S05.E07: Pastry

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Week Seven in the Bake Off tent sees the bakers tested on all kinds of weird and wonderful pastries. The remaining bakers are asked to make signature savoury parcels, ranging from pasties to wellingtons to samosas and even exploring the fame of the beloved cornish pasty which has spread much further than you would think - to Mexico.

The technical challenge throws the bakers into unchartered territory with a pastry that, for the first time ever, none of the bakers have even heard of. Paul's recipe for kouign amann not only tests the bakers' technical ability but also their patience in a three-and-a-half-hour challenge to create a yeasted pastry full of buttery sugary layers.

Finally, the bakers must make show-stopping eclairs, two types each, which they hope will secure them a place in the quarter-finals of the Bake Off...

Ooh. I love kouign amann so I can't wait to see the technical challenge! Heh, and I kind of can't wait to hear the way they pronounce it. I was told it's pronounced queen ah-MAHN.

Edited September 18, 2014 by Athena
Episode description

[Occasional Hope]

I think the doughnuts are next week.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I don't know why the episode description had donuts listed! I guess to make up for it, we had all those deep fried parcels in the signature bake. I was cracking up when it got down to the last few minutes and Martha told Chetna she could hear the music they play on the show - ha! During the signature bake judging, I thought it was so cute that they showed Richard and Martha whispering to each other afterward. One of my favorite things about this show is the cameraderie and the lack of drama. I love that they are shown being so friendly and supportive.

 

Normally Mary dresses like such a proper lady so seeing her in that red zip up jacket was so strange. She looked like one of those grandmas who goes speedwalking in the morning.

 

Loved Mel putting all the pasties in her pockets. I would gain 20 pounds if I were a judge/host on this show!

 

Chetna's crispy lentil kachori with carom seeds looked slightly too dark to me. I'm with Mary - I want more filling than pastry!

 

Kate's paneer and spinach spicy samosas sounded good but she just didn't have a good bake this time around. First she remade her dough, then her fryer wasn't hot enough (I later heard Luis tell her it was on a timer so it turns off automatically), and she ran out of time. Heh, when Paul says your filling is "interesting," that's not a good sign.

 

Luis' beef and chorizo empanadas with orange zest and paprika pastry had nice crimping. Heh, I'm with Mary - nothing wrong with bigger empanadas. Shut it, Paul!

 

Nancy's spicy duck pasties sounded interesting (I'll never say no to duck) but I was somewhat amused by how they still had to exoticize it in the onscreen description. Chinese duck, Chinese spices, and oriental vegetables? I liked that hers looked so different from everyone else's.

 

Martha's mini beef wellington with ham looked good on the top. Thank goodness her meat didn't get too well done. It's a shame that the one Mary had leaked a little bit, but at least it wasn't totally soggy or exploded.

 

Richard's lamb and mint pasties with sweet potato looked nicely colored and flaky. Too bad about the gap inside, but the judges seemed to like them.

 

I've noticed that Chetna has little disposable containers of spices which I assume she brought from home. So does the production kitchen only provide them with basic ingredients?

 

I LOVE kouign amann - it's so buttery and flaky. I really enjoy the little moments, like Nancy panicking and wondering if she had salt instead of butter, and Richard telling Luis you have to talk around to avoid deep vein thrombosis.

 

Richard's looked really great. Poor Kate - putting her dough in the refrigerator to proof was a huge mistake. Everyone else's were about the same - irregularly sized but with nice color.

 

Mmmmmm eclairs.

 

Chetna's chocolate and mango éclairs sounded like an interesting combination. The lemon meringue eclairs sounded good too.

 

Kate's neopolitan sounded yummy but they looked messy. I'm surprised that the producers let Kate and Chetna both do lemon meringue eclairs. I thought they had to submit their recipes ahead of time to prevent this from happening. I'm not crazy about basil with lemon, but I found it interesting that Paul said he got the basil flavor at the end but Mary insisted she got none.

 

Nancy's salmon and horseradish were a nice change from all the sweet éclairs, and raspberry ripple eclairs sounded great (but I love raspberry).

 

Richard's stair of éclairs was a cute idea, but I loved that he said he would be using the stairs for the chickens afterward. I was worried that the rose and lavender would be overwhelming because as he said, it can get a big soapy if you overdo it. I liked that he had so much filling inside. There's nothing more disappointing than an éclair with just a smidge of cream inside. Both the lavender and blueberry éclairs and the rose and raspberry éclairs looked pretty. I liked that he chose combinations that went together both in flavor and in color.

 

Martha's rhubarb custard éclairs sounded yummy. I didn't know how well Paul would react to the maple syrup and bacon éclairs. It's too bad those didn't turn out well.

 

Luis' stars and strips éclairs looked so fun. The peanut butter and jelly éclairs sounded delicious, as did the blueberry cheesecake ones.

 

Congratulations to Richard! This shows that the judges made the right decision to keep him last week. Sad to see how upset Kate was about being eliminated but she is one of the weaker/less consistent ones left and she just didn't have a good week.

[Athena]

Revenge of Bob the Builder! Richard makes me smile. He just seems like such a nice guy and an incredibly talented baker. 

 

I'm sad Kate went, but she was weak going in and didn't improve. I never pegged her to win, but it's been a good run. I still adore Chetna as well. I felt bad for Martha, but she's not my favourite really. Right now, I'd like to see Chetna, Richard, and Nancy make the top three. Nancy has been a bit inconsistent lately though. 

 

I really liked Mel and Sue commentating during the technical challenge. They were so cute and funny. Mel has really great hair. 

[Meredith Quill]

I enjoyed this episode (well I enjoy them all but this week had me chuckling), Mel putting 1 of each of the parcels in her pocket (I'd sooo do that too!). Shame Kate went, I thought it was going to be Luis's week to have a bad week; he didn't do so great in either the signature or technical bakes but alas, he saved himself with his eclairs, drat!

Watching this show makes me hungry lol.

 

SquirrelWatch: 0 :(

 

I've decided I'm rooting for Bob the builder to win this year!

[halopub]

I was cracking up when it got down to the last few minutes and Martha told Chetna she could hear the music they play on the show - ha! During the signature bake judging, I thought it was so cute that they showed Richard and Martha whispering to each other afterward. One of my favorite things about this show is the cameraderie and the lack of drama. I love that they are shown being so friendly and supportive.

 

Normally Mary dresses like such a proper lady so seeing her in that red zip up jacket was so strange. She looked like one of those grandmas who goes speedwalking in the morning.

....

 

I've noticed that Chetna has little disposable containers of spices which I assume she brought from home. So does the production kitchen only provide them with basic ingredients?

...

Nancy's salmon and horseradish were a nice change from all the sweet éclairs, and raspberry ripple eclairs sounded great (but I love raspberry).

 

 

And right on cue the producers dropped in the music.

 

I also love the comraderie among the remaining contestants - it was lovely to see Richard and others helping Martha finish her showstopper...I think Chetna held Martha's shaky hand during the results and then she pinned the cute Sheriff's badge from Luis onto Richard when he became Star Baker.

 

At first I thought it was a bit of Japonisme, but I think it may have been vintage Japanese fabric. The jacket shape was a bit track suit-y, but the elaborate fabric is more (older) "ladies who lunch."

 

According to Jay Rayner's behind-the-scenes look, it sounds like production provides all the ingredients down to the brand - even if it has to be mail ordered. Maybe they make exceptions if it's hard to procure otherwise? Luis did bring honey from his own bees.

 

It was great to see Nancy thinking savory.

[Athena]

According to Jay Rayner's behind-the-scenes look, it sounds like production provides all the ingredients down to the brand - even if it has to be mail ordered. Maybe they make exceptions if it's hard to procure otherwise? Luis did bring honey from his own bees.

 

I don't think it's necessary exceptions because the show seems obligated to give the contestants all they need in the competition. The bakers just prefer to bring some of their own ingredients. Many times bakers have brought things from their gardens (Nancy did so this week) and specialty items (Luis's honey, and Martha's cheese in bread week). I think the production provides a backup in those cases but they probably coordinate too. 

 

I edited the first post's description of the episode. 

 

I've decided I'm rooting for Bob the builder to win this year!

 

Definitely. I'll be happy if he does. :D

[Rickster]

I was a little surprised than none of the bakers had ever heard of kouign amann. It's become a bit of a trendy item in the US in the last couple of years, at least in big cities. I used to see them in a few posh bakeries when I lived in Chicago and can even buy them in my local Whole Foods in the New York area. I figured being closer to France, they'd be better known in the UK.

[halopub]

Normally Mary dresses like such a proper lady so seeing her in that red zip up jacket was so strange. She looked like one of those grandmas who goes speedwalking in the morning.

 

I was wrong about this. It was a Marks & Spencer jacket. So...Japanese-inspired but polyester not fancy fabric.

 

I was a little surprised than none of the bakers had ever heard of kouign amann. It's become a bit of a trendy item in the US in the last couple of years, at least in big cities. I used to see them in a few posh bakeries when I lived in Chicago and can even buy them in my local Whole Foods in the New York area. I figured being closer to France, they'd be better known in the UK.

 

Maybe it's another one of those things where something takes hold here but not there because it's local celebrity chefs making it popular. It never occurred to me to look at Whole Foods for these...I figured it was one of those trends where it'd be helpful to live by a Bouchon Bakery or Ansel-type place. I do know that it's become buzzworthy enough for Trader Joe's - a US chain of small groceries owned by Aldi that tries to capitalize quickly on foodie trends - to test market them in the freezer section but I'd rather try a recognized version of them first.  

 

I caught the most recent episode of ExtraSlice, which is so much more palatable when Jo goes off the painful script. Jo made a quick dig at Diana but Kate couldn't be baited and maintained that the contestants remain friendly. Sure enough, they've been posting a bunch of photos from a mini reunion this weekend, Diana included.

Edited September 22, 2014 by halopub

[Meredith Quill]

I was a little surprised than none of the bakers had ever heard of kouign amann. It's become a bit of a trendy item in the US in the last couple of years, at least in big cities. I used to see them in a few posh bakeries when I lived in Chicago and can even buy them in my local Whole Foods in the New York area. I figured being closer to France, they'd be better known in the UK.

 

Proximity is no indication of familiarity....historically not between the UK & France for the last few centuries at least lol ;)

[Primetimer]

How did the Bakers' half-dozen fare after last week's stay of execution?

Read the story

[LittleIggy]

It was so sweet to see Richard and Chetna (the Star Baker Curse nipped at her heels!) help Martha. The concept of maple syrup and bacon eclairs sounds yummy (everything is better with bacon! :-)) I would love to try Luis' eclairs. PBJ and cheesecake are faves of mine.

[buttersister]

If there's no French-style bakery nearby, but there is a Trader Joe's, look for frozen kouign amann--requires hours of rising, but then, that may be the reason they turn out. I was pleased to see Richard get his mojo back.

[GaT]

All the eclairs looked bad to me. Luis' sounded OK, but his decorations looked awful. I was surprised they didn't eliminate 2 people.

[shandy]

I was surprised that they were ??? over Kouign Amann as these were the pre-macaron 'thing' to buy a few years ago. I even saw them in a fancy Japanese department store. I couldn't see why people stood in line for them myself. Talking of things Japanese, Mary's jacket was slightly amazing/horrifying, in a retina searing can't take my eyes off it way. 

 

I did like the sound of the salmon eclair, but I've never really been into them - they are difficult to eat and its too easy to have one that's not great. Give me a profiterole any day. Luis' efforts looked like something for a Haloween/July 4 crossover. I know - lets make it 'murican by having frosting that good taste forgot was the subliminal message. Poor Martha and her maple cream/custard. Paul is a relentless man. 

 

I was gasping for breath when Mary said just the right size for my lunch, in a totally creeper, trapped in an elevator with an older woman look. 

 

Kate let the head gremlins get to her. Mary still couldnt taste bahsil, probably a good thing. Just as I was becoming a fanboi of the Chetna-Kate-Martha axis it implodes - bah!  I like Nancy, Luis and Richard. They just bore me, as competent people generally do. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I was surprised that they were ??? over Kouign Amann as these were the pre-macaron 'thing' to buy a few years ago.

I was really surprised by that too. I thought they would be more well known in Europe than here, and I remember that kouign amann was all the rage in 2010 and 2011. When they're done well, they're delicious but I wouldn't wait in line more than a few minutes to buy one.

[emma675]

I was like the bakers, I had never heard of kouign amann before either. They were beautiful and seemed like they would taste good, but for all that work they weren't that impressive looking.

 

I was okay with Kate leaving, but now it's going to get harder for me. I love, love all of the remaining bakers!

[LaChavalina]

Congratulations to Richard! This shows that the judges made the right decision to keep him last week. Sad to see how upset Kate was about being eliminated but she is one of the weaker/less consistent ones left and she just didn't have a good week.

Agreed on all counts! IMO, there were probably better bakers than Kate who went home earlier. She was saved I think a couple times over by other contestants' mishaps and bad days. That being said, she seems like a lovely person and I genuinely felt for her at the end.

 

The hosts, on the other hand, were really grating on my nerves this week. I didn't need to see the "put a pasty in my pocket" joke done six times over.

[anniebird]

I've been rewatching the 1st season of Top Chef Just Desserts on YouTube and there is so much trash-talking and backstabbing going on that it's actually uncomfortable to watch. This show, on the other hand, is delightful - they all seem like genuinely nice people who are fond of each other and more than willing to help their fellow chefs. 

[goodbyeglittergirl]

I am so sad to see Kate's hair go. I freaking loved her hair.

 

It is difficult to watch this show and stick to weight watchers. However, with this week's eclairs not such an issue. I am just not an eclair person, and that salmon eclair sort of turned my stomach! I'm sure it was probably lovely but not my style!

[Athena]

It is difficult to watch this show and stick to weight watchers. However, with this week's eclairs not such an issue. I am just not an eclair person, and that salmon eclair sort of turned my stomach! I'm sure it was probably lovely but not my style!

 

Since most Americans only see sweet eclairs, I can see how this would turn your stomach. Choux pastry can have a neutral flavour so there was probably no sweetness to the salmon one.

 

But yes, I really missed Kate. I think she definitely had her strengths as a baker. She was very good with bread more than some other contestants, but she was just not as consistent as the others left.

[emma675]

I adore eclairs, but I'm boring, I really only like the ones with vanilla custard/filling and chocolate icing. Most of the ones last night were a little too much for me. Luis' in particular looked like a fourth of July parade exploded on his platter.

Edited February 9, 2015 by emma675d

[goodbyeglittergirl]

Since most Americans only see sweet eclairs, I can see how this would turn your stomach. Choux pastry can have a neutral flavour so there was probably no sweetness to the salmon one.

 

Well, and while I love baked salmon, broiled salmon, etc., I do NOT care for smoked salmon. I know that's odd, but it's true! 

 

And also...

 

OMG. WORLD SHATTERING REVELATION. PREPARE FOR ONSLAUGHT OF STUPIDITY.

I had no idea it was spelled Choux. I've been thinking it as "Shoe." You can tell I don't do a lot of baking!

 

Now I feel like a dingbat.

 

Athena, you totally taught me something today!!!

[Zahdii]

There's no one left in the competition that I don't like, so I was going to be sad over whoever went home, but I expected it to be Martha.  If she'd waited a few years before coming on the show she'd probably waltz off with the win without breaking a sweat.  I'll miss Kate, as I really liked her (and her hair).  I don't mind Loui at all, but he's the one I'm always surprised to see, as in a "Oh, I forgot you were still here" sort of way.  Chetna probably won't win because she can't move away from her Indian influence in her baking, but if there was a Great Indian Baking Show she'd probably win unless the judges decided that she'd been too heavily influenced by English tastes.  I loved how Richard made the éclair stairs and said he already had a secondary use for them as chicken stairs for his fathers hens.  Nancy is doing well and is consistent, but she's fading in the personality department, probably because she's zeroing in on winning.

 

Both of the hosts bugged me, but I found myself yelling at the dark haired one to just shut up.  I don't know why they rub me the wrong way, it's not like they're the worst thing to ever be seen on TV.  Maybe it's because I imprinted on Jeff Foxworthy when he hosted the American version.

 

I hear that the ratings are so good that PBS has already committed to showing the next season!  Doing a happy dance here.  :)

[wlk68]

I must be getting used to the hosts. They don't bother me at all at this point.

This! I've gone back and watched Seasons 1, 2 and 4 on Youtube - couldn't find season 3 - and I've definitely gotten more used to them. Don't find them half as annoying as I first did.

[Texasmom1970]

Chetna probably won't win because she can't move away from her Indian influence in her baking, but if there was a Great Indian Baking Show she'd probably win unless the judges decided that she'd been too heavily influenced by English tastes.

Thank you I have been trying to figure out what has been bugging me about Chetna. Its not that I dislike her, she seems rather sweet. I am just a little put off by her using so muh Indian influence in her baking. Don't get me wrong I would eat the heck out of everything she has made. I just wish she would push her boundaries a bit, I like to see new things on these kind of shows.

[LaChavalina]

It was the horseradish, not the salmon, that turned my stomach. I can't stand the stuff, even in the smallest of doses.

 

Also, we had the Chetna discussion on the thread from a week or two ago. She did move away from the Indian flavors a couple of weeks ago, after Paul critiqued her for being "too Indian" (paraphrasing, but that's what it was). You can hardly blame her for going back to it in a signature bake that practically begged for Indian cooking (to the extent that another competitor baked samosas as well). Also, I don't know that mango is a uniquely "Indian" flavor. Nor are chocolate or choux pastry. ;-)

Edited February 9, 2015 by LaChavalina

[shandy]

  I don't like the idea of adding rose or lavender into food...it never tastes right to me,

 

++this.

 

I was such a brat - once forced my mom to drive around the South End of Boston looking for lokum (turkish/greek delight) after reading the Chronicles of Narnia.That heavy rose flavor was so disgusting...I dared not tell her.

 

One other reason why Chetna is a boss - no whining over electric fryers - straight into a skillet.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I wanted to try turkish delight after reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe too! I guess it's a good thing I didn't ask my mom to find it for me because I don't like rose flavored food either. A few years ago, I tried a rose flavored ice cream that everyone raved about and I felt like I was eating old lady perfume.

[emma675]

I've actually had dark chocolates flavored with lavender that I really liked, but I've never had anything flavored with rose. I love the smell of roses but I'm not sure if I'd like to taste it. Who was it earlier that flavored something with lavender and then got kicked off that same week?

[stillshimpy]

Add me to the list of people who have just adjusted to the hosts (Mel and Sue, I think are their names) and am growing to appreciate them both.  I was thoroughly charmed by the "I'll just slip this into my pocket" gag over-and-over.  It was cute.  

 

I've had salmon puffs in the past and that's essentially the same thing as the Salmon Eclair.  I liked that someone tried a savory approach.  None of them look particularly good, but I was really pleased for the rose and lavender baker, Richard.  I've had good rose-essence things and bad ones, same thing with lavender , it's just a really difficult thing to pull off well.  I was glad for him, because I was envisioning Paul being particularly scathing if Richard had turned the corner from light floral note (which some really good vanillas are said to be slightly floral, like Tahitian vanilla has a floral note -- I can't personally detect it , but that's alleged to be the case) into the "a sachet for your closet" territory, I think it would have been brutal.  

 

I like Chetna and I don't agree that she relies too heavily on Indian spicing, the Pasties just cried out for Samosa-like spicing.  

 

The thing with Kate is that I'm afraid even if she'd had her deep fryer up to the proper temp, Paul didn't like her dough, so I'm not sure it would have saved her.  Also attempting to proof her dough in the fridge was startling.  Some pastries do need to rest in a chilled environment, but then they have to have adequate time to "wake up" essentially.  So between that and the failed pasties it seemed like she didn't really have a particularly strong knowledge base for pastry.  I could be wrong, she may just have had an off day, but the fridge "proof" really made me think pastry may not be her forte.  

 

Martha's eclairs really were one of the saddest sights of the night, but I'm glad she's still in the competition.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

FYI - for anyone who is interested in trying their hand at making kouign amann, it's in the master class episode. Hopefully PBS will air those after the regular season ends!

[RealityCheck]

I've actually had dark chocolates flavored with lavender that I really liked, but I've never had anything flavored with rose. I love the smell of roses but I'm not sure if I'd like to taste it. Who was it earlier that flavored something with lavender and then got kicked off that same week?

Norman in his pie showstopper. His dessert pie was topped with meringue flavored with lavender.  Paul's expression after taking a bite told me it was into soap flavored territory.

[Lamb18]

 

I've been rewatching the 1st season of Top Chef Just Desserts on YouTube and there is so much trash-talking and backstabbing going on that it's actually uncomfortable to watch. This show, on the other hand, is delightful - they all seem like genuinely nice people who are fond of each other and more than willing to help their fellow chefs.

 

I agree, but I bet no one on this show will say, "The red hots are for my mommy!"

[meep.meep]

Poor Elizabeth Falkner!  Let's hope that red hots never appear on this show.

 

I loved Kate's rambling explanation of how long it might be before she baked anything.  "I probably won't bake tomorrow.  Or the next day, probably not.  And the day after, I don't think I'll bake........"

[M. Darcy]

 

I adore eclairs, but I'm boring, I really only like the ones with vanilla custard/filling and chocolate icing.

I don't think I've ever seen any other kind than those.  I have led a limited life :-)

[lark37]

Darn, I really liked Kate.  I'm not an expert baker by any means, so I can't speak for how talented or experienced a baker she was or wasn't.  I just found her likable and funny.  Of my early favorites, only Richard and Martha remain.  Although I wouldn't mind Chetna winning this either, and Luis is growing on me too.  The only one I haven't warmed to at all is Nancy.  She seems less friendly and warm to the other bakers.  She always seems strictly focused on her baking and winning.  I supposed the old "I'm here to win not make friends" is probably her strategy, but it just makes her seem a little cold to me. Add me to the list of those who have never heard of Kouigh Amann, but several of the items they have baked have been new to me. I eat a very low carb, gluten free diet, so I'm getting my fill of carbs and gluten by watching this show--maybe that's why I love it so much!  The lack of manufactured drama present in so many other reality competitions also makes this show a joy to watch!

[ABay]

I had to look up paneer. I would've had to look up khoui...whatever but they explained it. They look like they should have a tasty filling so I was disappointed it's just pastry all the way through. IIRC, they were also a challenge on the U.S. version of the show but they didn't interest me enough to remember what they're called. And now that I know, I'll promptly forget because the spelling takes too much effort. (Sorry, French ancestors!)

[Scout53]

I made kouign amann today and they came out pretty well.  But does anyone know what the confusion was on the show about how many layers the sugar went in during the folding and rolling?  The recipe seemed pretty clear to me (but I suppose I could have gotten it wrong...). 

[Bella]

In the U.S. version of the show, the technical bake gave them incomplete instructions, so I imagine that's what happened with the GBBO.

[Athena]

Yes, every technical bake on the show lacks the complete instructions. As the series progresses, the technical bake recipes become more and more vague.

[Scout53]

Okay, so the recipe on the website was probably different (and more clear) than what they saw.  Thanks.

 

[KAOS Agent]

It would be cool if they posted the recipe that the contestants get next to the full one so that we could see the difference. I'm always interested in just how vague the instructions are and they never really say other than that things like oven temp or baking time aren't specified.

[Dobian]

Just catching up on this show now.  I'll watch the semi-final tonight and the final later this week.  I really like this show, it's so laid-back and the judges are fun (I like "professor mcgonagall"), plus a lot of those European bakes are so complex.  Without knowing who got eliminated in the semis, I would say that Chetna is my favorite, she just seems to be technically solid on every bake.  But every one of the remaining bakers is good enough to win.

[Rinaldo]

But does anyone know what the confusion was on the show about how many layers the sugar went in during the folding and rolling?  The recipe seemed pretty clear to me (but I suppose I could have gotten it wrong...). 

The recipe they saw seems to have been terse but not inaccurate: from what was said on the show I pieced together that it did say singular "layer" for the sugar. But some of the bakers seem to have overthought it (knowing that they're supposed to use their own knowledge and trained instincts as well) and wondered if that implied all the layers.