‘Great British Baking Show’ Is Down To The Semi-Finals With Patisserie
Season 5 of the Great British Baking Show is nearing the finish line and down to four bakers, but that doesn’t mean that judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are going to take it easy on them. Quite the opposite because the judges actually expect the contestants to step up their game the closer they get to the finale.
This week is all about patisserie, and all of the bakes will be French-themed, says Vulture. They get started with the signature challenge which is three varieties per baker of petit four, which are bite-sized patisserie.
Brendan gets baking, and he is the guy known to be the most detail-oriented of all the contestants. He explains that he aims toward uniformity.
“I suppose that suggests I’ve got some perfectionist tendencies … It can make me a bit difficult to live with, because I won’t compromise in that sense.”
Brendan is making lime curd choux swans, and they look lovely. Paul grumbles that the petit fours are all too big and that petit means small, but that ship has sailed. Brendan and James both get the thumbs up for their signature bakes, but Danny and John are in peril, and for at least one of them, things are not going to get better.
Are you ready for the semifinals of The Great British Baking Show? Catch it tonight at 9/8c! #PBSBakingShow pic.twitter.com/zx4JRqPWbP
— PBS (@PBS) August 10, 2018
The technical challenge is a Fraisier cake which is like a shortcake with creme patisserie, genoise sponge, marzipan, and strawberries. It looks delicious, but it looks much more fun to eat than to make. Each week the directions for the technical challenge get more and more vague. This week the bakers express that the recipe is not helpful at all.
Danny is once again having some trouble as her pastry cream is not holding, and she describes it as “gloopy.” Because of the gloop, the strawberries are not holding. Danny comes in fourth.
The last challenge is the showstopper, and this week it’s a French choux pastry gateau. Three bakers go with the Gateau St. Honore, but James opts for a Paris-Brest. Brendan goes traditional, while Danny and John do their own twist on the classic.
“I think it’s an impertinence to try to tinker with something that’s so well established.”
Danny goes with a rosewater flavor, and according to Paul, she went with too heavy of a pour. She is heading home, while James’ risk with the Paris-Brest paid off, and he is star baker this week.
Just three bakers left for next week which will be the season finale.
