Austria Hairy Bikers' Bakeation

By now, you've probably realised that there are two things

-we really love in this world.

-Biking and baking.

So, we've decided to combine them

in an epic 5,000 mile bakeation.

-Dave, we're halfway through, mate.

-And what baking we've seen.

Oh, look at that!

From Norway to Eastern Europe, we've tasted some amazing things.

But our next leg will be something just a little bit special.

You're not wrong, because ahead of us lies Austria.

Home to some of the world's finest baking.

-Look at that.

-That's beautiful, isn't it?

After Austria, we make the move south.

-With Italy...

-Olio! Perfecto!

France...

C'est magnifique!

..and Spain still to come.

We love you more than you'll ever know.

As usual, we'll track down some of the world's very best bakers,

to teach us a trick or two of their trade.

So, buckle up.

It's time for the next leg of our spectacular...

BOTH: Bakeation!

We've made it, dude. We're in Austria.

The guidebook calls it, "A jewel in the heart of Europe."

# I am 16 going on 17

# La-la-da-da-ta-da-da. #

Oi! Show some respect, you. This is Vienna, the capital.

The centrepiece of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

A living museum of architecture.

Oh, the Hotel Imperial.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was staying there last night, apparently.

I'll tell you what else the book says about Vienna.

It's the epicentre of European cafe society.

It's got to be time for elevenses, hasn't it?

And it's the patisserie capital of the world.

We're talking serious cake here, Kingy.

Yes!

This is what I imagined Vienna to be like, didn't you?

Yeah. Lovely little shops. Classy.

It's lovely. And cakes.

We're heading for the famous Cafe Demel.

And we've only got one thing on our mind.

Vienna breathes and eats cake. It's cake central.

The hills are alive with cakes.

The city's alive with cakes. The country is a cake.

It's fantastic!

Cake and Austrians have been inextricably linked for centuries.

-Marie-Antoinette.

-Oh, yeah.

-"Let them eat cake."

-Yeah.

If you're into baking, you've got to come to Vienna.

Hang on. Marie-Antoinette was Austrian?

Oh, yes. In fact, she's my second favourite Austrian, after Arnie.

But enough idle banter. What's the plan?

I think the Sachertorte. The mysteries, thereof.

And this is the Sachertorte central.

-It's here.

-Yeah.

-Where it all goes on.

It's also Strudel central. Look at the size of those Strudels.

I mean, they're making filo pastry like bed linen.

But I'd love to go somewhere a bit more rustic,

-to see Strudel made.

-Homemade, mate.

-Yeah.

-We need to blag our way into somebody's house,

-Aye. No problem.

Don't forget Linz. We've got to go to Linz,

the home of Linzertorte. The oldest torte in Austria, if not the planet.

You know, cake again!

Well, I'll be hanged if I'm coming to Austria,

and going home without learning to yodel. Yodel-o-hi-hoo!

-But...the Glossknocker Pass.

-The "Glossknocker"?!

-For motorcyclists.

-It's the "Grossglocknecker".

-Glo... Grossglo...

-Hold on.

-Gloss... Grosskineper...

Grossgla...glanocker. Grossgla...

It's a great alpine road for motorcyclists.

A pass where motorcycling myths and legends are built on.

We shall ride up there.

And I think on the top, we should stop at bikers' view,

and make a chocolate Gugelhupf.

And we should clad ourselves in Lederhausen again!

'Lederhosen, dude. Lederhosen.'

I wonder if we should use the powers of the 21st century,

of Twitter and Facebook.

Social networking, dude.

-I wonder if we Twittered that on Monday at 3 o'clock...

-Yeah.

..we will be up there, on top of the Grossglockner...

'The Gross what?'

-..cooking a chocolate Gugelhupf in our Lederhausen...

-'Lederhosen!'

Wouldn't it be great if just one person just discovered this "twit",

and came there to share our chocolate Gugelhupf?

'That'll be "tweet", dude. Tweet!'

Hey-hey!

You know what, Dave?

We've got so carried away with our plans, we forgot to order our cake!

A serious omission. This journey needs to start with...

..Cake. A chocolate one.

Vienna is home to probably the most famous chocolate cake in the world,

the legendary Sachertorte. Created in 1832 by Franz Sacher.

We'll need to concentrate,

as there are two classic versions of the Sachertorte.

-One made by Cafe Demel...

-..where we've just had coffee,

..and one by another great Viennese institution, the Hotel Sacher,

opened by Franz Sacher's son, Eduard.

"So what," I hear you cry, "is the difference?"

Well, it's all about the layers.

Demel's version simply has a layer of apricot jam on top,

enclosed by chocolate.

The Hotel Sacher's has this layer,

plus a second layer of jam running through the middle.

The more, the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, for 170 years, these twin tortes have reigned supreme

in Austria's galaxy of cakes.

But now, there's a new kid on the block. The Cafe Central.

The head chef there has dared to create

-a third version of the Sachertorte.

-And they call it the Sachertorte...

BOTH: Reloaded.

GUNSHOT

-By crikey, look at that, Si.

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, these are fantastic.

-Man.

-This isn't food, this is erotic.

-There it is!

-That's our baby.

-Sacher Kuss.

-BOTH: Reloaded.

We've come down to the kitchen

to meet the brains behind the Sachertorte Reloaded.

-Here's the man we're here to see.

-'Frenchman, Pierre Reboul.'

-I'm Si. Nice to meet you.

-I'm Dave, Pierre.

-Pleased to meet you.

What do the Austrians think about a Frenchman

coming to mess with their Sachertorte?

We've had mixed reviews.

There's people that think that it's actually a good thing

-to change a little bit, things around.

-Yes.

And there's people that certainly feel that there is no reason

to change something that works, and they're right.

It was not changing it, it was just adding onto it, or adding on to,

or getting a conversation started.

We made a thinner version of essentially a chocolate cake,

and instead of using apricot marmalade,

we made a apricot jelly with some vanilla and marzipan.

It's the same flavour profile. It's the same ingredients, almost.

Just put together differently.

And we're going to let that chill, and set in the fridge.

They've been chilled, and set, in the fridge.

They're being chilled.

-So, you see you have a jelly that's not very firm.

-Yeah.

But firm enough to cut, and have a pleasant mouthful when you eat.

-So, now we're going to line them up, like this.

-Oh, right!

-Make like a little train.

-That's interesting.

So, here I'm piping creme anglaise, emulsified with chocolate.

BOTH: Ooh!

Oh, yes. Oh, good grief. Lines of chocolate loveliness.

-Oh, look at this.

-Stick that with a little bit of marmalade,

so this makes it easier for yourself to handle.

-Ah-ha.

-Here we have some warm water.

It's a really fine patisserie.

Actually, the method is quite straightforward.

Maybe if you did this at home,

it wouldn't be as tidy and clean as yours.

The best ideas are the simplest.

-Look at that!

-That's beautiful, isn't it?

-Can you imagine producing that for your guests?

-It's just immense!

Pierre, could you tell us where Austria stands,

and how important is it on the world's baking stage?

I think it's really one of the cultures

that has the biggest history, as far as baking.

Austrians eat cake a lot.

A lot of countries, you can meet and socialise in a bar.

Here you meet, most of the time, in a cafe house.

Put a little bit of gold, for the empire.

Pierre, that truly is a beautiful cake.

I mean, that's something that makes you smile.

Wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

-It's been a pleasure.

-Fabulous.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Fabulous. Can we taste one?

-Yes, thanks.

Please. They are probably a bit cold.

-I don't know where to start!

-I do.

-We get you a plate?

-No, it's fine.

-You're going to do it like this?

-Yeah.

-It might run a bit when you bite it.

-Don't worry, don't worry.

Look at that.

That is a work of culinary art.

I should really have a plate. However...

It's like a beautiful woman, really, isn't it?

You want to look at her before you kiss her.

It's wonderful. It's bitter-sweet.

The textures are all there, the chocolate cake's light, soft.

The apricot mousse is so flavoursome with the marzipan.

I love you! Mega, man. Absolutely mega!

Oh, yes! Top French chef meets Viennese classic.

And what a result!

I'm feeling inspired, dude. Are we baking now?

Patience, my friend. I thought we'd see what Austria has to offer

in the savoury stakes, first.

For that, I've chosen a Heuriger,

-on the other side of Vienna.

-What's one of them, then?

Unless my trusty guidebook deceives me,

it's a restaurant-cum-tavern, found in eastern Austria.

-Oh! Look at the hot stuff.

-Oh, yes!

Dumplings, stuffed things. Oh, look at the crackling on that.

-Yes. Belly pork, man. Hello.

-Hello.

-What are you wanting to eat?

-Everything.

-Could you put...

-A small mixed plate?

-And some lentils, and...

-Yes.

..maybe some chillies. and some other pork fat.

-Some pickles.

-Plenty of belly pork, and pork loin.

-Yes.

-Not forgetting the dumplings.

-Yes.

-Yes, you need a dumpling.

-Wow.

-Here's a selection of the food.

-Austrian hospitality, eh?

-Second to none.

We're really going to have to bake something soon.

Man cannot live on cake alone, Kingy.

Get some protein down you while you can.

-Ooh, yeah.

-Hang on, the band's striking up.

Don't catch their eye. Don't look over there.

Oh, well done, Kingy(!) they're coming over now.

AUSTRIAN MUSIC

Day two.

It seems a shame to be leaving the fine city of Vienna, doesn't it?

I know what you mean, Kingy.

Parting is a sweet sorrow.

But we've got a country to cross, and a mountain to climb.

The plan is to leave Vienna behind,

and head into the surrounding countryside,

to a little place called Oberkirchbach,

where we're told we can get our hands

on a classic Austrian strudel.

Ah. Are we baking it, like? Great. After all, this IS a bakeation.

Rest assured, there WILL be baking,

but, as we missed breakfast this morning,

how about a roadside picnic on the way?

I do love a picnic.

-Brilliant.

-A picnic!

-Guten Abend.

-This is nice. This is a neighbourhood bakery, isn't it?

Nice. We've seen the posh end of Viennese society,

and the baking, thereof. This is the everyday.

# Picnic time for fat boys

# We're having a lovely time today. #

-Shut up. They'll think we're mad.

-I don't care.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Shall we start off with the bread? Could I have half a Wecken?

-This?

-Ah, perfect. Thank you.

Could I have a Kraf...?

-A pretzel.

-Yes!

-Perfect. Thank you.

-Cheese straws. We'll get some of them.

-Oh, Dave, look.

There we have a Gugelhupf.

-Could we have a Schaumspitz?

-Look at that.

Looks like a butch walnut whip.

-Woo-hoo!

-What a result.

-Yes!

Right. We've got our roadside picnic.

All we need to do now is find a suitable roadside.

Nice.

Wahey! There she is. Vienna. The jewel in Austria's crown.

-We've left it behind us.

-We have, mate, we have.

And look what I've got as well. Stickers! Here's your two.

-Oh, minted.

-I love it, the way the bikes are building up.

Look at that. Old Austria, next to Kristiansund.

It seems a long time ago.

I tell you what, Dave, they might be fine with their patisserie

but their bread isn't bad either. Well done, Austria.

Hey Si, I wonder if we've found anybody to join us up the mountain?

-At the Grossglockner?

-At the top of the Grossglockner.

-It's not easy to say.

-Let's have a look at Facebook.

Twitter's been... What are you doing to that luncheon meat?!

-Well, I don't know.

-Do that again.

It just seem, it just seems to be the nicest...

You're like a waste disposal unit.

Anyway, Sandy Middleton, "Say hello to the marmots."

-There's marmots up there.

-Marmots?

Davina Ridley. "I wish I had a bike to join you."

-Oh, come on.

-Excuses.

Look, there's somebody here from Huddersfield.

Here we are. From Guy Le Gorilla. "Funnily enough, my friends and I

"will be riding from Berchtesgaden down to Slovenia on the Monday,

"and we'll be in the area. Sounds like our lunch stop is sorted."

Oh, good lad!

That's brilliant! And that's only day two. Fantastic!

I'll have a bit of cake to celebrate.

Bet you can't do that like you did with the luncheon meat.

A CAPELLA GERMAN SINGING

Let's be off. We're looking for a guesthouse called Bonka.

A CAPELLA GERMAN SINGING

More Austrian hospitality. Magic.

A CAPELLA GERMAN SINGING

We'll have to concentrate, though. We're getting a lesson

on how to make apple strudel.

A CAPELLA GERMAN SINGING

-So let me get this straight. The family name is Bonka.

-Correct.

So, when there's more than one Bonka, they're Bonkas?

By name, but not by nature, Kingy.

A CAPELLA GERMAN SINGING

Meet the Bonkas. Brigitte's the cook.

Her son Herbert, master of ceremonies.

-May I introduce you?

-Hello, I'm Dave.

-My mother.

-Hello, I'm Brigitte.

-Brigitte, hello. I'm Si.

-Hello.

-Nice to meet you. Oh!

Strudels, both savoury and sweet, have been an Austrian staple

for hundreds of years. But historically, the apple filling

was specific to Vienna.

We saw it being prepared at the Cafe Demel,

now Brigitte's going to do it the rustic way.

-I love a good strudel.

-Oh, yeah.

-It's one of those classic dishes.

-There's nothing better, is there?

And what a lovely, privileged thing to be able to see.

Proper homemade strudel.

Pay attention, Simon,

you're watching generations of family know-how.

The ultra thin pastry is related to filo pastry,

and that's because the strudel's origins lie to the east,

'arriving in Austria via Turkey and Hungary.'

It's making me hungry! And it's so simple. Breadcrumbs, apples, sugar,

cinnamon, sultanas and melted butter.

Now, here comes the tricky bit, though.

-Oh.

-Hey hey!

-Yes.

-Bravo!

-So guys, want to try your luck?

-Oh, I think so. Go on, Dave.

-But don't be afraid, my mother will watch you.

-What?

Go on, mate. You like a good pastry fiddle, don't you?

I have washed me hands.

-This is such good pastry.

-Very good.

-Yeah. Very good.

That's thinner than a wafer-thin mint, that.

Great.

This is something I'd like to be able to yodel while I'm doing.

Yodel-ay-hee-hoo. Can you yodel, Herbert?

No.

Can he yodel?! What sort of question's that?

-I don't...

-Well, he's Austrian!

-I don't even listen to yodel.

Of course, everything's going to go very well,

until I try to get it on the tin.

-Well, don't you worry about that, mate. We've got faith.

-Yeah.

Aye, and I've got a cunning plan.

-Go on.

-That's good.

There you go, mate.

-Ah. Ah! You've done your bit.

-You're joking!

-Just relax. Everybody's watching.

-Just relax, Si.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Oh!

-That's not bad.

-That looks like a bag of chips now.

-Shut up.

-Doesn't it?

It's very good. The first time, I think it's good.

-Right guys. I don't think we want to wait for an hour.

-No.

So we have one done before. BOTH: Brilliant!

I think what Herbert means is,

Und hier ist ein kuchen den ich vorgebacken habe.

-Oh, that looks good.

-Sugar on it.

-Thanks.

-And one for you.

-Thank you, Herbert.

-Enjoy.

Fantastic. Mmm. Lovely.

What I like about it, when I've had strudel before

the pastry's been quite heavy and quite, you know, claggy.

But this isn't. It's soft, it's, you know, it's beautiful.

-It's great.

-Mmm.

-Great pastry.

The only bad thing with our apple strudels, it's always gone so fast.

Inside, we're filled with the warm glow of Brigitte Bonka's strudel.

-Outside, the heavens have opened.

-Oh, well!

There's got to be worse places to be holed up for the night, mate.

Roger that, bud. And tomorrow we bake. Promise.

After last night's storm, the coast is clear.

So, like two knights of the road,

we're continuing our Austrian odyssey.

Yeah, but dude, even knights of the road need to, you know, go.

WHISTLING

Good grief. Did you have to keep filming?

It's this helmet cam thing. I don't know how to turn it off, do I?

Oh, don't worry, Kingy. It'll never make the programme.

Today's journey is taking us to a region called Styria,

and a village called Herbersdorf.

Many Austrians come to Styria in search of the rural idyll.

But we're here for something entirely different.

-Pumpkin fields!

-Over there!

-Pumpkins!

-Pumpkins at three o'clock! Pumpkins at three o'clock!

In the land of the pumpkin, this pumpkin farm

could make the perfect place for our first proper cook.

A traditional Austrian bake.

Hallelujah.

Hang on, though. It turns out that at this farm,

they not only grow pumpkins,

but mill the seeds to get pumpkin seed oil, a prized commodity.

Sounds interesting.

And Austrian hospitality being what it is, Gernot, the owner

insists on giving us a tour first.

Let's taste the seeds.

-The seeds. They taste so good.

-Mmm. Good.

There's a real savoury note to it as well, isn't there? It's lovely.

It all starts with the seeds.

Great old machines and good old boys, then combine to extract

the thick tasty oil, which is more popular in Austria than olive oil.

Good for the prostate too, apparently.

Well, Gernot looks pretty feisty.

You should taste the oil because...

-Oh, wow!

-Take a little bit of bread...

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-..and taste it.

-The colour of it is fantastic.

-Look at that, man.

-That is seriously good.

-Look at it. Boing!

So, never it go out, but you must only do it in the sun and it is away.

-Really?

-OK. So it is.

OK, good.

THEY ALL LAUGH

Wa-ha-hey! You're a one, Kingy. Now listen, about our cook.

Remember the Heuriger in Vienna? All that meat?

It made me feel a bit rebellious.

What do you mean, dude?

Austria may be a cake country, but how about we bake a meat loaf?

Straight up. No flour, no sugar, no pastry.

I like it. And you know what?

It would go down a treat served with a salad.

Dressed with pumpkin seed oil. Ooh, back of the net!

And so at last, we cook.

Our meat loaf is an Austrian one called Faschierter Rahmbraten.

Oh, easy for you to say.

Now the time has come to build our...

..oh, how do you pronounce it?

Here! You should see this. Our fixer.

Look at him. Come here, Andreas, stand next to him.

How do you think I feel? Confused is one word.

There are others I could use.

Well, how do you say it?

Tell your brother how you say "meat loaf".

Faschierter Rahmbraten.

Faschierter Rahmbraten.

Go really close. Give each other a cuddle, go cheek to cheek.

Faschierter Rahmbraten.

Now the only difference I can see,

is one's got a better tan than the other.

-That's Faschierter Rahmbraten.

-Faschierter...

-Dankeschon.

Now, time to build a Faschierter Rahmbraten.

In the bowl, we've got onions, garlic,

minced pork and minced beef...

To which we're adding a heap of fresh breadcrumbs.

Marjoram, caraway seed

and seasoning will give your loaf a wondrous flavour.

But it will need binding, so break in four eggs and mix.

Now that's egg bound, isn't it? What?

Most people think of meat loaf as an American dish,

but it was brought to America by Germanic settlers in Pennsylvania.

-SQUELCHING

-It doesn't sound good. Can you not do it quieter?

Now form it into a shape.

You could put it in a loaf tin but, why?

Let's have like a nice big, kind of bowl shape...

-Thing.

-Yeah.

-It's very light, this.

It's a thing of beauty.

Look at that.

It's square.

You have to fiddle, don't you?

You cannot help yourself, can you? You control freak.

Mmm! Takes one to know one.

A sprinkling of breadcrumbs

will give your lovely loaf a golden top.

Then add stock to keep things juicy.

Into the oven he goes.

There you go, baby.

See you in a while.

-And before you can say...

-Faschierter Rahmbraten.

-..he's done.

And it should hold together because it's got eggs in.

Look at that, Barnes Wallis could have done damage with this. Boing!

There goes the Ruhr Dam.

So, we've 'bratened' the Faschierter...

-Roasted the meat.

-..now for the rahm.

That's cream to you and me.

-Oh!

-Here we go.

-Oh, it's a good carver, Kingy.

-Is it?

That's how it should carve.

-Fancy a little taste, Si?

-Oh, yes please.

-Mmm.

-That's grand.

Oh, that is really nice.

-The caraway's gone right through it.

-Beautiful.

Look at that.

It's like the Exxon Valdez has run aground again.

Do you think we should invite the owner of this establishment to sample our...

..Faschierter Rahmbraten?

Yes.

It hasn't come out your shirt, has it?

if he comes near me with a bit of bread and oil in his hand,

I'm telling you...

And here it is, in a sweet-toothed country,

a savoury speciality, Faschierter Rahmbraten,

served with a salad liberally drizzled with Styria's finest pumpkin seed oil.

Eaten with the family Becwar,

who have milled pumpkin seeds here for 200 years.

-That is sehr gut.

-Delicious.

-Wunderbar.

-Ah, he likes the pumpkin oil.

-He does.

So here in Styria, it's the green heart of Austria, isn't it?

It's correct. Our land is the green heart of Styria

and the pumpkin seed oil is the green gold in Styria.

Green gold indeed.

You know Kingy, I can't believe I've never come across pumpkin seed oil before.

What a find.

Austria's best kept secret.

Have you noticed?

Gernot's changed his shirt.

Don't worry, mate. I know where he lives.

Ah well, the end of another food-filled day.

But the end of one day

is followed with inexorable logic, by the start of another.

We've headed an hour's ride north,

and come across a little town called Seckau.

And you know what happens at the start of the day, dude?

You're not going to the toilet with your helmet on again, are you?

No, breakfast! That's what I'm talking about.

Oh marvellous, I'm starving.

Oh, this'll do.

-Ha-hey!

-Well, it looks like it's gingerbread for breakfast.

-We never found it in Nuremberg, did we?

-No.

-Oh, let's go.

-Oh, Dave, don't you just love gingerbread?

-Oh yes.

There's something magic about it all right. Magical and moreish.

Breakfast is here.

HE SPEAKS IN AUSTRIAN

-Dankeschon.

-Dankeschon.

This is lebkuchen or gingerbread, but not as we know it, Jim.

I don't think I've ever had a gingerbread breakfast before.

It's brilliant, Kingy. Try that one.

-It's like a fondant with gingerbread on the bottom with chocolate.

-Oh.

-Oh that is good.

-That is good, isn't it?

-Oh!

-Mmm.

It's soft, isn't it?

It's not like gingerbread biscuits you get for gingerbread men.

-No.

-Mmm.

-Do you think we could dunk?

-There's nobody watching.

-Oh, that would be a waste, man.

This is clearly no ordinary gingerbread.

So how come a tiny place like Seckau plays host to a world-class purveyor of this spicy baked treat?

Well, dude, it turns out there's a story...

-Ooh, I love a story.

-..and it goes like this.

-The Regners have been baking bread here since way back.

-Ah ha.

When old man Regner fell ill, Michael took over.

-He was little more than a kid, just 21.

-Blimey.

He moved the enterprise into confectionary.

-Gingerbread.

-Right.

-Now, there was plenty of gingerbread out there,

but it was brittle and over-spiced.

Michael wanted to make great gingerbread, soft, refined,

exotic, high end, so he did.

And it went big, right across Europe.

Well done, Michael.

-Cut to Michael's son, Gregor.

-OK.

-A rising star.

In 2009, he took gold at the International Baking Competition in Canada. The world champ.

And now Gregor's going to give us a glimpse

into the mysteries of fine gingerbread.

-You've got it, dude.

-Ace!

-Thank you.

So, this is the mixed dough,

who rests one day and now we start to make gingerbread.

-So you made that yesterday?

-Yes, we made it yesterday.

-Ah, excellent.

Gregor's dough is composed of eggs, honey, flour, nuts

and a special Regner family mix of eastern spices.

I love this machine.

Now, you can cut the dough.

There's no room for rustic baking here, Kingy.

This is pure Virgo baking.

The filling contains figs, jam and rum. Delicious.

It's only when you see a process like this,

you realise why you have to pay for good stuff,

-the ingredients and the work.

-Yes.

But even posh stuff likes an eggy wash.

Look at that, it's like Errol Brown's head.

# I believe in miracles

# Ooh! Where you from, you sexy thing? #

Decoration.

It's like a nipple.

I'm going to love it.

-He is eating the decorations.

-I know, I know.

He's like that.

-Welcome to my world, Gregor.

-HE LAUGHS

-To the oven.

-Yes.

In they go.

BEEP

And 20 minutes later, out they come,

subtly but sensationally transformed.

Oh, yes!

-Nice!

-Oh, ho!

The final flourish. A coating of melted sugar.

-That looks good, man.

-It does look good.

Do you think that's too hot to eat?

This one is really too hot to eat,

-but this one is finished.

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, look at that.

Here's to Austrian gingerbread. Thank you so much.

-You're welcome.

-It's brilliant.

-Mmm.

-Good.

Well, it's made of good work.

I think your family have made 300 years' good work to get this far.

It's great.

We've had to wait until Austria to find gingerbread like this, Kingy.

Well worth it though. That's real world class baking.

See you, dude. Cheers. God bless.

On our way again.

We keep meeting these lovely people and having to shoot off.

I know, but we're on a tight schedule.

We've got bikers from Huddersfield heading for the Alps.

We can't let them down.

Oh aye, yeah, that's right.

For now, we're heading northwards into Upper Austria,

to the city of Linz.

To make...a Linzertorte.

Yep. If we're going to bake one, it's got to be in Linz.

Austria's third largest city, Linz, is the capital of Upper Austria.

For centuries, it's been an important trading centre,

due to its position on the banks of the mighty Danube.

And it's this great city,

which lends its name to Austria's most venerable torte,

the Linzertorte.

Now, it sounds posh, but really it's just a big jam tart.

-Over there, the blue Danube.

-Linz!

And we've got some bottle because under the auspices

of the castle that once was, we are cooking the Linzertorte.

-Oh, ho, ho!

-The oldest tart in Austria.

It precedes the Sachertorte.

-Some say it's finer.

-Ooh! That's controversial now.

Indeed. The Linzertorte is the godfather of all tortes,

its recipe dating back to 1653.

To make this prestigious pastry,

simply combine flour, ground almonds, caster sugar,

cinnamon and cold butter.

There's a lady with a plant, look.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello.

We're kind of nearly there.

It looks very, very similar to breadcrumbs.

You're thinking at this point, that's never going to hold together.

So you do need some liquid.

One single hen's embryo will do the trick.

Beat said egg, and add to the mixture.

Thank you.

Stir in using a fork, to create a fine crumb.

Then allow your friendly neighbourhood Geordie,

to work into a ball.

Fantastic. A well-floured board.

Ideally, a slab of Carrara marble would be fabulous,

but, an upturned tray will suffice.

Now, set about a third of this aside.

This is for the lattice on the top.

He-hey! Now, there's some fellow sitting there in Bolton going,

"Let's see if that buffoon can roll that one out."

Well, this buffoon doesn't have to,

because this pastry's so short, there's no need to roll.

Just press it into your tin and let the butter do the work.

When you get to a point, what you can do is,

you know, to cover your finger marks...

..use the back of a spoon.

You can, Captain Pedantic.

I'm not being pedantic, I'm being hygienic. There's a difference.

These hands have been sterilised.

-Yeah.

-A bit like you.

There's nothing wrong with being sterilised, it's a good thing to be.

Particularly after three children. It's great.

THEY LAUGH

-How long is it you've been barren now?

-Oh!

Hold on, how old's our Dale?

-Yeah. About 10 years.

-Mmm.

About six months after I found out Jane was pregnant.

-That was me, whoosh!

-Down the vet's.

-Down the vet's. Boom!

Now, the jam.

Now this is a seedy one.

If you've got trouble with your dentures, use a seedless.

-Oh, it's lovely that man, look.

-Oh, man!

-It's like a big butch jam tart with a load of history, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

All that remains to be done is to make an elaborate lattice work for the top,

to give it that complete Linzertorte look.

Cut ten strips of the remaining pastry

and lay five across each way, creating the crucial basket weave effect.

I know you're bored, Kingy, but I'm going as quickly as I can.

All that remains to be done is to pop this into a pre-heated oven,

190 degrees Celsius,

or 170 for a fan oven, or gas mark five,

for about 30 minutes, until cooked through and golden.

And in the fullness of time,

our historic Linzertorte is done,

and appears mysteriously on a wall overlooking the Danube.

So, let's let the people of Linz decide...

About the Linzertorte. Here we go. It's a big moment.

-There you are.

-Thank you.

Madam? Would you like some? Thank you. Please.

So a critical analysis please, in your best English. Thank you.

THEY LAUGH

-It's all about the base, isn't it?

-I'm very pleased with the result.

I'm very pleased with the result too.

-It's very good.

-It is very good.

Here, they're being suspiciously quiet.

Hang on, she's looking positive.

It's better than the one that I had in the restaurant.

You can come again. The rest of you are fired.

THEY LAUGH

Well, I suppose offering the people of Linz a Linzertorte

-was always going to be tricky, Kingy.

-I suppose so.

It's a bit like handing out pork pies in Melton Mowbray, isn't it?

Move on.

-Where are we staying tonight?

-Don't you remember?

-It's the monastery tonight.

-Is there something you want to confess?

Actually, I need delivering from temptation.

They bake a kind of brioche for breakfast.

Then may the Lord grant us a restful night.

Amen to that, dude. Amen to that.

COCKEREL CROWS

Sunday morning, 6:45.

How did you sleep, mate?

Oh, really well actually. It was fabulous. Out of the world.

I had a sleep of angelic proportions.

Austria is predominantly a Catholic country,

and the Benedictine Order has been a presence here

since the time of the Holy Roman Empire.

There are monasteries like this across the country,

and they're still a focal point of many communities,

especially on Sundays.

We've got up bright and early to head for the kitchen,

where they make a bread called kipferl, from a sweet dough.

And what we like about the kipferl

is it's said to be the precursor to the croissant.

Monika is the monastery's cook.

She speaks no English.

And we speak no German.

Monika's been here since she was 16, cooking for the monks.

-What a lovely thing to do.

-I know.

The kipferl cook kicks off

by adding four packets of yeast to two kilos of flour.

Oh, that'll make you go.

-Oh, aye. You could raise Lazarus with that.

-You could.

-Salt.

-Salt, yeah.

So we've got the yeast, the salt and the flour goes in.

-Ol.

-Sunflower oil.

While we add the oil, Monika warms the milk...

-Alles.

-Alles.

..to which is added the sugar, and four eggs.

-Alles rein.

-Alles rein, OK.

All in.

I'm doing it, mam.

-Schnell, alles rein.

-Oh, yes. Get it in, get it in the machine.

Dough hook.

Look dude, a couple of hungry monks.

Blimey. They're like the police, they just keep getting younger.

Do you eat this a lot?

Yes. Every Sunday.

-Every Sunday?

-Every Sunday we eat it, yes.

-It's a sticky dough.

-Yes.

SHE SPEAKS IN AUSTRIAN

Roughly translated, that means come back in 15 to 30 minutes.

It looks like we've got some time on our hands then, dude, eh?

Let's use it wisely.

CHORAL SINGING

Hofwegen.

Ja!

-Wow!

-Good grief.

-That's risen.

-Look at that. Catholic soul food.

No wonder they make this at Easter. Good grief.

This mighty dough will make four godfather kipferls,

which are often baked for special occasions, like baptisms, or Easter.

Ah!

So...

-So.

-So.

It's OK?

-Super.

-Oh!

-Wa-hey!

-Super!

-See? Ho, ho, ho! Back of the net, man.

-The apprentice.

Now, your kipferl is composed of a number of rolled lengths of dough,

plaited together in a frighteningly complicated way.

It's a bit like a squid Morris dancing.

So, so...

So, so, so...

Beautiful, Monika.

The crescent that became the croissant.

Well said, dude. Legend has it,

that when the Austrians expelled the Turks in the 17th century,

they celebrated by turning the Ottoman holy symbol

into a crescent-shaped bread.

But when an Austrian soldier opened a bakery in Paris,

the French adopted it. They called it the croissant.

This kipferl lark seems straight forward enough to me, Kingy.

Wa-aye. Crack on, mate.

-I thank you.

-I thank you.

-I thank you.

HE HUMS THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Nein, nein, nein!

-Awesome.

-Awesome.

-Oh!

Oh, tidy awesome.

DAVE LAUGHS

Ah ha.

Ja...

-Ah!

-Nein. Nein, nein...

Oh!

-So...

-Uh-huh? Ja?

-Nein?

It's not easy dude, is it? It's not easy.

I bet she's really good at playing Twister.

It's that one. That one.

-Maybe we do it together.

-It's that one.

No! No!

SHE LAUGHS

SLAMMING SOUND

Uh-oh!

Uh-oh!

Mr King...

that is a cultural travesty.

SHE SPEAKS IN AUSTRIAN

-I'm off.

-HE LAUGHS

Hey!

Oh well, there's always menial work.

I'm going to paint mine like the Sistine Chapel.

Look at that.

And the award goes to the Jules Verne's memorial kipferl.

Don't touch my kipferl in that way.

And the Morris dancing squid

got himself into rather a knot, children.

Goodbye, my friends.

I'll see you when you're done.

Yes.

-Here's Monika.

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Kipferl.

Your special kipferl.

Special what?

-God loves the different.

-THEY LAUGH

So does Monika, does she feed you well?

-Yes. Well, she's an excellent cook.

-Yeah?

You have to say that, she's got the knife.

THEY LAUGH

-Oh, that's looking all right, that.

-It is.

Sweet breads.

-Warm...

-Yes.

-It's still warm.

It is like a brioche, isn't it?

Dankeschon, Monika. Thank you.

Dankeschon, Monika.

That's good, isn't it?

Sunday mornings don't get much better than that, mate, do they?

No. Superb, Kingy. Superb.

And next, the Alps.

Snow capped peaks, yodelling, lederhosen

the sound of music!

Oh, flaming Nora. Look, man, we got up early for Monika's kipferls.

-Can we not just have a day of sightseeing?

-Oh, yes.

But as we travel to Salzburg, I intend to pay homage

-to the great Julie Andrews.

-Oh, if you must.

I have seen The Sound of Music no less than 14 times,

and it was in these very hills that Julie ventured forth

and gave free rein to that heaven-sent voice...

# The hills are alive

# With the sound of music

# With songs they have sung for a thousand years... #

That voice.

Oh! Let's get to Salzburg, for goodness sake.

# ..to the sound of music

# My heart wants to sing every song it hears. #

Salzburg was of course the birthplace

of Austria's most famous son.

More famous than Arnie?

-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

-Don't change the subject.

Ah, that's better.

The other thing about Salzburg, is that it lies at the northern tip of the Alps.

And that for us is the real point.

Because tomorrow it's... # Our favourite thing. #

-The Grossglockner beckons.

-Oh.

The iconic motorcycle route of Europe.

One of the highest points where a motorcycle can get,

and still be on tarmac.

Today we will be real men

and we will fly like Vikings through the mountains. Ja.

The Ride of the Valkyries today, dude.

Hang on a minute, I'm having a psychedelic flashback.

Don't worry, bud. It's just the garages at the back of the hotel.

-I wonder if anybody's coming to join us.

-I dunno.

-Any updates?

-Yeah.

They keep coming in, this whole Twitter thing.

I tell you what, I think we're going to need to make more cakes.

Oh, fantastico. Chocolate Gugelhupf all the way up there.

-Yes.

-And we cannot undertake this challenge on an empty stomach.

-Oh no, I want my dinner.

-So, what do you think of him then?

-Oh he's brilliant isn't he?

-Aye.

That's the sort of man who will give us a big plate of cheesy dumplings before we go.

LAUGHS

He can yodel as well.

And so, one last stop at Zell am See,

before the mighty Grossglockner.

It's a lakeside town,

in an incredibly beautiful location at the foot of the Alps.

Blimey. We're going off piste a bit here, dude.

It's not your everyday road.

Wa-hey, Fritz!

Mind you, by the look of him,

I don't think Fritz is your everyday feller.

-Wa-hey!

-Wa-hey!

-Hello, Fritz. Dave.

Fritz, hello. I'm Si. Nice to see you. How are you, man?

Fritz Sendlhofer comes from a long line of mountain men.

While high in the peaks, they felled timber

and built huts called sodel, to shelter in.

Naturally, given his heritage, Fritz decided on a career as a plumber.

But on retirement, he decided to build a sodel in his garden,

as a homage to his father,

and to the old ways of the Alps.

He's been knocking up a pinzgauer kasnocken,

a kind of cheesy gnocchi, especially for us.

-Fritz, I think it's fair to say...

-Ja

..you have the lifestyle that dreams are made of.

-Look at all this.

-You work hard.

-Ja, Paradies.

-Paradise.

-Paradise, yes.

-It is paradise.

-It is paradise.

-HE YODELS

-What happened there?

Oh, look here.

And here, er, essen... Yeah?

HE MAKES PIG NOISES

-Yeah, a pig.

-Schwein.

-Schwein fleisch. Schwein fleisch.

-So you can...

-Oh that's where you sleep.

-Yes.

-HE YODELS

-Will you stop doing that, you?

You're putting us off.

HE SPEAKS IN AUSTRIAN

Ah-ha.

It's the key!

LAUGHTER

Now, that is sheer genius.

-It is!

-You are Papa Smurf, aren't you?

It's fan... It's just, I cannot believe it.

Did you see that?

-Original.

-Original. Oh yeah, definitely.

-Absolutely.

Shall we dress for dinner? We can't eat like this.

No, no. You know, we've just come off the bikes.

-Mm-hm.

-Shall we?

-I think we shall.

We'll be back in a minute, Fritz, because we're going to change.

Ja. Dress.

DAVE YODELS

Wow!

-Thanks, Fritz.

-Oh, what a treat.

It's little noodles. Cheese, chives.

This is the restaurant with the best view I've ever, ever been to.

I'm in heaven.

Oh, Fritz.

That's super delicious.

It's like a super butch macaroni cheese, isn't it?

Great cheese.

This is just what you need before you do the Grossglockner.

You're not wrong, dude.

Original.

-It's original.

-An original recipe.

Cooked over that wood fire.

You can taste it as well.

It is. This is beautiful.

Butter? Butter?

-Butter?

-Ja.

-Yeah.

Of course.

-The calories that it would use.

-Yeah.

HE SPEAKS IN AUSTRIAN

Yeah, it's strong.

Man, man food.

Well, you know what mountain men do on a full stomach, Si?

Oh, no. I haven't even finished my pinzgauer kasnocken yet.

HE SPEAKS IN AUSTRIAN

HE YODELS

Oh, gawd.

THEY YODEL

Oh, wunderbar. THEY YODEL

-Oh, hey! I think I'm getting it!

-Oh, great.

DAVE YODELS

-Yodel?

-Yodel.

HE YODELS

SI YODELS

Bravo.

I think something's shifted somewhere.

Ja, ho, ho, ho, ho!

Ja!

THEY LAUGH

What a place.

And Fritz Sendlhofer - what a magnificent person.

A total one-off.

-BOTH:

-Original.

OK, Kingy, time for the last leg of our Austrian tour.

I can't bear for it to end.

I know mate, I know. We've saved the best till last though.

The big one!

The Grossglockner!

-Yeah!

-THEY CHEER

Oh, yes, into the Alps,

all the way to the mighty Grossglockner,

Austria's highest mountain.

We're taking the Grossglockner high alpine road,

aiming for the bikers viewpoint.

It's said to be an amazing place,

surrounded by mountain peaks at the very top of Europe.

And it's there we plan to cook our last Austrian dish.

But for now, it's all about the ride.

How is it for you Kingy?

Oh, man, it's exceeding all expectations, mate.

Simply unbelievable.

We're there, mate, we're there. We've hit the roof.

Yep. And after the ride of our lives,

we're facing our greatest ever challenge...

..to bake a cake we can't pronounce in a place we can't pronounce.

What more do we need to say?

Here we are, just about to do one of our wonderful cookeries,

on the top of the Grossglockner Pass.

Yeah. When you think life couldn't get any better,

well, it can because we're doing a chocolate gugelhupf.

Is that right?

-Gugelhupf.

-Gugelhupf?

-Gugelhupf.

-Hupf?

-Hupf!

-Hupf!

-Hupf!

-We got the gugelhupf! Hupf!

The only other better place on earth could be really Huddersfield.

-CROWD:

-Hey up!

They've come all the way from Huddersfield...

For a cake! Yes!

So, like all good cakes, it starts with some butter.

And then what we do, we put some icing sugar into it.

Meanwhile, I'll separate four eggs.

This is very representative of Austria, actually,

because they love sweet cake.

As opposed to beefcake. Mind, Arnold Schwarzenegger's from Austria.

-He's a beefcake.

-He is, isn't he?

-Arnie. Arnie, I will be back.

Just whipping up the yolks, ja?

Once whipped, add the yolks to the butter and sugar mix.

-This is the most beautiful place, isn't it?

-It's fabulous, Dave.

The whites, of course, have to be whipped to firm peaks!

And of course at this altitude, it's a lot more hard work.

Now for the chocolate.

It's melted, but it's been cooled so as to not scramble the eggs.

-As you were, fat lad.

-Crack on!

# The hills are alive

# With the sound of whisking...

# I am 53 going on 54...

# Away on a hill with a lonely goat herd

# Lay-ee-odl-lay-ee-od l-oo-lay-ee-oo!

# How do you solve a problem like Maria? #

HUMS TUNE

She had a crystal voice, Julie Andrews, didn't she?

-God rest her soul.

-Is she dead? Is she dead, Julie Andrews?

-Julie Andrews is not dead, is she?

-No!

-Is she?

-No.

-No?

Is she alive? Is she? She's brilliant.

The peaks are safe. Proof!

Ohhhhh! Ohhhh! Oh! Ohhhh!

APPLAUSE

Thank you! Ah.

Oh, you stiff peak, you.

To the butter, the sugar, the egg yolks and the chocolate

we add ground almonds.

Mix in flour with a hint of baking powder...

And once combined, fold in the egg whites using a metal spoon.

-A good Delia tip that one.

-YODELS

-Huddersfield!

-CROWD: Hey up!

Once the egg whites are folded,

spoon the mix into your almond encrusted tin.

Now simply pop this in to a preheated 190 degrees Celsius,

or 71 on a fan oven, gas mark five, for about 40 to 45 minutes,

until it's risen and cooked through,

which you can test with a skewer, but you all know that.

I'll just pop that in cos I've said all that.

Now whilst the gugelhupf is in the oven,

we can make chocolate sauce.

Right. Honey or syrup.

Butter.

Fruit of the cow.

So, Gugelhupf's in the oven, the chocolate topping's there.

We have the other two entities, the candy sugar and the almonds.

I think it's time to have a cup of tea and a sit,

and wait for that to cook.

-There's marmots in them there hills.

-Marmots? Little things!

YODELS

Oh, I knew it wouldn't be long.

CONTINUES YODELLING

THE BIKERS LAUGH

WOMAN SPEAKS GERMAN

See, see. Look what's happened.

You've yodelled and brought everybody out of the caff.

WOMAN YODELS

Right. Beat that

YODELLING CONTINUES

I think I'm in love.

-Wow!

-Wow!

Yes! That's fantastic!

Oh, smell that.

-Oh, yes.

-The moment.

Go on, Dave. Go on. Go on!

They say that if a woman's gugelhupf sticks,

then it's a bad omen for a marriage.

-As there's no women involved, just a gugelhupf...

-Oh!

Listen, if there was hopf to be gugeld, that's it!

Look at those almonds, how they're all stuck round the outside.

Now the decoration.

-Imagine if you're doing that to a supermodel's buttocks.

-Oh!

Now we have ze rocks on the mountain and ze snow.

-I do rock, you do snow?

-You do both.

-Kingy?

-Yes, dude?

That, to me, is Austria on a plate.

CHEERS AND APPLAUSE

Thank you! Ah!

Oh, you're too kind!

Fellers.

Huddersfield, we salute you.

What a great trip. Truly brilliant.

-The motorcycle roads, fabulous.

-Oh, best in the world.

-And it's brought us to the top of this wonderful country.

-Yes.

It all started in Vienna, with the Sachertorte...

Re-loaded!

I love you.

What about the surprise that was the pumpkin oil?

OK. Good.

One of my highlights was the monastery.

Cooking with Monika and breaking bread with the monks was special.

-And Fritz.

-Fritz is a god.

He has the life I would love. His food was great...

-His beard was great!

-He wore lederhosen, and he could yodel.

YODELS

But do you know?

I think there'll be a piece of Austria always in my heart.

There will. You're wearing a piece of them now.

Ja! I think they're quite fetching, really.

Very slimming, don't you think?

Yeah(!)

Next we venture into sunny southern Europe,

when we arrive in Italy, land of legendary food.

Starting in the magical city of Venice,

we'll find Italy's fabulous flavours.

We'll bake regional breads, wonderful pies

-and celebratory cakes...

-In some of the most beautiful places on Earth.

So why not come with us on the next leg...

..of our phenomenal vacation?

Our German pronunciation may not be up to scratch...

-But if you've been inspired to master your gugelhupf...

-And your kipferl, go to...

Follow the links to the Open University.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media