand but the bakers must also be brave enough

'to pull their pastry, knowing that it could rip at any moment.'

I like to do as much of it as I can with the rolling pin,

just cos there's less opportunity for it to tear that way.

You have to stretch it by hand.

I think the rolling pin doesn't achieve the same result.

He's rolled his sleeves up - he means business.

You should, when I'm finished, be able to see the little roses through it.

It's quite nice, nice feeling.

At home, it's quite therapeutic, it's quite good fun.

-I like doing it at home.

-Just not so much doing it here.

-No.

Look, you can start to see the rose motif coming through.

'Once the pastry's stretched to breaking point, it's time to add the filling.'

That's looking very good. Are you worried about that mixture being too liquidy?

Yes, that's the rationale behind the raisins.

'The judges are expecting lots of layers so a tight roll is essential.'

This is going to be interesting.

I've never done this before.

Oh, OK, I was worried for a second. I've calmed down now. That's actually really good.

That's it.

Ah, this is the lattice, OK.

Oh, Brendan, you are a clever sausage.

This is you basically dressing the strudel in a string vest!

'The perfect strudel should be a dark brown colour.'

One strudel in the oven.

Right.

Because the pastry is so thin,

the difference between under-baked and burnt

can be a matter of seconds.

I'm going to cook it...

for 40 minutes,

but baste it every ten minutes with butter.

So, I'm going to set that one for 40

and then that one for ten.

-GERMAN ACCENT:

-OK, bakers, funf minutes for strudels!

My strudel's got a haemorrhage. Do I mean haemorrhage?

-Haemorrhage or haemorrhoid?

-Oh, God, yes it's got a proboscis for sure.

Oh, lor.

When moisture in the filling heats up,

it creates steam and puts pressure on the pastry and can cause leaks.

I'm just worried about all the sauce running into the bottom

of the strudel to keep it wet.

It looks fine from the outside - I've had that before.

Cut into it and a big lump of dough at the bottom so...

It's split here, which I think is really because I've got

the pastry so very thin that it's just gone from a point of weakness.

It's sad. I'm going home after this.

Maybe I'll turn it round so I can't see it. What you can't see...

I thought the problem was going to be

whether they liked the taste of it, not whether it was going to burst.

-Strudel rupture.

-Strudel rupture. Oh, woops.

That reminds me of John's finger earlier on.

Is that ready to come out?

I think I will take it out just because it's split.

Bakers you have got one minute to wrangle your strudels

and bring them home to Mummy.

I've had a little look around,

Brendan's done a lattice work, bit of diamond shape on the top...

Cathryn's got some problems at the moment with leakage.

Oh, look!

Smiling...

James has got some leaking raspberries

and strawberries pouring out of that.

We want to make sure there are no soggy bottoms

If it's leaked you will get wet.

They've got to be really well done in the middle as well as

-crisp pastry on the outside.

-Absolutely.

And that is six, five,

four, three, two, one.

That's it.

For the six remaining bakers, it's judgment time.

It's an apple, sour cherries, raisins and mixed nuts strudel.

You've gone for the classical thing. The layers are a bit thick.

The very centre here, is not quite cooked underneath.

But the flavour of it, I really like.

-I like the chunky pieces of fruit in there.

-Thanks very much, Ryan.

Thank you.

It is a roasted vegetable couscous and sheep's cheese.

Good flake.

Lovely and thin, the pastry, from the outside anyway.

Gosh, that is full of interest, Cathryn.

You have kept the cheese apart,

you have all the different colours coming through there.

Thank you.

That's unusual.

Good strudel, it's nice and then and the interior is delicious.

It all goes really well together.

Thanks.

This is my sweet strudel.

It is filled with a ricotta and dried cherry custard.

There's not much colour on it?

OK.

-Can you see how pale it is there?

-OK.

-It looks more like a sweet pastry than it does a strudel.

-OK.

-Did I not get it thin enough?

-No, it is not thin enough.

It has got a little bit of a gap between the top and the filling.

The strudel itself is not crisp.

The filling is lovely, but that is not strudel-like.

OK.

We have got a strawberry and rhubarb strudel with raisins on top.

It's nice and thin. You've had a few leaks, have you?

Just the one I think, one big one.

It's a bit of a mess in there, isn't it, with all the fruit?

It was a difficult filling to choose

because the strawberries and rhubarb are pretty wet.

I do like the taste, but I don't like the texture.

It is like a mush that goes through it.

It's a savoury strudel, it has got leek, potato,

pistachio and Gruyere cheese inside.

You can see the flakes. It is thin.

I think it looks great, it has got a nice strong colour.

You have actually filled the inside of it properly so that the strudel

sits on the top and there are no gaps, which is good.

The filling is absolutely solid and beautiful and very lovely

-flavour to it.

-Thank you very much.

Well done.

The vegetables are spinach and courgette

with three different herbs.

There are three cheeses, two soft ones and then feta crumbled over it.

I like this latticework on the topic.

The only problem is that I hope inside there,

the strudel is baked properly.

The colour is quite pale

so don't be afraid to leave it in the oven longer.

The flavouring of the leeks and courgettes is very good.

The layers look pretty good, they are nice and thin,

but for me it needed that extra bit of colour.

I think it will be very close between myself and Sarah-Jane.

I did say before that whoever had the worst strudel was going to go

and I think the person who had the worst strudel is Sarah-Jane.

There was a lot of blood for a cut finger.

He had a blood glove! It was grim.

It was just really awful that John didn't get to make his.

These rain clouds are sign of impending doom.

It is a total rollercoaster, this Bake Off.

I thought it would just be a nice, gentle plod.

It is not, it is the craziest rollercoaster you've ever been on,

in a marquee, in the middle of a field. It's mental!

Oh, dear!

Already a baker down,

Mary and Paul will decide who's next to leave.

I don't know about you, I feel slightly drained

and hysterical after our strudel dramas.

Paul and Mary, shall we start with the positives? Who came out on top?

O-positive, which is what John's strudel was!

Who's up for Star Baker?

I think Brendan again.

Today with the strudel, again he went the extra mile by putting the latticework on the top as well.

The flavour of that I really enjoyed.

But I think that someone who has really surprised us today is Danny.

She has done such an unusual strudel. Lovely wafer-thin pastry...

And in perfect melodramatic irony,

the heavens have opened as I am about to discuss

who is potentially in trouble.

This has been a very exceptional week.

-Who is there?

-Well, Sarah-Jane.

It all sounded very good on paper, this custard and excellent flavoured fruits

at the bottom, but her pastry was just a little bit too thick.

I think James has not had a particularly good weekend.

The inside of that was just too much of a mush.

-It was a good flavour, but not enough texture.

-What about John?

-Do you count John in this mix?

-Well, I think, yes.

You have to look at where he came on the first two

and he wasn't particularly strong.

I've looked at this and figured out

this challenge and taken out this challenge

and parked it, and looked at the other two and you'd still end up with the same three.

So...

John, James and Sarah-Jane.

Yes.

Well, it is a difficult week this,

-and we wish you luck with your deliberations.

-It is tough.

-I know.

Bakers, it has been a tough one this one.

Who would ever have believed that strudel could be so dangerous?

Let's start on a really positive note

and focus on the person who Paul and Mary really feel has stood out

and it is a person who has shown consistency, great flavours,

cracking latticework, it is the one and only Brendan, Star Baker.

Well done.

APPLAUSE Well done, Brendan.

Well done, Brendan.

As you know, Mel and I rotate this week on week

because it is really onerous and really hard, as the weeks go by

it gets harder and harder as they get to know you a little bit more.

And we are incredibly fond of you and we don't want to lose anybody.

But, the journey has to end this week for somebody.

And that person is...

..nobody. No-one's going

because it just wasn't fair!

And we are going to get rid of two of you next week.

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

I think John injuring himself, it created a new precedent and I think

it was unfair of us if we were just to judge the ones that were left.

It was a very difficult decision for us to make and I think it is

the right one and next week, gosh, it will be two going!

I will be watching them next week like I've never watched them before.

Two people leaving?

That is going to be really tough.

I have another chance to bake again

and to prove that I am here for a reason and not just lucky

because John cut his finger off!

Oh, my days!

-Next time...

-What's wrong with them?

-It is the toughest Bake Off ever.

-I am psyching myself up.

-Two bakers will have to go...

I'm a little bit frightened.

..if they cannot master sweet dough.

-This looks disgusting.

-With signature sweet buns...

..a Hollywood-sized technical challenge...

-Absolute whoppers.

-Doughnut doom.

..and show-stopping sweet loaves.

A little bit over the top.

Who will make it to the quarterfinals?

-Oh!

-Ah!

-Yes!

And which two bakers will have to leave...

-This is the horrible part...

-..the Great British Bake Off?

The people not coming with us are...

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