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Many of the bakers struggled with rolling out the dough, and several received comments about their spirals being too small. Judging placed Gill last, Andy seventh, and Georgie sixth. Nelly, Christiaan, and Dylan took the top spots.
Darcie added, “This is exactly why I buy phyllo. I’ve made strudel before, and it’s always a challenge to roll it out thin enough without tearing. Doing it in 2 ½ hours? That’s a tall order!†The bakers all found it difficult, but Andy and Gill faced particular struggles. Only a handful of spanakopita turned out both flaky and the right size. Gill joked about going “from hero to zero,†while Christiaan lamented that he was always “the bridesmaid, never the bride,†since he’d finished second in the Technical Challenge three times now.
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For the Showstopper, the bakers had to create a Paris-Brest with a custard filling and an edible stand. Our library has 45 online recipes for Paris-Brest. Three bakers—Christiaan, Georgie, and Sumayah—had to remake their choux pastry. Andy kept calling his mousseline “Mussolini†and had endless trouble with his toffee structure. Poor guy, I felt bad for him. Gill earned applause from Paul.
A few bakers received high praise. Nelly’s Paris-Brest was elegant but slightly short. The flavors were fantastic, though her choux was underbaked in the middle. Christiaan’s stand was praised for its elegance, and his flavors were spot-on. Sumayah’s creation was stunning, and her filling was perfect, but her choux was overbaked. Andy, unsurprisingly, faced criticism because his stand wasn’t complete, even though his bake itself was solid. Georgie’s stand was impressive, and her flavors were good, but her choux was dry. Dylan’s showstopper was too small and lacked enough choux to balance the center. And Illiyin struggled with her stand cracking, which had to be carried up in two pieces. Her flavors were lovely, and her choux was well-baked.
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Darcie commented, “Making a Paris-Brest alone is tough enough, but adding an edible stand makes it even harder. I’m just not a fan of these structural baking challenges.†I agree—it seemed like Dylan’s choux was too wet, which likely contributed to its collapse. Many bakers had issues with the choux, and once they started piping it, it spread out too quickly—a bad sign. I wish I knew the temperature and humidity levels in the tent that day, as they could’ve played a role in the results. Gill seems to be improving with each episode, and it was fun seeing Nelly do well. Andy joked that he didn’t have enough money to bribe the judges, so he knew his position was shaky.
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When it came to Star Baker, Gill took the crown, and sadly, Andy was sent home. It wasn’t his best week.
Jane translated Noel’s comment: “Nelly looked like a character from the Guess Who? game.†This is a classic board game where players ask questions to guess the character on their opponent’s card. Noel also mentioned he might land a gig on Taskmaster—a British TV show where contestants (often comedians) take on quirky challenges.
That’s it for another exciting episode of The Great British Bake Off!
