S10.E08: Pastry

[Athena]

Quote

The remaining bakers have their knowledge of pastry tested to the max with a savoury take on a French classic, a multi-layered Moroccan Technical, and a towering Showstopper

Channel 4 Air Date: October 15, 2019.

Netflix USA Streaming Date: October 18, 2019.

[halopub]

I really enjoyed the look of David's and Rosie's showstoppers. The sails made sense and while a little wonky, Rosie's dragon and Rapunzel made me chuckle.

Steph's showstopper may have tasted great but it did look a little small compared to the others. Maybe there were no size requirements in the brief?

Apparently Henry fans have been taking their frustrations out on the judges and Rosie, which bleh. Henry was the most obvious choice for elimination this week and I'm glad he's enthusiastically supportive of his fellow baker.

What was with the random appearance of Adam Hills? Just a in-network cameo?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

In the early days of GBBO, I used to check to see what the theme for each week was ahead of time so that I would have something similar on hand to eat while I watched (there's nothing like eating a fresh croissant while watching pastry week). I wish I'd remembered to stop at the bakery near my house to pick up a pastry after work!

Rosie's shallot, aubergine, and goat cheese tarte tatin with red pepper, black garlic, and red wine balsamic reduction looked a bit too dark.

Henry's crab, tomato, and potato tarte tatin sounded delicious (I will always choose crab over lobster!). I liked the pop of color from the sliced radishes on the top too. Heh, and I agree with Henry - I'm all about the filling. I like pastry but when it comes to dishes like this, the filing is my main concern.

Steph's caramelized onion and goat cheese tarte tatin with shallots, basil, and balsamic vinegar caramel looked nice but I agreed with the judges about just plonking seven huge circles of goat cheese on top. If she had used thinner slices or put the tarte under the broiler to melt them, I would have been with the size of them but as they were, they looked like giant decorations waiting to fall off as soon as you took a bite.

Alice's woven leek tarte tatin with apple, honey, goat cheese, and thyme was so lovely. I loved that she imitated a lattice pie top with the woven leeks. Since the assignment was a savory tarte, I was surprised she didn't get a little bit dinged by the judges for using apple and honey.

David's carrot and caramel tarte tatin with carrot top pesto and whipped Bulgarian cheese looked when he was assembling it but I agreed with the judges that the carrots looked very dark. Unfortunately, he overcompensated - in his quest to avoid a soggy bottom, his tarte ended up too dry.

Hahahaha, I was really hoping that someone would hold Henry to his promise that he would get naked if any of the other bakers knew what the technical bake was.

Congratulations to David for FINALLY winning a technical challenge after all those second places!

I wasn't sure what to expect when they announced that the showstopper challenge was to create vertical pies.

Gawd, I hate when Paul just stares and refuses to answer questions. Henry just asked if Paul likes meaty pies. He wasn't asking for technical advice, just personal preference, so he could have done more than stare and shrug. This is exactly why I don't like Paul. He's a dick when he doesn't have to be.

Alice's apple tree house was a smart way to incorporate three pies in a very sturdy way. I was rooting for her as soon as they said one of the pies would be blackberry. Yum! The swing was a cute addition.

David's Whitby fish pie sounded good. I love salmon and crab (and our salmon season just ended) so I would love to eat his creation. I disagree with Paul though - I don't need my pies to have some kind of top to enclose them.

Steph's curried chickpea and potato carousel pie was a really cute idea. My only issue is that it was a bit small compared to some of the other show stoppers. But of all the bakers, she was the only one who had a moist filling and well baked pastry.

Rosie's Rapunzel tower was really ambitious. NINE PIES?! I loved how much detail she put into the design.

Henry's chandelier with chicken, ham, and chorizo pies and chocolate pecan pies with cranberries and apricot didn't look like a chandelier to me, even in the drawing. As Prue said, he just stacked three pies on top of each other.

I really thought Henry would make it to the finale so I was surprised by his elimination, but he really did have a pretty bad week.

Of the remaining bakers, I'm really hoping to see Steph and David in the finale. I'm undecided about who the third slot should go to. At the beginning of the season, I would have said Rosie but she's hasn't been as consistent in more recent weeks.

Yay for Steph winning star baker again! I was kind of looking forward to hearing her mom swear on speaker phone again.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Recipes

Signature challenge
Henry's tomato & new potato tarte tatin with crab salad

Technical challenge
Moroccan pie

Showstopper challenge
David's Whitby fish pie

Edited October 19, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Danny Franks]

15 hours ago, halopub said:

Apparently Henry fans have been taking their frustrations out on the judges and Rosie, which bleh. Henry was the most obvious choice for elimination this week and I'm glad he's enthusiastically supportive of his fellow baker.

I've said it before, but there is a really toxic subsection of Bake Off fans, particularly on social media. If they're not implying any attractive woman in the tent is a slut who's probably sleeping with Paul Hollywood, they're up in arms over some supposedly unjust elimination.

Henry was bang to rights, and he knew it. I knew it, before it was announced, my girlfriend knew it. Anyone should have, if they'd been paying attention.

His signature was pretty good, but his technical was not. And then, in a showstopper where everyone except Steph produced pies that weren't great, he committed the additional sin of not having an interesting or challenging design.

I like Henry a lot more than Rosie, who grates on my nerves every time she opens her mouth, but she did better than him this week.

I've also seen some people complain that David should have been star baker, which I find yet more fault in. His signature was too dry, and his showstopper was too salty. Not only that, but he clearly annoyed Paul by not putting a pastry top on his pie. Meanwhile, Steph produced a signature that tasted good but didn't incorporate the goats cheese, and her showstopper was the only one that came out well.

This is supposed to be a light, warm and convivial show, yet some fans seem set on ruining it by taking the whole thing way too seriously.

Anyway, I was surprised to see Steph get so upset in the technical challenge. It was definitely out of character for her, and probably the first real sign of pressure she's shown. But both Noel and Sandi did their bit to get her focus back, and she pulled through to at least produce something adequate.

I think the likely final right now would be Steph, Alice and David. But if next week is patisserie week, David could come unstuck with his steadfast determination to avoid producing anything sweet. Seriously, how many times has he gone for spicy over sweet, so far?

[TVbitch]

Vertical Pie? ... ... 😐 ... ... 

I thought David's tarte tatin looked delicious. Carmelized purple carrots are going to look dark, and purple. Get over it, Prue! Wasn't she upset just the other week that blueberries looked mauve? What is her deal with the short end of the color spectrum. 

[Corgi-ears]

Rosie: "I've never cooked chicken before." Is there anything this group of bakers can do?

Speaking of Rosie, given how often she kept tugging on the sleeves and collar of her fruity T-shirt, I'm going to hazard a guess that it's a new T-shirt she bought for the occasion. 

[pfk505]

51 minutes ago, Corgi-ears said:

Rosie: "I've never cooked chicken before." Is there anything this group of bakers can do?

Like many veterinarians she's also a vegetarian, and the chicken was a mandatory ingredient in the recipe.

She was my least favourite in episode one and now I'm pulling for her to win (well, her or Steph). The more people vocalize their dislike of her the more I like her.

[MerBearHou]

I really enjoy Rosie too!  She has grown on me so much and I find her awkwardness endearing.  She does talk at lightning-speed and mumbles so you won’t pay too, too much attention to her — she is obviously more comfy with animals who don’t talk rather than humans who do.  But she is so genuine and I root for her.  I actually really like all of these final 5.  Henry is, far and away, my fave though so tears... Justified boot but still...

Edited October 17, 2019 by MerBearHou

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, MerBearHou said:

I really enjoy Rosie too!  She has grown on me so much and I find her awkwardness endearing.  She does talk at lightning-speed and mumbles so you won’t pay too, too much attention to her — she is obviously more comfy with animals who don’t talk rather than humans who do.  But she is so genuine and I root for her.  

I like Rosie but her rapid mumbling gets to be a bit much for me sometimes. 

[MerBearHou]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I like Rosie but her rapid mumbling gets to be a bit much for me sometimes. 

Can you imagine taking your beloved pet to her and she’s explaining the diagnosis and you’re like “I’m sorry, what? Could you repeat that??”

[Lois Sandborne]

What a strange week. This is the first time I've really paid any heed to the griping that this crop of bakers isn't skilled enough, because when they can't nail tart crust?

I thought all of the showstoppers looked kind of cool, even Henry's pie stack, but I don't understand how they all wound up so dry. It's still just pie, y'all.

I'm in line with the people thinking David should've got star baker.  No one was really exceptional, but he had an okay signature, won the technical challenge, and his showstopper was more impressive looking than Steph's, even if it had salty filling. I've said before that I don't care much about who wins week to week, but in a week like this there's just no reason to plump for Steph who already has three titles over David who has none.

Who's Adam Hills?

Edited October 17, 2019 by Lois Sandborne

[bybrandy]

Welcome to the episode where everybody makes crap pies.   

I like Henry.  I'll miss him.  But seriously, if you are going to do something that simple you need to be flawless and that was not flawless and as we saw that his pie was leaking into the cup he was using to remove the spring form one of his pies, at least, was leaking into the sweet pie beneath it.

I was glad David finally won a technical but remain underwhelmed by this group in general and the whole time I was watching the technical which I admit was  cool technique I was like, "Yeah, I could just buy some phyllo.  

[Athena]

Am I the only one not bothered by Rosie's mumbling? Maybe it's because I'm another fast talker. Rosie isn't my favourite but I do like that she seems genuine introverted type. I like them all but I will miss Henry. He really was the most entertaining one in the tent.

I found this episode easy going and I liked it when Prue had to chide Sandi and Paul at Henry's desk. I thought the dynamic between all four of them is what makes Bakeoff fun. 

Steph's flavours seem unbeatable. David is a great technical and visual baker, but he doesn't seem to have her way with flavours which should and will win the day. 

[akr]

4 hours ago, bybrandy said:

I like Henry.  I'll miss him.  But seriously, if you are going to do something that simple you need to be flawless and that was not flawless and as we saw that his pie was leaking into the cup he was using to remove the spring form one of his pies, at least, was leaking into the sweet pie beneath it.

Also, an inch-thick crust indicates you've attempted a construction project, not a baking project.  This is especially true if the crust isn't even cooked through, & it wasn't. 

On Reddit, people are suggesting they'd picked this crew based on their instagram pages, & that there were a bunch of people who were essentially cake decorators who wanted to be on TV. I don't know if that's true (it's probably an exaggeration rather than flat out false), but it would explain a lot. 

[Danny Franks]

17 hours ago, akr said:

On Reddit, people are suggesting they'd picked this crew based on their instagram pages, & that there were a bunch of people who were essentially cake decorators who wanted to be on TV. I don't know if that's true (it's probably an exaggeration rather than flat out false), but it would explain a lot. 

I think the conspiracy theorists are getting carried away. As much of a prick as Paul Hollywood can be, he's serious about baking, and I doubt he'd be happy to sit back and let the show be turned into a sham for no good reason. They didn't need pretty people or cake decorators, they were already successful with the format and had proved that it could survive the transition from BBC to Channel 4.

[dleighg]

On 10/16/2019 at 12:38 PM, Danny Franks said:

Henry was bang to rights, and he knew it. I knew it, before it was announced, my girlfriend knew it. Anyone should have, if they'd been paying attention.

I was thinking that it was Henry's time to go, and I was very sad. And I also thought, if Henry stays, that clearly means they are judging for "likeability and popularity" and it would be totally unfair, much as it pained me to think that. So I was (unhappily) pleased with the result.

[Adiba]

On 10/15/2019 at 8:27 PM, halopub said:

I really enjoyed the look of David's and Rosie's showstoppers. The sails made sense and while a little wonky, Rosie's dragon and Rapunzel made me chuckle.

Steph's showstopper may have tasted great but it did look a little small compared to the others. Maybe there were no size requirements in the brief?

Apparently Henry fans have been taking their frustrations out on the judges and Rosie, which bleh. Henry was the most obvious choice for elimination this week and I'm glad he's enthusiastically supportive of his fellow baker.

What was with the random appearance of Adam Hills? Just a in-network cameo?

Re: Henry’s tweet— how nice of him to defend Rosie! That’s the kind of sportsmanship I love about this show. He does seem like a very nice young man.

I do try to keep in mind that I haven’t tasted any of the bakes— so even though something may look and sound delicious, it may not be. And of course, tastes are very subjective. That said, imo, Rosie’s showstopper was miles ahead of Henry’s in terms of appearance. When Paul cut into Henry’s pie and I saw that thick, undercooked pastry, I knew he was in trouble.

I think David might’ve gotten SB if he hadn’t gone against Paul and at least latticed his showstopper. He could have done it in a wave- like pattern to keep with the theme.

Henry is so popular I guess he could make appearances and perhaps do a book? Maybe a show called “Everybody Loves Henry?”  🙂

[dleighg]

On 10/16/2019 at 9:25 PM, Corgi-ears said:

Rosie: "I've never cooked chicken before." Is there anything this group of bakers can do?

Yeah, lots of vegetarians are like that. My daughter is a near-vegetarian (she will eat (limited types of) meat at restaurants, sometimes) but never ever cooks meat at home. She finds it disgusting. I imagine Rosie felt that way as well.

[Sharpie66]

I’ll repeat the question from above—Who is Adam Hills? I thought it was just some random crew member they pulled from behind the camera.

[Enigma X]

Rosie has been my favorite since episode two.

[Rinaldo]

On 10/16/2019 at 3:41 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Gawd, I hate when Paul just stares and refuses to answer questions. Henry just asked if Paul likes meaty pies. He wasn't asking for technical advice, just personal preference

That doesn't mean Henry was entitled to an answer. In general, I've seen that the judges in general have generally avoided saying things from the sideline during challenges, as distinct from their up-close conferences once in each challenge. I don't see it as "being a dick" at all. (Paul can be a dick in other situations, for other reasons.)

Henry was my favorite from the start, and his remarks each week have gone into my book of favorite GBBO sayings (along with those of Glenn Cosby). I wanted him to go to the end. But he flat-out had a bad week, and at a point when his Showstopper could have redeemed him, he made one that tasted no better than any of the others, poorly baked and devoid of imagination. He had to go.

[PaulaO]

I am gobsmacked at Henry’s elimination.  None of the showstoppers looked that great but Henry’s pastry was too thick and underdone.  Overall, though, he’s a better baker than Rosie.

[halopub]

On 10/17/2019 at 8:27 AM, Lois Sandborne said:

Who's Adam Hills?

2 hours ago, Sharpie66 said:

I’ll repeat the question from above—Who is Adam Hills? I thought it was just some random crew member they pulled from behind the camera.

He's an Australian comedian who co-hosts The Last Leg on Channel 4. The show's clips sometimes get suggested when I watch 8 Cats Does Countdown on Youtube. 

Adam and one of his co-hosts Alex Brooker have disabilities so there's a lot of disability humor to go along with the political wisecracks. I haven't watched the show regularly but I think Adam's prosthetic leg makes regular appearances.

[libgirl2]

On 10/16/2019 at 11:38 AM, Danny Franks said:

I've said it before, but there is a really toxic subsection of Bake Off fans, particularly on social media. If they're not implying any attractive woman in the tent is a slut who's probably sleeping with Paul Hollywood, they're up in arms over some supposedly unjust elimination.

Henry was bang to rights, and he knew it. I knew it, before it was announced, my girlfriend knew it. Anyone should have, if they'd been paying attention.

His signature was pretty good, but his technical was not. And then, in a showstopper where everyone except Steph produced pies that weren't great, he committed the additional sin of not having an interesting or challenging design.

I like Henry a lot more than Rosie, who grates on my nerves every time she opens her mouth, but she did better than him this week.

I've also seen some people complain that David should have been star baker, which I find yet more fault in. His signature was too dry, and his showstopper was too salty. Not only that, but he clearly annoyed Paul by not putting a pastry top on his pie. Meanwhile, Steph produced a signature that tasted good but didn't incorporate the goats cheese, and her showstopper was the only one that came out well.

This is supposed to be a light, warm and convivial show, yet some fans seem set on ruining it by taking the whole thing way too seriously.

Anyway, I was surprised to see Steph get so upset in the technical challenge. It was definitely out of character for her, and probably the first real sign of pressure she's shown. But both Noel and Sandi did their bit to get her focus back, and she pulled through to at least produce something adequate.

I think the likely final right now would be Steph, Alice and David. But if next week is patisserie week, David could come unstuck with his steadfast determination to avoid producing anything sweet. Seriously, how many times has he gone for spicy over sweet, so far?

Steph made the sad face of my son when he was little and was going to cry. It melted my heart. 

[bugsmum]

So sad to see Henry go - but at this point I'm sad to see any of them go.  It's hard to argue with, though.  Henry's signature may have been fabulous but the rest of his weekend was not good.  Rosie's showstopper, even with its flaws, was a much more complex and creative design.  And her technical was better.  

[MisterGlass]

There were a lot of slip ups this week, and Henry had a few more than others did.  It made sense.  I was little surprised that Pru liked the crab salad on top of Henry's signature tart.  It was odd to me to put moist additions on top of the pastry.

I am not sorry that Rosie got to stay.  The showstopper design was clever, especially the charred outline of the knight!  That was charming.  She also got a lot of work done in the time given.

Steph did seem to have tasty pies, even if the showstopper was small.  David's looked nice and it was an interesting interpretation of stacked pies.  I've never had anything close to a fish pie, and the idea of fish in a pie is a little odd to me.

The technical was fascinating.  I've never seen a steam bath used to cook something on a flat sheet.

[kirklandia]

Here's what I had to snack on while watching.  (Not thematic!)

[GaT]

On 10/16/2019 at 6:25 PM, Corgi-ears said:

Rosie: "I've never cooked chicken before." Is there anything this group of bakers can do?

On 10/16/2019 at 9:32 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I like Rosie but her rapid mumbling gets to be a bit much for me sometimes. 

11 hours ago, dleighg said:

Yeah, lots of vegetarians are like that. My daughter is a near-vegetarian (she will eat (limited types of) meat at restaurants, sometimes) but never ever cooks meat at home. She finds it disgusting. I imagine Rosie felt that way as well.

Somehow I completely missed the fact that Rosie was a vegetarian. When she said she never cooked chicken before, I assumed I misunderstood what she said, because I never really understand what she's saying, it's like they speed up the recording every time she speaks.

[Mabinogia]

8 hours ago, GaT said:

Somehow I completely missed the fact that Rosie was a vegetarian.

I don't know if she ever actually said it, but I wasn't surprised given she is a vet who seems to work on farm animals. It would be hard for me to go save a pigs life then head home and cook up some ham. 

I am glad Rosie stayed because I think she does some very creative pieces and I would like to see what she comes up with. Henry I love! I love him to bits, but he did the least best (nope, can't bring myself to call him the worst) this week overall. Rosie may have done a dry bake but her showstopper was at least a showstopper. His was badly made (too thick and I think his was dry too, they all were except Steff) and not at all creative. 

This is one of the rare shows where I wish the booted got to stay and bake in the background, or maybe the "kiddie tent" or something. Not be judged, not be in the competition, but still get to be there and show us what they could have done in the challenges they didn't make it to. 

I am one of the few who loved Helena's Halloween aesthetic and regret not getting to see her spook up a three teired pie, or any of the other challenges. Maybe they just do the showstoppers. Or just hang out. I want Henry to just hang out with Sandi and Noel and add little commentaries here and there. 

I miss him already. 

[Rinaldo]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

I don't know if she ever actually said it, but I wasn't surprised given she is a vet who seems to work on farm animals. It would be hard for me to go save a pigs life then head home and cook up some ham. 

It may well be related for her, but it's far from universal, if I can generalize from the vets I've known who were omnivores. Those farm animals were raised specifically to be eaten or to produce other animals to be eaten. They wouldn't exist otherwise. Which is not to say that a specific vet can't make her own decision about her diet; but I'd consider it a personal choice rather than a professional connection. 

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

This is one of the rare shows where I wish the booted got to stay and bake in the background, or maybe the "kiddie tent" or something.

My instant liking for this idea, because it would give me more Henry, was immediately nullified by the thought of what it would be like in practice. Any sideline-bake that turned out well would instantly be taken up by viewers (see that Twitter exchange) as "proof" that he shouldn't have been eliminated after all, to say nothing of what it might do for the morale of those still in the competition.

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

Or just hang out. I want Henry to just hang out with Sandi and Noel and add little commentaries here and there. 

Now this I can totally get on board with. Especially if he continued to curse up a storm.

[meep.meep]

I would love it if the eliminated contestants got to help judge the technical - but after 10 seasons, I doubt they are going to change the format now.  And probably just as well.

10 hours ago, GaT said:

Somehow I completely missed the fact that Rosie was a vegetarian. When she said she never cooked chicken before, I assumed I misunderstood what she said, because I never really understand what she's saying, it's like they speed up the recording every time she speaks.

She is a "low talker" for sure.  But with very creative designs always.  Her knight was priceless and took 20 seconds at most.

I completely missed the fact that she was married.  Usually people talk about trying their bakes on their family so you get a sense of who is married, who has significant others, who has kids, grandkids, etc.  I thought she was the lonely vet.

[WatchrTina]

On 10/17/2019 at 10:24 AM, Athena said:

Am I the only one not bothered by Rosie's mumbling?

No, you are not alone.  I'm American and I have no problem understanding Rosie.  Maybe it's because I watch a lot of British dramas (thank you PBS.)

19 hours ago, Sharpie66 said:

I’ll repeat the question from above—Who is Adam Hills? I thought it was just some random crew member they pulled from behind the camera.

As has been noted above he is a British comedian but apparently most Brits were just as confused by that cameo as we Americans were.

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1191202/great-british-bake-off-2019-adam-hills-noel-fielding-paul-hollywood-channel-4

I love this show.  I'm sorry to see Henry go because I just love him, but it made sense.

Now where can I go to find a well-baked meat pie for my lunch?  This show . . . it gives you cravings.

Edited October 19, 2019 by WatchrTina

[akr]

11 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

No, you are not alone.  I'm American and I have no problem understanding Rosie.  Maybe it's because I watch a lot of British dramas (thank you PBS.)

. . .

Now where can I go to find a well-baked meat pie for my lunch?  This show . . . it give you cravings.

Me three - as to not being bothered at all by Rosie's "mumbling." Actually I think it's less that she mumbles then that everybody else is a little over the top half the time, so there's a contrast - it's part of why she's my favorite (aside from the occasional garish color choices). 

As to meat pies, I think the Trader Joe's freezer case ones (steak & stout or chicken balti) are pretty good, if you're in the US & have a TJ's in your vicinity. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by akr

[LilJen]

Also sad to see Henry go; I enjoyed his sense of humor and his ability to poke fun at himself. But he was wobbly on the baking this week.

[nekilarose]

9 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

This is one of the rare shows where I wish the booted got to stay and bake in the background, or maybe the "kiddie tent" or something. Not be judged, not be in the competition, but still get to be there and show us what they could have done in the challenges they didn't make it to. 

I love this idea!!!!

8 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

My instant liking for this idea, because it would give me more Henry, was immediately nullified by the thought of what it would be like in practice. Any sideline-bake that turned out well would instantly be taken up by viewers (see that Twitter exchange) as "proof" that he shouldn't have been eliminated after all, to say nothing of what it might do for the morale of those still in the competition.

Oh crap, you're so right. 

[J-Man]

Did anyone notice that Henry used the verboten term "Bake-Off" (for U.S. viewers) and they didn't edit it out?

[Sew Sumi]

Yes, I caught that and had a little giggle.

[Quilt Fairy]

On 10/19/2019 at 1:28 PM, akr said:

Me three - as to not being bothered at all by Rosie's "mumbling." Actually I think it's less that she mumbles then that everybody else is a little over the top half the time,

The only time I notice Rosie mumbling is when there's a time crunch and Noel is bothering her by asking her silly questions.  The thought bubble over her head should read "If I just mumble something he'll think I answered him and leave me alone to finish this bake!"  

[kittykat]

I actually really liked the technical this week.  It was an interesting pastry with an unusual consistency but it wasn't overcomplicated, which I liked. It reminded me of a spanikopita with a Morrocan flair. It put the bakers in unfamiliar territory without too many crazy steps so I approve.

The rest was kind of a mess.  Paul is becoming a broken record with his "it's all on the showstopper." What else is new? Steph won by basically having the only decent one.  I was hoping David would get his first SB win but the dry filling and open pie didn't pass.  Glad he finally won the technical.

Sadly Henry's boot was merited.  I wish the rabid fandom wouldn't shit all over Rosie but her week was just slightly better, and she did have a nice looking showstopper.

[dleighg]

5 hours ago, kittykat said:

It reminded me of a spanikopita with a Morrocan flair. It put the bakers in unfamiliar territory without too many crazy steps so I approve.

I've seen (and made) a version (surely a simplified one for home cooks) with filo dough (from the store!) https://forward.com/food/310154/honey-cos-chicken-pastilla/

[peeayebee]

Like others, I was sorry to see Henry go, but it was warranted. I'm also sorry to hear about people on social media ranting against Rosie. I've warmed to her since the beginning of this season.

Henry always seemed like such a sweetie, and reading that tweet of his just reinforces the impression. I'll miss his jokes and general attitude as well as his shirt & tie.

I wish more bakers had done better in the showstopper. I assume they were so afraid of getting soggy pastry that they went in the opposite direction.

It was interesting to see how the phyllo-type pastry was made in that Technical challenge.

[cpcathy]

I love Henry. I'll miss him.

[rab01]

Is a top crust part of the definition of pies in the U.K.?  (Most websites I've checked say that it's optional but they were American.) 

From the way that Paul looked at David, it seemed like a definitional issue, rather than Paul's taste preference.  I got the feeling that Paul thought it was something of a cheat (though not barred by the bakers' brief) not to have a top crust. 

[janie jones]

1 hour ago, rab01 said:

Is a top crust part of the definition of pies in the U.K.?  (Most websites I've checked say that it's optional but they were American.) 

From the way that Paul looked at David, it seemed like a definitional issue, rather than Paul's taste preference.  I got the feeling that Paul thought it was something of a cheat (though not barred by the bakers' brief) not to have a top crust. 

I was surprised by the exchange because I (an American) consider both types pies, without question.  Although for the challenge, I think a covered pie would have made more sense, and it sounds like David's lost moisture due to not being covered, so it may also be that Paul didn't think an uncovered pie made sense for the challenge.

[Mabinogia]

This isn't the first time GBBO has said that a pie should have a top crust. IDK what season it was but they were doing an "American" bake and they had to make American pies, like apple, pumpkin, you know, that sweet shit we American's love. lol And it might have been Paul that time too, I can't remember, but he mentioned something about how American pies don't always have a top which was weird to him. 

I wasn't so much bothered by the lack of pie tops as the fact that because there were no tops there was no way in hell David's pies were actually stacked on top of each other. Clearly there was some kind of "structure" supporting them or the tiny little top pies would have sunk into the bigger pie. So on that fact alone I am glad he didn't get Star Baker. I feel like he really didn't meet the challenge of "stacked pies". I could be wrong, maybe he somehow miraculously managed to get two pies to balance on a topless pie. Who knows. But they were very small in comparison. Still don't think he deserved Star Baker though. 

Also, I get such a kick out of Steff's reaction when she does get SB that I am fine with her getting it again. 

[Irlandesa]

29 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

This isn't the first time GBBO has said that a pie should have a top crust. IDK what season it was but they were doing an "American" bake and they had to make American pies, like apple, pumpkin, you know, that sweet shit we American's love.

That must have been an earlier season because last season they did American pies and it really seemed like to them that meant things like banana cream, peanut butter chocolate...etc.  There weren't tops.

[Danny Franks]

8 hours ago, rab01 said:

Is a top crust part of the definition of pies in the U.K.?  (Most websites I've checked say that it's optional but they were American.) 

From the way that Paul looked at David, it seemed like a definitional issue, rather than Paul's taste preference.  I got the feeling that Paul thought it was something of a cheat (though not barred by the bakers' brief) not to have a top crust. 

I think that's the crux of Paul's issue. He didn't believe that David was producing a proper pie, because it had no pastry top. It's not like there's a written set of rules as to what constitutes a pie, but if you asked most British people they'd tell you that they have pastry on the top and bottom and a savoury, usually meat, filling.

There are sweet versions of that too, with various fruits. But a pie without a pastry top, whether sweet or savoury, might be considered a tart instead. I imagine most people wouldn't really give it much thought, but I suppose it's Paul's job.

[magdalene]

Ah, I will miss Henry but he certainly deserved to go.  So poor Rosie is the designated hated female this season?  I quite like her and her baking.

[LeDucDiableBleu]

I knew Henry wouldn't win it all so he had to leave sometime, but he was my favorite so I'll miss him a lot.

In past seasons the bakers were shown having a deep love of baking in their personal lives - baking in their college dorms, baking from a very young age, etc. This year I haven't really seen that being shown. And I've noticed they complain a lot about what they have to do. I remember Ruby saying once something like no one looks forward to the technical and I thought then it was pretty bold statement. But this year all the contestants are saying things like that constantly.