0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's the quarterfinal of the bake off and the tension is palpable.
0:00:04 > 0:00:05- Bunting?- Check.- Sugar?- Check.
0:00:05 > 0:00:06- Eggs?- Check.- Flour?- Check.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09- Butter?- Check.- Nostril trimmer? - Check.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10- Gingham?- Check.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13- Yes, it is, five bakers desperate to make it to the semifinal?- Check.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Can only be the Great British Bake Off.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18- Tartan?- Check.- Yes, isn't it?!
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Vaclav Havel? BOTH: Czech!
0:00:22 > 0:00:23'Last time...'
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Oh, no, my hand's shaking!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28'Our six bakers put their twist on a signature suet pudding...'
0:00:28 > 0:00:29That's perfecto.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31'Survived one hell of a technical challenge...'
0:00:31 > 0:00:33What an ugly bunch of nuns.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38'And made 252 show-stopping puff pastries which put them in a spin.'
0:00:38 > 0:00:40- Get a grip.- Thank you. - Just get a grip.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41'Frances excelled...'
0:00:41 > 0:00:43The flavour combinations inside are delicious.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45'Finally being awarded Star Baker.'
0:00:45 > 0:00:47APPLAUSE
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'The bakers raced against time...
0:00:49 > 0:00:50HE SIGHS
0:00:50 > 0:00:54'..and Glenn became the eighth baker to leave.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'Now for the all-female quarter finalists, it's make or break.'
0:00:57 > 0:00:58GLASS SHATTERS
0:00:58 > 0:01:00It's like the Incredible Hulk!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'As they battle it out for a place in the semifinal.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:05I've just got to concentrate on each task
0:01:05 > 0:01:07and not think about what could go wrong.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09'As the judges seek perfection.'
0:01:09 > 0:01:12At this stage, I'm not afraid of being critical.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15The disappointment is when you get into the cake, which is rather sad.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16Too bland.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18That was just brutal.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20'Who will stay?'
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I do feel that this is quite an important bake for me.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26- I'm not convinced you weighed everything up properly.- Really?
0:01:26 > 0:01:29'And who will leave the Bake Off tent?'
0:01:29 > 0:01:31# I'm coming out, woo!
0:01:31 > 0:01:33# I want the world to know... #
0:01:33 > 0:01:35THEY HUM
0:02:04 > 0:02:06This week the bakers have been challenged with
0:02:06 > 0:02:08the task of making everything free.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Not in a financial sense, but more gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free sort of a thing.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Yeah, we're not free, though. We're about £5 an hour to hire for parties.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17I'm undercutting her, I'm four.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22I'm starting to feel the pressure,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25my parents have both aged ten years they keep on telling me.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26They're more stressed than I am.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30I still need to get that blinkin' elusive Star Baker, the only one
0:02:30 > 0:02:35of the five who hasn't had it now, so it's really eating at me slightly.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37I think this week, I'm not going to slag off my bakes to Mary
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and Paul because if they've got a problem with it, they'll tell me,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42there's no point in me putting ideas in their mind.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Nobody's really used the word "finals", actually, which is interesting,
0:02:46 > 0:02:47no-one's actually said it.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50We've just been talking quite normally, as we usually do
0:02:50 > 0:02:52about which recipes you're doing this week.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Bakers, welcome to the quarterfinal.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Not even a sniff of a Y-chromosome in the tent.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11That includes you, Paul.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Right, so today we'd like you to make a loaf.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Not just any loaf,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19we'd like you to make a loaf using unusual flours, such as chestnut
0:03:19 > 0:03:24or rye or rice, or you can use a grandfather grain which is
0:03:24 > 0:03:27the same as a normal grain but it talks about the war and falls asleep
0:03:27 > 0:03:30in front of a bar fire. Those are things like spelt, things like that.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Well done. You can use any flavours you want, of course,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34they're up to you.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38You should bake it freeform or in a tin, again the choice is yours.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41You've got three hours on your Signature Bake, so on your marks...
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- Get set...- Bake!
0:03:44 > 0:03:47'The bakers have already been tested on their conventional
0:03:47 > 0:03:50'bread-making skills, now they face the even trickier task
0:03:50 > 0:03:54'of mastering unconventional flours to create the perfect loaf.'
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Each flour has a different gluten level.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59This is the binding agent in all bread.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02And so therefore the bread reacts in a totally different way -
0:04:02 > 0:04:05is it going to affect the bake or is it going to affect the proving
0:04:05 > 0:04:07or is it going to affect both of them?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It's got to hold its shape, it's got to cut well,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12we're looking for a good texture,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15a good rise and, above all, a good flavour.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19My friend Elle, she's got a slight wheat intolerance, so we often
0:04:19 > 0:04:24used to make spelt hot cross buns or spelt soda breads and stuff.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27'Spelt flour has a wheat gluten structure
0:04:27 > 0:04:31'and is being used by Frances, Kimberley, Beca and Ruby.'
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Spelt flour's like a really old type of flour,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37like an ancestor of conventional wheat flour.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39'Because of its different gluten structure,
0:04:39 > 0:04:44'spelt can be more unpredictable to work with than regular wheat flour.'
0:04:44 > 0:04:47One thing spelt does, it tends to fall out more than rise up.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49And my dough's quite a wet dough
0:04:49 > 0:04:52which also means that the shape itself,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55slightly sort of, I like to say blossoms.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00'Frances is making a tear and share loaf in the style of a Chelsea bun.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04'Her spelt Chelsea Flour Show loaf is flavoured with orange zest
0:05:04 > 0:05:07'and decorated with honeycomb and bees.'
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Is it going in a tin or are you doing it on a flat plate?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I'm going to prove it in one of these tins to begin with.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14Is that a good idea to do that?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17When you're dealing with spelt, it can flow,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19that's the term that we use in the industry.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- I've found it's flowed, yes.- And because of that, if you contain it,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25the fact that you're doing a Chelsea bun will give it
0:05:25 > 0:05:28rigidity as well. You've got to get the texture right.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30It's going to be difficult.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33So I'm just measuring this water quite precisely.
0:05:33 > 0:05:39I'm making a spelt loaf, it's mango and nigella seeds,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43so the idea is kind of like a mango chutney in a bread.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47'Ruby claimed Star Baker using conventional flour in bread week,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50'so is hoping to do the same with her freeform spelt cob.'
0:05:50 > 0:05:54I don't feel as emotional a baker as I maybe was at the start,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57but I've really built up my stress tolerance over the last few weeks,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59I'm less easily panicked.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Because when I was doing my exams as well, I just went in
0:06:02 > 0:06:03and did what I needed to do,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06whereas before I would have been stressing out like crazy, so I think
0:06:06 > 0:06:09it's actually been good for me being this stressed out for this long.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I think it's done a good thing.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16'To help reinforce the structure of her loaf, Beca has a secret weapon.'
0:06:16 > 0:06:20So my potatoes are ready, my rosemary's ready, the potatoes
0:06:20 > 0:06:24add the extra stickiness from the starch that they obviously let out.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'Beca's using mashed potato, rosemary and spelt flour,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'mixed to make her version of an Italian focaccia.'
0:06:31 > 0:06:33What sort of rise are you looking at and what sort of texture
0:06:33 > 0:06:35are you going to get at the end? Cake-like?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38When I was experimenting in the week, it had a nice uneven texture
0:06:38 > 0:06:41with nice air holes and it's quite a wet dough.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43It'll be nice to have something savoury.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49I'm using a completely gluten-free flour,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52it's a mixture of tapioca, rice and potato.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57'Christine's wheat-free loaf is the only one that's also gluten free.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02'It will be topped and filled with pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds.'
0:07:02 > 0:07:03When I made this loaf in the week,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I wasn't quite sure, because I hadn't made one before,
0:07:06 > 0:07:07what it was supposed to look like,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11or how tall it was supposed to be, so I went up to see my baker
0:07:11 > 0:07:16at the local mill and took a chunk of it up there to show him
0:07:16 > 0:07:21and he did tell me that it was just as a gluten-free loaf should be.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27'While those using spelt gently knead their dough...'
0:07:27 > 0:07:31You need to build up the gluten a little bit, so that's why
0:07:31 > 0:07:34I'm working it a little bit more than I normally would.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38'..Christine's completely gluten-free mixture needs a different approach.'
0:07:38 > 0:07:43With a balloon whisk, you can see you couldn't possibly knead that.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Well, you could, but you'd get into an awful mess.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Right, now that's going to go in to prove
0:07:49 > 0:07:52for about an hour and a quarter.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Shower cap and then in there.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I'll look at it in half an hour and then see if it needs more.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01So I'm not going to put it in the proving drawer just yet,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I'm going to see how it goes because it's had raw mashed potato
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and warm water in, it's already starting to...
0:08:07 > 0:08:10And I don't want to over-prove.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I like a loaf that looks good on the inside.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14'Kimberley's taking a risk
0:08:14 > 0:08:18'as the only baker filling her dough before proving.'
0:08:18 > 0:08:20I'm just wanting to make it so that
0:08:20 > 0:08:22when you roll it up, there's an unbroken line of the ham.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26'Her loaf is made with plain and wholemeal spelt
0:08:26 > 0:08:30'and filled with Parma ham and freshly made wild garlic pesto.'
0:08:30 > 0:08:33My boyfriend and my sister are my most reliable testers,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and my sister is now over several times a week.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39She just comes in, she literally walks past me
0:08:39 > 0:08:42into the kitchen to see what's there.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59It does look exciting.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01I held my breath all the way through!
0:09:14 > 0:09:19Bakers, in latest grandfather grain news, you have one hour.
0:09:19 > 0:09:26It's alive. Yeah, lots of bubbles, it's quite a wet and soft dough.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Yep, happy with that.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Doesn't look as big as it usually would, but I think it's proved
0:09:32 > 0:09:34as much as I needed it to, so I feel happy about that.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38If you press it and it holds the indent then it's proved enough.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Yep, if it springs back then it needs a bit more time.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44Buongiorno.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Everything you do is aesthetically so pleasing. Colour coordinated.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51I love working with colour
0:09:51 > 0:09:53and I think food, as well, it's all about texture.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- Are your family being good? - They've been incredibly supportive.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59In fact, my sister, she lives over in Vancouver and she sent a photo
0:09:59 > 0:10:02the other day of me when I was about five with one of my birthday cakes
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and she said, "Look, you've always been happiest surrounded by cake."
0:10:05 > 0:10:07You didn't make a birthday cake at five, did you? No.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12I've just got this bit of dough which doesn't have any mango in,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16for just tucking over like a protective cover.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Because the gluten is not as strong as in a normal flour,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22if the mango's on the surface it can rupture
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and mango burns on the surface anyway, so I'm hiding mango
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and getting it all covered up. So it should make it rise more evenly.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57It's hard to imagine, with our obsession with diverse and artisanal loaves,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01that just 70 years ago, the Ministry of Food could have forced us
0:11:01 > 0:11:03to eat just one - the national loaf -
0:11:03 > 0:11:05which helped ensure health for the wartime nation.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09'Before World War II, Britain imported over 20 million tonnes of
0:11:09 > 0:11:13'food, but a key strategy of the enemy was to starve
0:11:13 > 0:11:16'the nation into submission, so the Ministry of Food
0:11:16 > 0:11:18'needed to come up with ways of keeping the nation fed.'
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Wheat was in very short supply because 70% of our imports
0:11:21 > 0:11:24were coming in from Canada, across the Atlantic.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27And this route was very vulnerable to attack from German U-boats.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Hitler's intention was to very much destroy the docks,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33stop the imports and to starve the country out.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36'The Ministry of Food had to come up with a plan
0:11:36 > 0:11:38'to make the grain we had go further.'
0:11:38 > 0:11:41The white bread that people enjoyed eating was made using
0:11:41 > 0:11:43only 70% of the milled wheat grains,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and this was seen as very wasteful in wartime.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48The Ministry of Food figured out that by including the bran
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and the germ of the wheat, they could reduce the amount of wheat
0:11:51 > 0:11:54that Britain required by a whole 10% and even make the bread
0:11:54 > 0:11:57more nutritious. This was then used to create the national loaf.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00'But, for a nation raised on soft white bread,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03'the government standard loaf proved hard to stomach.'
0:12:03 > 0:12:06The national loaf was rough and coarse and hard,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08and people were not used to it.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10An added problem was the national loaf was often stale.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Bakers were not allowed to sell the loaf until a day after baking,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17so that it would slice more thinly and so the loaf would go further.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20'The public found it so grey and unappealing
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'they even nicknamed it Hitler's secret weapon.'
0:12:23 > 0:12:27The Ministry of Food tried very hard to persuade people to love
0:12:27 > 0:12:31the national loaf and they put a lot of effort into publicity campaigns.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Lord Wolston is rumoured to have started a rumour that
0:12:35 > 0:12:39because the national loaf had increased amounts of vitamin E,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43which helps aid fertility, it was an aphrodisiac.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46All of this government propaganda does seem ultimately to have worked.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49By the end of the war, people were eating 20% more bread.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53It seems that they had finally learned to love the national loaf.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59OK, bakers, that's five minutes, or if you want a spelt version -
0:12:59 > 0:13:03F-I-V-E M-I-N-U-T-E-S.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I'm just going to turn it around.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14Nearly done. I'm just putting an egg wash on the top.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It looks like a beautiful cabbage.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Yeah, it's supposed to look like a rose.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Oh, sorry, was it a rose? I said cabbage.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30No, no, cabbage is fine.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33# I'm coming out, woo!
0:13:33 > 0:13:35# I want the world to know... #
0:13:35 > 0:13:36THEY HUM
0:13:46 > 0:13:50It looks bronzed and cooked underneath. Oh, I don't know.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Oh, hello, cheeky! That'll do.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Bakers, that's one minute left.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14It's not playing ball. I can't believe this.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19It's got baking parchment underneath it, it should not have stuck.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Let's try and get it out in one piece
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and just gently, gently put it on the top like a crown.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28There we go, OK. Jigsaw.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31It's cooked. Thank God it's the bottom.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Bakers, this bake is officially closed.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Well done, you.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Loaves on boards, please.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I mean, Lord, look at Frances',
0:14:42 > 0:14:45a broken loaf will not compete with that.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51'Each unconventional loaf will now be judged by Paul and Mary.'
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I think the style is amazing, what you've done,
0:14:56 > 0:15:01but it's got to taste good, so let's take a chunk out of here.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It's got a good bake on it all the way down.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09It's full of flavour, I can taste everything from oranges to
0:15:09 > 0:15:13apricots, I think it would be great to tear and share.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15I think it could have done with more proving.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I think it's a little bit too dense, I probably wouldn't have put
0:15:18 > 0:15:22any hindrance inside the dough because you added the orange zest.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23Yeah.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30OK, it's got a nice colour.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34I'll leave that on there. That's pretty good!
0:15:34 > 0:15:38When he says pretty good, I reckon that's really good.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Amazing!
0:15:39 > 0:15:43I think it's absolutely scrummy, I think it's really lovely.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45The potato has broken up the gluten slightly
0:15:45 > 0:15:48so it's made it easy to chew. It melts in your mouth.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51You've ended up with a good, uneven, irregular crumb
0:15:51 > 0:15:53which is what you expect from a focaccia
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and actually, that's a very good focaccia.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Thank you. High praise indeed. Gosh, thanks.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Nice crust on the top, that's the part I like.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Let's have a look inside.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- Oh, it's going to be so bad, oh, no.- Ready?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14- Oh, no.- What's wrong with it?
0:16:14 > 0:16:18It's under-proved, it's under-baked, it's horrible.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24It's a winner for flavour, you've got a nice lot of mango in there.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26The technique was good, it was freeform,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28tricky to do with a flour like this.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32However, it is under-proved, and it's under-baked.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- Beautiful pattern in there. Look at that!- Isn't it just!
0:16:40 > 0:16:44And of course, so often when you put Parma ham in a bread
0:16:44 > 0:16:46it becomes crispy and hard.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49This will have softened and, I hope, added some really good flavour.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54SHE GIGGLES
0:16:54 > 0:16:56I actually love the flavours.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59The problem is, there's so much filling in there
0:16:59 > 0:17:01and the fact it's a wholemeal and the fact that you've cut it
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and the fact that you've twisted it, it's got nowhere to go.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The texture is all wrong because it's too dry inside.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- Dry?- Yeah.- Oh, OK.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15- It's a mess round the side. - I know.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18The bake looks pretty good, I do like the look of it actually,
0:17:18 > 0:17:19I like the seeds on the top.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Nice structure.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26The seeds look evenly distributed in the middle.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28I think the flavour's good.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33I think the flavour and the texture are good and I do like that crust
0:17:33 > 0:17:36round the outside, it's a lovely colour and I like a crusty loaf.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Well done, it's a tricky thing to do, but you've done well.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- Thank you very much.- Well done, Christine.- Thank you.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46I'm pleased with that and I shall make some more because
0:17:46 > 0:17:48I do have a couple of friends who are gluten intolerant,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and it would be lovely to give them a home-made loaf instead of a bought one.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54And save me touring the supermarket looking for it.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57That was a brilliant start for me.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59What is wrong with me?
0:17:59 > 0:18:01I was sitting in there like, this might be under-proved.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Why did I just take it out of the drawer and put it...? I'm just an idiot.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07You're at the stage where you want everything to be perfect
0:18:07 > 0:18:09so to get valid criticisms is just a bit disappointing.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12I hope I've still got a chance to get through to the semis because
0:18:12 > 0:18:17I don't even want to anticipate not being there next week, so yeah.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Prove. Prove, prove.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28'For their second challenge,
0:18:28 > 0:18:33'the quarterfinalists now face the unknown.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:37So, bakers, welcome to the Technical Challenge.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Now, this particular challenge is one of Mary's recipes.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Seeing as this morning we've had some gluten-free
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and some wheat-free, I'm suggesting this should be judge free.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50So, with the best will in the world, please, jog on.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52So what is it?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Well, Mary has left you with a decadent little recipe
0:18:55 > 0:18:59which she likes to knock up for people who are on a gluten-free diet.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03It's a French classic, it's a hazelnut dacquoise.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06You've got two hours and 45 minutes to concoct
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- this delicious little bake, so on your marks...- Get set...
0:19:10 > 0:19:11BOTH: Bake!
0:19:13 > 0:19:16The instructions, I wouldn't say they were crystal clear.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21I know what it is, I've never made it though. A dacquoise!
0:19:21 > 0:19:24'The dacquoise is a dessert cake originating from the spa town
0:19:24 > 0:19:27'of Dax in southwest France.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31'And it comprises several layers of nut meringue and rich cream.'
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It feels like the most complex technical so far.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35I think it's just going to be a timing thing.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38I at least know what one is, so that's the kind of terror,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42like, what if I don't know what this is? At all?
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Hazelnut dacquoise, this French classic of
0:19:46 > 0:19:51three layers of meringue with hazelnuts in the meringue mixture.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54If they roast them and they're too dark, they'll be bitter.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58If they chop them too finely, this releases too much oil
0:19:58 > 0:19:59and then the meringue will go runny.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02So there's several things that could really go wrong here.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04One would be on the meringue itself,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and I actually think in the construction of it,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10to keep it nice and level. And finally, to put those
0:20:10 > 0:20:1312 ganache piped swirls on the top, and then topped with the praline.
0:20:13 > 0:20:14Absolutely gorgeous,
0:20:14 > 0:20:19one of my favourite ones you've done there, Mary.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23I've never done nuts in a meringue before, but I know you can.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27'If the hazelnuts are chopped too finely...
0:20:27 > 0:20:30'the excess oil released can deflate the meringue.'
0:20:30 > 0:20:33The key thing is just to get these in the oven
0:20:33 > 0:20:35to roast as quickly as possible.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Make the meringue.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42'Meringue is the perfect foundation for a baked gluten-free dessert.'
0:20:42 > 0:20:46I'm not that good at meringues, mainly because until recently
0:20:46 > 0:20:50I didn't have any sort of electric whisk at home and I'm not going
0:20:50 > 0:20:53to spend half an hour whisking up a meringue so I never really bothered.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Clearly I need to bother now.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00'It's up to the bakers to decide
0:21:00 > 0:21:03'when to add the meringue's additional ingredients.'
0:21:03 > 0:21:06I'm just adding in the sugar now.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Glossy, stiff peaks should form.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I've never put cornflour into a meringue before.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I would imagine it gives it a bit of substance.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20And once the meringue's all made, then I'll stir through
0:21:20 > 0:21:24the hazelnuts. I might sieve them to get rid of the bigger bits.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26I might stick these in the fridge for a little while.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I don't think it'll do them any harm.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32I think I'm just folding these in, just fold.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34So you've got to make sure that you don't let the air out.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35Flake the mixture.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37That looks blooming good!
0:21:37 > 0:21:40There isn't much time to mess about with these ones.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43If you make a mistake you'd have to work really quickly
0:21:43 > 0:21:45because the oil in the nuts is starting already
0:21:45 > 0:21:47to break down the egg whites.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Oh, I think that looks good. You've got no worries.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Slightly flatulent piping bag, got lots of air pockets.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54It's quite rude, isn't it?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01'Mary's recipe does not specify a baking time.'
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I've no idea how long these need to go in the oven for
0:22:04 > 0:22:07so I'll have to keep an eye on them.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10'The meringue should be baked until just light and crisp.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12'Any further and the hazelnut will become bitter.'
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I just switched the meringues round because I am finding that
0:22:15 > 0:22:18the ones at the bottom actually are browning a little bit quicker
0:22:18 > 0:22:21than the other ones, just to get an even distribution of colour.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26It says the next step on this is to make the ganache.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30But I'd rather get the custard done and cooling, because then
0:22:30 > 0:22:34that needs to have whipped cream folded in, and ganache won't take
0:22:34 > 0:22:38as long to cool so I'm switching round the order a little bit.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42I'm seeing how thick it needs to be, because it's a custard,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44that's what I need to remind myself.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49It's done.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54'A coffee custard forms the base of the creme mousseline.'
0:22:54 > 0:22:56So what's different about this custard?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Well, it's got the cream going through it
0:22:58 > 0:23:02so it's almost like a slightly more mousse-y custard.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06- It's mousse. - Mousseline, ah! Got you.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'The bakers need to leave enough time for it to cool completely
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'before adding the whipped cream.'
0:23:14 > 0:23:17It just keeps on going on, so many steps to this.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20OK, bakers, that's one hour before there's a mousseline
0:23:20 > 0:23:23loosenine aboot this hooseline...
0:23:23 > 0:23:26It didn't work but you can't fault me trying.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28I don't think it's far off, to be honest with you.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31I'm guessing.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35My meringues are not looking good. They're not crisping up at all.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Oh, dear, I'm giving up.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47'Whipped cream should be carefully folded into
0:23:47 > 0:23:49'the cooled coffee custard.'
0:23:49 > 0:23:52I don't really know. It looks quite thick, it looks like it's holding.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55'If any air is lost from the mixture,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57'it may not be able to support the layers of meringue.'
0:23:57 > 0:24:02It might not be thick enough but we just have to hope.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06'The meringues need to be out of the oven and given enough time
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'to cool completely before the dacquoise is assembled.'
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Yeah, I'm really happy with those.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16The temperature of the oven's right, it might crisp up.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21I'm going to make some praline now.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25'Sugar needs to be melted until it just caramelises...'
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I just want to make sure I don't miss anything.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32'..Before stirring in hazelnuts and lemon juice.'
0:24:32 > 0:24:35The way it says to do the thing on the spoon,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38that's slightly flummoxing me.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42'Each praline cluster should have three perfectly caramelised nuts.'
0:24:42 > 0:24:44It's just fiddly because it's hot
0:24:44 > 0:24:48and the caramel obviously hardens really quickly.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51'And each dacquoise should have 12 clusters.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:53I'm being really silly and using my fingers.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56Bakers, you've got ten minutes left.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00'Once assembled, each layer of the dacquoise should be distinct.'
0:25:00 > 0:25:03You've got double piping action going on here, what's going on?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I think I'm going to pipe the coffee one in
0:25:05 > 0:25:07just because otherwise I know I'll just splodge it on.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09If I pipe it, it will be an even layer.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12But then I don't want to squeeze all the air out.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13So maybe we'll just splodge it on.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Will it take the air out if you pipe?
0:25:17 > 0:25:18I think it might.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22- Splodge then, mate, splodge. - Yeah, I might do a splodge.- Splodge.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's just a little bit thin. I should have thickened it
0:25:27 > 0:25:30a little bit more before I took it off the heat.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34So I'm just going to try and neaten it up as much as I can.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Bakers, you've got five minutes on your nut clustering,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39five minutes to go.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43So, quite large nibbed nuts you've gone for.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Well, I've sort of done them by hand, yeah.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51We're getting there.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55That's got carpet tile written all over it.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- Asking for disaster. - Oh! Beautifully done.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00It just says, "Pipe swirls of ganache on top
0:26:00 > 0:26:03"and then decorate with the praline."
0:26:09 > 0:26:12That's good, that's good. Yeah, nice and generous.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Nice and generous.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Famous Five, your eighth technical challenge is now over,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27please step away from your dacquoises.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29If you'd like to bring them up,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33pop them behind the photo of yourself, I'll start eating them.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41'Mary and Paul will be looking for a delicate and elegant dacquoise,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'with even layers and firm mousseline,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47'and light, crispy nut meringue.'
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Well, we have five and they look good, don't they?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Right, we'll start with this one.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00This one's got a decent meringue, it's quite tough, it's got a bit
0:27:00 > 0:27:03of bite to it. You can tell, because it cracked all the way through.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06The filling, it's holding quite well, the praline looks nice.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09We've good definition between the meringue and the filling
0:27:09 > 0:27:12all the way through, you can see the layers quite clearly.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I think the meringue's crispy enough
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and the flavour's excellent all the way down.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Let's try the next one.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23This meringue looks pretty poor, actually,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26it's not crispy at all, although the filling's holding quite well.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30The nuts are a little coarser, which gives a better texture.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32The ganache is good.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- But the custard is not thick enough. - No.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39This is interesting. The layers are so thin in that meringue.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Look at it, it's lost all its definition.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- It's too chewy. - It's been baked too quick.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51It should have taken about an hour in the oven,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54and I think that that would have had considerably less.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57And that means that the meringue hasn't dried out.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01It just looks untidy around the edge, you know.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04We can still see the layers, which is lucky,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08and on top the ganache needed to be left longer
0:28:08 > 0:28:12to become cool to keep the definition of the piping.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14The cream's quite wet, it needs to be stiffer.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16It's still got some crunch there, though.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17It has got some, yeah.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20They're not very thick, are they, the layers of meringue?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23It's quite neat at the sides, this one.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26You can definitely see the three layers of meringue
0:28:26 > 0:28:28and the two layers of filling.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- Good crunch.- It looks good.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36It's neat, it's neat. Yeah.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40'Mary and Paul will now rank the dacquoises.'
0:28:40 > 0:28:42In fifth place - this one.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Rather an uneven finish and the filling was rather runny.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Number four is this one.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Your praline's not very good, your ganache has probably been put on...
0:28:55 > 0:28:59It was just not cool enough.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00And in third place.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05Good even piping, but the meringue itself, a little too runny.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08And number two is this one.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11It came down to the volume in the meringue between one and two.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15And in first place, Ruby!
0:29:15 > 0:29:16Well done, Ruby.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18APPLAUSE
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Good height, good definition of the meringue
0:29:21 > 0:29:25and the filling held together very well. Well done.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30One would have been better, but two's all right.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34I'm astounded. I did not think I was going to win.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Could have been better, could have been not last.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42Things haven't gone totally to plan, but tomorrow's a new day.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54'One challenge remaining in the quarterfinal.'
0:29:54 > 0:29:57All five bakers fighting it out for a place in the semis.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59Let's start with Ruby.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Ruby always has a blip, and then instantly rectifies it.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04Is she safe, though, do you think she's in the semis?
0:30:04 > 0:30:05Coming first in the technical,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08if she has a really bad day today it might not be enough.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Kimberley was second in the technical,
0:30:10 > 0:30:12and she had similar problems with her signature loaf, didn't she?
0:30:12 > 0:30:14The texture was a bit wrong.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16And Frances, who was mid-way in the technical?
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Her Chelsea buns looked so good, it looked so inviting,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21you wanted to tear off a chunk.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23And I think in the Showstopper today,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26I hope she doesn't over decorate it.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Christine, she had a mix of sort of rice flour and potato flour
0:30:29 > 0:30:32and possibly some tapioca in there, quite well baked, you thought?
0:30:32 > 0:30:34I thought it was OK, I thought she was last,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36she's got to come up today.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Finally Beca, who came fourth in the technical
0:30:39 > 0:30:41but did very well in her focaccia.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45The flavours that she got, it did look like a focaccia, the structure was all right.
0:30:45 > 0:30:46Does that save her?
0:30:46 > 0:30:48It depends on what she does today, this is the problem.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51It's almost in reverse from signature to technical.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53It could go any way.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57- Well, now I'm on tenterhooks. - So am I.- I can't cope.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Good morning, bakers, and welcome to the Showstopper Challenge.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10And what you bake today could secure your place in the semifinals,
0:31:10 > 0:31:11so no biggy.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15What we'd like you to bake is a 3-D novelty cake.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Now this could be in any shape you like - a shoe, a cat,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22a pair of Paul Hollywood's budgie smugglers - we don't mind.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26But it's got to be dairy-free - no butter, no cheese,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28no milk inside or out, none of that.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31Now, bakers, we'd like it to be a vegetable cake, please.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34You can use any vegetables you choose,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38you've got four hours on the clock. So, on your marks...
0:31:38 > 0:31:39- Get set...- BOTH: Bake!
0:31:41 > 0:31:44'Nearly all recipes for vegetable cake are dairy-free,
0:31:44 > 0:31:48'as they traditionally feature oil rather than butter.'
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Most cakes will have butter in, they'll have eggs,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53they'll have milk in there
0:31:53 > 0:31:56but by taking out the dairy, they've got to think outside the box.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Then they've got to think of the vegetables.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00The vegetables release oil, they release a natural flavouring,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03and it's about the quantity you put in there,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06because it will restrict and retard whatever flour you're going to use.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09So it's very tricky when you bring all those components together
0:32:09 > 0:32:12to actually bake something that looks good and tastes good.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Most of them will have made a carrot cake,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17they may even have made a courgette cake
0:32:17 > 0:32:19but they've got to think beyond that.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21It's difficult when you're using vegetables,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25they're often a very close texture, very moist.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28We are looking for a cake with a good base
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and then they've got to be all out for a good decoration.
0:32:33 > 0:32:40I am making a 3-D sweet potato cake
0:32:40 > 0:32:42in the shape of a guitar.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45I've made it twice, this cake.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47And both times it's come out really good
0:32:47 > 0:32:49so I don't foresee any problems.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53'Christine is flavouring her sweet potato electric guitar with
0:32:53 > 0:32:57'fresh pineapple, spices, and fresh passion fruit icing.'
0:32:57 > 0:33:02It's quite a dense cake, it's a bit like a bread pudding texture.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05It's got lots of spices, it is delicious.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08So what are you using to cover the cake with?
0:33:08 > 0:33:15I'm making a marshmallow fondant, which is quite quick to make.
0:33:15 > 0:33:16And what are you thinking?
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Brian May, Jimi Hendrix?
0:33:19 > 0:33:21- Brian May. Every time. - May, all the time.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23- Jimmy Page.- Page?- Jimmy Page.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31My 3-D novelty cake is going to be made into the shape
0:33:31 > 0:33:36of a wooden board with a massive chunk of cheese sat on top.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41'Beca's using butternut squash as the basis for her cheeseboard cake,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45'flavouring it with peach jam and infesting it with fondant mice.'
0:33:45 > 0:33:51I haven't practised this cake, so I don't know how it's going to go.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56Winging it slightly, but, yeah, should all be fine hopefully.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00'Kimberley's also using butternut squash in her cake,
0:34:00 > 0:34:02'inspired by childhood memories.'
0:34:02 > 0:34:07This toadstool cake is the cake my mum made for my brother when he was little,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10so I remember being quite small and fascinated by it.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I thought it would be quite a nice little kind of tribute
0:34:13 > 0:34:15to those memories.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18'Her squash toadstool house is flavoured with spices,
0:34:18 > 0:34:20'maple syrup and non-dairy buttercream,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23'surrounded by fondant decorations.'
0:34:23 > 0:34:26The plan is just to get the cake in as soon as possible.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31I want to speed through this part, so I've got as much time as possible
0:34:31 > 0:34:33to do the decorations properly
0:34:33 > 0:34:35without having to feel like I'm rushing them.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42I'm making a carrot cake in the shape of an allotment plot.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48So there's going to be a shed and vegetable beds and stuff like that.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53'Ruby's allotment will have poppy seed soil and pistachio grass,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55'and a shed built with dark chocolate planks
0:34:55 > 0:34:57'and a praline roof.'
0:34:57 > 0:35:00So this is your basic cake mixture for the big cake?
0:35:00 > 0:35:03I don't know if this is a big enough bowl for all of that.
0:35:03 > 0:35:04- It's a big mix.- It's a huge mix.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Is this the biggest mix you've ever worked with, Ruby?
0:35:07 > 0:35:10I've never made a cake this big, this is really weird for me.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12I can't wait to see how you get on with it.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Very exciting to do it, quite different
0:35:14 > 0:35:17and I'm looking forward to it.
0:35:17 > 0:35:18'Frances's 3-D novelty cake
0:35:18 > 0:35:22'would look at home on Ruby's vegetable allotment.'
0:35:22 > 0:35:24I'm making my hidden carrot cake.
0:35:24 > 0:35:30It's going to be a sort of pot and then I'm having three carrots
0:35:30 > 0:35:34hidden in there and then I'll have dill acting as the carrot top.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Then I'm going to make some edible bulbs and mini little edible plants
0:35:38 > 0:35:42and then a little plant label topper and some sesame seeds.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47It should look like a little horticultural garden, I suppose.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50'Frances is making a beetroot and walnut cake for the earth part
0:35:50 > 0:35:53'of her design, flavouring it with dark chocolate
0:35:53 > 0:35:57'and orange zest and topped with a ground praline chocolate soil.'
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Well, beetroot and walnuts are so good. And also, I find beetroot is
0:36:00 > 0:36:05quite an earthy, soily taste anyway. It's not overpowering and also
0:36:05 > 0:36:09it adds a real nice moistness to the cake because I can't use butter.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15'Because they are high in moisture, vegetable cakes need longer to bake
0:36:15 > 0:36:19'than usual cakes, so it's important to get them in the oven early.'
0:36:19 > 0:36:21There's some good ideas there, I think.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22We've got some really good ideas,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25and they're using techniques they haven't used before.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26When you're looking at Ruby,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29it's the first time you're going to see her out of her comfort zone
0:36:29 > 0:36:32and she's actually making something look very pretty and very different.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Frances, as usual, is doing lots of intricate things
0:36:36 > 0:36:39in her vegetable garden.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43And I just hope she doesn't spend too much time
0:36:43 > 0:36:46on all things round rather than the actual cake.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Christine's will be finished impeccably,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52but I don't like the idea when she said it's a bit like bread pudding.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56The bake itself, the all-important part, well, it's got to be good.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24Not quite, you can see a little bit of wet on the skewer.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32I might give it another five minutes just to be safe.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Yep, very happy with my cakes.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42OK, cakes...done.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50'Vegetable cakes are heavy, so building them
0:37:50 > 0:37:55'into 3-D novelty shapes requires a fair bit of precision.'
0:37:55 > 0:37:58OK, this looks good. There's a lot of construction work on the shed.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00There's quite a lot of construction work going on.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02And can you remember all your measurements?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04I can remember some of my measurements.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21I just need to get them cooled in time, is the only thing now.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25So I can ice them without the buttercream melting off
0:38:25 > 0:38:26or anything like that.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32It's one of those things where it looks really, really rubbish
0:38:32 > 0:38:34until the last few moments when you put the final touches on.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37So let's just hope I have time to do those final touches.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41'Buttercream is often used to decorate and fill cakes,
0:38:41 > 0:38:46'so to make a non-dairy alternative, Christine, Kimberley, Ruby
0:38:46 > 0:38:50'and Beca are using sunflower or soya-based spreads.'
0:38:50 > 0:38:52The problem with using the margarine is,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54it's got quite a high water content
0:38:54 > 0:38:57so it takes loads of sugar to get a decent consistency,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00and what the cider vinegar does is just adds that real...
0:39:00 > 0:39:01You only use a tiny bit
0:39:01 > 0:39:04but it just adds that slight tang to make it more like a cream cheese.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06'Frances is going one step further,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10'by making a non-dairy dark chocolate fudge sauce.'
0:39:10 > 0:39:16I use coconut cream with chocolate and golden syrup and orange rind.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19It quite tastes like that famous lovely chocolate orange bar
0:39:19 > 0:39:20at the end of it all.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29I thought I was tidy before I came on here
0:39:29 > 0:39:32and then it became very clear to me that I was anything but.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35I guess I am just messy, I'm just messy.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37GLASS BREAKS
0:39:37 > 0:39:39I'm so sorry.
0:39:39 > 0:39:40I'm so sorry!
0:39:43 > 0:39:48I'm so sorry! It's like the Incredible Hulk!
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Oh, no, I'm too embarrassed to bake any more! I can't do it.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03I'm just about to make my front door.
0:40:03 > 0:40:09It's quite outside my comfort zone, this kind of baking. I don't do
0:40:09 > 0:40:14cake decorating, I've never actually done any real cake decorating.
0:40:14 > 0:40:20So it's a real step outside for me,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23but hopefully I can do a good job of it.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27'Like Kimberley, Beca is crafting her decorations out of
0:40:27 > 0:40:30'ready-made fondant icing and modelling paste.'
0:40:30 > 0:40:34It is quite a fun bit, this, it's quite fiddly,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36it's quite therapeutic, I find.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41I like little details and I've got an image of what this cake looks like
0:40:41 > 0:40:44in my head and I'm just trying to replicate it as best I can.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48'Christine, however, is creating her own fondant icing from scratch
0:40:48 > 0:40:50'by melting down marshmallows.'
0:40:52 > 0:40:54It's still sort of hot, it's lovely.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58Yeah, but the more I knead it, it'll get cold,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00then I can use it straightaway.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03It is a messy procedure but it makes lovely fondant.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06It is, I feel like I'm in a Kate Bush video in the late '70s.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12'Ruby and Frances are channelling their inner chocolatier
0:41:12 > 0:41:15'with varying degrees of success.'
0:41:19 > 0:41:21I didn't know it was possible to burn chocolate.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24I've achieved it, I've achieved it.
0:41:24 > 0:41:30Look at this Vesuvian marvel. Gosh, that is quite a dense crust on that.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34- That's not going to go in the soil. - No, I think probably not.
0:41:34 > 0:41:40I'm making the wooden planks from the shed and for the vegetable beds
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and so I'm just moving the chocolate over the templates.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49The chocolate that I may or may not have tempered successfully.
0:41:50 > 0:41:57Bakers, you've got 18 minutes of novelty cakery 3-D-ness to go, 18.
0:42:03 > 0:42:10So I'm just filling the cake with the carrots at the moment.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13This whole thing is very pressurised but I've just got to
0:42:13 > 0:42:18concentrate on each task and not think about what could go wrong.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24I'm just making the roof for the shed, so it's basically
0:42:24 > 0:42:28a caramel that gets poured over these almonds, and then basically
0:42:28 > 0:42:31I cut that into two halves, so two rectangles for the roof.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Are those pebbles edible as well?
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Yep, everything's edible because I know Mary's
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- quite a stickler for everything on there being edible.- Totally.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Is the board edible?
0:42:45 > 0:42:46THEY LAUGH
0:42:51 > 0:42:58Not far off. I've just got to string it, as yet it's not playable.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05- Do you want to stay until next week? How much?- So much.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07This much?
0:43:07 > 0:43:11No. The size of this tent and 20 million times more.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15You're enjoying this, Beca, I can tell.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Love it. Absolutely love it.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21- You thrive in a competitive atmosphere, don't you?- Massively.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27OK, bakers, five minutes left on your
0:43:27 > 0:43:30three-dimensional vegetable challenge.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42At the moment, it's obviously still got a way to go, but it's not
0:43:42 > 0:43:46the mess I thought it would be halfway through this challenge,
0:43:46 > 0:43:50because I was doing really badly and now I'm just doing quite badly.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55I don't want to look.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01I've just put the roof on, put the butterflies on
0:44:01 > 0:44:05and see if I can make a bird's nest.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14I do feel that this is quite an important bake for me.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26Oh, there's more to do, there's always more.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29What can I do, love? Tidy. I need to tidy.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32It's OK because any of these bits might actually be vegetables.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34OK. OK.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Ooh, my little knob's fallen out.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40Bakers, your showstoppers have almost showstopped.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42One minute to go.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19OK, those turnip towers, those swede sponges are over,
0:45:19 > 0:45:24baking has finished, so please, put your vegetables to the end of the bench.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27Oh, Frances, what have you done?
0:45:27 > 0:45:29I've gone crazy.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30It looks amazing.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Yours does as well, Ruby.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34Oh, it's a mess.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37I've got a lopsided shed. Ridiculous, it's going to fall over.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58If I haven't earned a place in the semifinal,
0:45:58 > 0:46:02with that final bake, then I don't deserve to be there
0:46:02 > 0:46:06because that's probably, at this stage, the best that I can do.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10I think it looks great, great detail which I like anyway.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13And very precise. I will go straight through the middle.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18It is the texture that you expect from butternut squash,
0:46:18 > 0:46:22pumpkin, they're always very moist
0:46:22 > 0:46:25and this one's quite close textured, but it's a good flavour.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28It's a good thing you've got that icing on it
0:46:28 > 0:46:31because the actual cake itself is not sweet.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34No, the filling's good, it's the filling that balances it all out.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37It is baked, it's full of flavour,
0:46:37 > 0:46:39the spices blend really well with it as well.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41I think it's been executed perfectly.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44I mean, you've managed to come up with something that looks
0:46:44 > 0:46:48very good and the bake inside is excellent.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58I feel pleased with what I've presented in there
0:46:58 > 0:47:01and I hope it is enough to get me through to the semis.
0:47:01 > 0:47:06I hope the taste comes across as much as the final look of it all.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13Just looking at it, there's an element
0:47:13 > 0:47:17that I'm not too happy about and that is that you've spent
0:47:17 > 0:47:19an awful lot of time doing things
0:47:19 > 0:47:21but you haven't made your pots.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26Oh, right.
0:47:26 > 0:47:27MEL: Oh, that's clever.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33There's no icing in it.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36The middle of that cake, the carrot is dry.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38The outside of the cake is quite dense.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42It's moist, but you couldn't have more than a thimble full
0:47:42 > 0:47:46because your mouth would just seize up.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48It's too bitter.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51It's like sometimes when you eat a rich, expensive dark chocolate,
0:47:51 > 0:47:53you can't eat a lot of it.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55You can eat a little piece and then you're finished.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58And I think on this occasion,
0:47:58 > 0:48:01style and substance may come into play again.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11To be honest, that is
0:48:11 > 0:48:14the most highly finished thing I've ever made.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18I've never done anything anywhere near that level of decoration before
0:48:18 > 0:48:21so for me it's good, for me it's like a personal best.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25I think you've done some very clever things here.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29I think the caramel roof, I've never seen that before.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32And that's what we're always looking for, something original.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34I love the idea of the poppy seed.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36I like what you've done to the top of the cake,
0:48:36 > 0:48:38your chocolate work's good as well.
0:48:45 > 0:48:50I do like the excess of pistachio nuts,
0:48:50 > 0:48:52that really comes through.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54The bake's great on the cake, it's got a great flavour.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57Good amount of ingredients in there and textures.
0:48:57 > 0:48:58Are you pleased with it?
0:48:58 > 0:49:01It's probably the best-looking thing I've ever made.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04Yay, you said something positive!
0:49:07 > 0:49:10I know I was taking a bit of a risk making a cake
0:49:10 > 0:49:13that I'd never made or practised before
0:49:13 > 0:49:16but it looked exactly how I wanted it to,
0:49:16 > 0:49:17if not actually better than
0:49:17 > 0:49:21I had anticipated in my head. So really, really chuffed.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26It's very simple, but effective.
0:49:26 > 0:49:31I like...it's sharp, you know exactly what it is.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33But for me that cake has to taste fantastic.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35- Can I take that off? - Yeah. Absolutely.
0:49:36 > 0:49:41I'm afraid the cake for me doesn't have a great deal of flavour.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44No flavour. The only flavour I'm getting is sweetness from the icing.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47I'm not convinced you weighed everything up properly.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50- Really?- Mmm.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53There's just no flavour, it's like an after-taste,
0:49:53 > 0:49:58sometimes of ginger, but it's just bland all the way through.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01I think it's such a wonderful looking cake, it looks such fun
0:50:01 > 0:50:05but the disappointment is when you get into the cake
0:50:05 > 0:50:07which is rather sad.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10I'm really disappointed that it's not tasting as it should,
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- and I can only apologise for that. - Thank you very much.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19I really, really enjoyed that bake.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22The cakes came out superbly,
0:50:22 > 0:50:24better even than I've made them at home,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27so I'm pretty confident that Paul and Mary will like the cake.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33I like the simplicity, I like the way you've shaped it yourself,
0:50:33 > 0:50:36it's very effective.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39The one thing I want to know is what it's like inside.
0:50:39 > 0:50:40It's got to taste good.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Too bland.
0:50:52 > 0:50:58Now the problem is, the outside is beautiful, that chewiness,
0:50:58 > 0:51:02it's got sweetness to it, it's not too much, I think it's perfect.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04I've never seen that before and it really does work.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08The inside is quite...
0:51:08 > 0:51:10It doesn't hit you between the teeth.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12It's got quite a lot of spice in it.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16Yeah, I'm getting some of that, it just doesn't overwhelm me.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21It needed a point, one thing that ran through it to make it stand out.
0:51:21 > 0:51:26If there had been a little more of the passion icing,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28that would have helped.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31I would have liked a bit more spice in the cake itself.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33You don't get the passion fruit, it doesn't come through.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36I had a couple of bites and it just didn't come through.
0:51:36 > 0:51:37That line round the outside,
0:51:37 > 0:51:41if you had more of that, then perhaps that was the answer as well.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51I thought this was good.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55And I put everything into it, so if it is me going today,
0:51:55 > 0:51:58I feel I've done my best.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01This just means so much and I would hate to go out on a cake that
0:52:01 > 0:52:05actually means so much to me that I felt really fitted the brief.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09You know, this whole style over substance thing.
0:52:09 > 0:52:14I felt the substance was there and I can pack so much more substance in.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16I'm really annoyed that I'm so upset about it
0:52:16 > 0:52:19but that was just brutal, just really horrible.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23It's just a waiting game now to see what's happening,
0:52:23 > 0:52:25and it's horrible, it really is.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30Some fairly harsh, uncompromising judging there.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33You didn't pull your punches, judges.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35It's the quarterfinals going into the semifinals,
0:52:35 > 0:52:39you have to be honest with them. We praised where praise was needed
0:52:39 > 0:52:42and we were critical, I think, where criticism had to be placed.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45I tell you when Mel and I found it a little harsh, correct me
0:52:45 > 0:52:47if I'm wrong, but particularly with Frances.
0:52:47 > 0:52:48There's a lot of process there.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50She is brilliant really,
0:52:50 > 0:52:54but she will not concentrate on the main thing, the cake.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57She often goes off on the fringe things,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00the little additions that she puts on.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Again, you're looking at style/substance again
0:53:03 > 0:53:05and how many times have we said that to her?
0:53:05 > 0:53:09- About 11,000.- She'd mid-way ranking on the technical bake.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Do you think because of your feelings about this cake
0:53:12 > 0:53:14that's put her in trouble?
0:53:14 > 0:53:18It's put her in trouble, but I'm going back to those wonderful
0:53:18 > 0:53:20Chelsea buns, and gosh those were good.
0:53:20 > 0:53:26Let's move onto boogie sponge-a-land, Christine's amazing orange guitar.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28It needed one flavour to come through,
0:53:28 > 0:53:31or something to lift it up and lighten it.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34I didn't get any passion fruit at all. All I was interested in
0:53:34 > 0:53:37was the icing around the outside because that is delicious.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40She did come last in Technical
0:53:40 > 0:53:42and her gluten-free bread actually was all right.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45So where does that leave Christine then?
0:53:45 > 0:53:47I think, for me, in the danger zone.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51Now Beca's, you thought, was possibly a bit on the simple side.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Well, look at it, it is simple.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56From your comments, you found that the blandest of all the cakes.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Yes, I did, you're right.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01And she did come fourth in the Technical Challenge.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04This has brought her right down from focaccia glory.
0:54:04 > 0:54:09OK, let's turn our view to Ruby who, I think it's fair to say,
0:54:09 > 0:54:11has had a pretty good weekend.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15She was top of the Technical, and her loaf tasted good.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18But this has taken Ruby into a new direction,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20this allotment and shed cake, hasn't it?
0:54:20 > 0:54:23There's a lot of techniques in there and overall, artistic at the end.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27And she just got there, there was a huge mess on her table
0:54:27 > 0:54:31and in the middle there was this delightful allotment.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Which leaves us with the magic mushroom.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36Now, you thought the texture and taste was pretty good.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40When you look at what Kimberley did, the textures, the structure,
0:54:40 > 0:54:42the stability, the attention to detail,
0:54:42 > 0:54:46the flavour of that, the cream running through it, all good.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48So where does that leave Kimberley?
0:54:48 > 0:54:51I think Kimberley's up there, you know, in line with...
0:54:51 > 0:54:54she's up there, possibly Star Baker.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56- OK.- But having said that...
0:54:56 > 0:54:59- Ruby?- Ruby's up there for Star Baker as well.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01OK, well, two at the top and three at the bottom,
0:55:01 > 0:55:03a lot of decisions and discussions to have.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05That's between Mary and I.
0:55:19 > 0:55:24Bakers, very tough judging today and equally tough deliberations.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28You are all so very good, it gets harder and harder.
0:55:28 > 0:55:33Thankfully, this week I have the pleasant side of the deal
0:55:33 > 0:55:36in that I get to award Star Baker.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38And this week it goes to a woman.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41THEY LAUGH
0:55:41 > 0:55:42Do you need more clues?
0:55:42 > 0:55:45OK, this is a woman who's mastered the dacquoise,
0:55:45 > 0:55:47this is a woman who serves everything with a side order
0:55:47 > 0:55:52of size, this is a woman who makes the best tasting roof I've ever had.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54Ruby, congratulations, you're our Star Baker.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01And I've got the miserable job.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Paul and Mary have said that this is the closest quarterfinal
0:56:03 > 0:56:08we've ever had. One of you will have to go, and the person that
0:56:08 > 0:56:11we have great sadness in saying goodbye to...
0:56:17 > 0:56:19is...
0:56:29 > 0:56:32..Christine.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36Oh, Christine, my love. Have a big sandwich, come on.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40You'll be so terribly missed.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44I have learnt so much over these eight weeks,
0:56:44 > 0:56:51it's been the best thing I've ever done in my life by a mile.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54And I haven't had a boring life.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57You are brilliant, you are brilliant.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59It was very, very difficult to choose.
0:56:59 > 0:57:04Ultimately it came down to taste, texture and appearance.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08Ruby showed all the skills, she tempered her chocolate,
0:57:08 > 0:57:12every item was made by her.
0:57:12 > 0:57:17The whole finish was enchanting, she deserved to be Star Baker.
0:57:17 > 0:57:22I think this weekend's really helped to build my confidence.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25Up until now, I've focused only on the current week
0:57:25 > 0:57:28but I guess I would like to get to the final.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32All along I had week nine in my sights and I've got it now
0:57:32 > 0:57:35so I need to really prove my worth.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38I don't want to change the way I think,
0:57:38 > 0:57:40the way I design in the kitchen.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44It's been tough but hopefully it'll make me stronger.
0:57:46 > 0:57:50Now the margin of error is, I don't think there is one actually.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53The pressure now is about bringing perfection to every bake.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04'Next time, the semifinalists take on the French.'
0:58:04 > 0:58:06Bienvenue a la demi-finale de Great British Bake Off.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10'The four remaining bakers bake savoury signature canape.'
0:58:10 > 0:58:11Have you just gone freestyle?
0:58:11 > 0:58:14- I haven't got time, really. - You daredevil.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16'A Technical Challenge that's enough to make their heads hurt.'
0:58:16 > 0:58:19This is going to be a mess, it really will look like a brain.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22'And a Showstopper that has to hit the right note.'
0:58:22 > 0:58:26SING-SONG: Ground up something or other, I don't know what that is.
0:58:26 > 0:58:28SING-SONG: It's grounded banana chips.
0:58:37 > 0:58:40Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd