Ep 5. Pastry

In episode 5 of season 4 of The Great British Baking Show, titled Pastry, the remaining contestants take on the challenge of creating delectable pastries. The pressure is high as the bakers must create their own signature dish along with two identical types of savoury pastries.

The judges, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, start the Bake Off with a technical challenge that tests the bakers’ skills in making a challenging pastry – the Kouign Amann. This pastry originated from Brittany and is made up of layers of buttery dough that are brushed with sugar and folded into a neat round shape. The dish is tricky to make with its tight layers but creates an indulgent and flaky pastry when executed right.

Next up, the contestants move on to their signature challenge where they are given three hours to produce their own sweet pastry dish. The bakers come up with some truly impressive creations, including a colourful fruit tart with a passionfruit glaze, a hand-raised hot water pastry pie filled with an exotic poached chicken and apricot filling, and a beautiful raspberry frangipane tart.

Finally, the contestants take on the showstopper challenge where they have to create 48 identical filled pastries. This time the bakers must display their personality in their creations, by demonstrating diverse shapes, fillings, and techniques. The contestants pull out all the stops and come up with inspired and tasty pastries. Among them, there is a delicious gluten-free nut tart, an Indian-inspired samosa style pastry with a spicy chicken filling and a stunning stollen pastry wreath filled with brandy-soaked fruits and marzipan.

The judging is as always tough, with some bakers struggling more than others and Paul and Mary offering both encouragement and criticism in their delivery. One baker in particular has a hard time as he struggles to achieve the desired texture in his pastry, while another impresses the judges with his inventive flavour combinations.

Overall, this episode of The Great British Baking Show is a challenging one for the contestants, as they attempt to show off their pastry skills in a range of different ways. With some stunning creations and a few hiccups along the way, it’s a rollercoaster of an episode that will have viewers on the edge of their seats. Who will impress the judges the most and who will go home? Tune in to find out.