The Great British Bake Off: Semi-Final: Patisserie

October 1, 2014 7:19 PM - Season 5, Episode 9

It's semi-final time and the tension is palpable as the bakers begin Patisserie Week. The semi-finalists are challenged to make signature baklava—two different types of any flavour they like, but with the crisp flaky layers of perfectly pulled filo pastry.

Next, the penultimate technical challenge of the series, which sees the bakers make layers of a different kind. The German schichttorte is a cake cooked in stages under the grill to create 20 layers of different-coloured sponge. It is based upon the German baumkuchen which is baked on a rotisserie and is one of the trickiest German cakes.

The showstopper challenge raises the bar even higher. The final four bakers must bake nonstop to create two elegant entremets. They are asked to show as many skills and techniques as they can possibly pack in—this is their last chance to fight for their place in the final.

(Description via BBC iPlayer)

posted by mumkin (7 comments total)

Chetna! Noo! Aww, hate to lose my favourite before the final, even if I thought she probably wouldn't win. Richard has now got star baker 5 times in a row, which is pretty crazy. I think the final is a race between Luis and Richard at this point. As good as Nancy is, I don't think she's ever wowed the judges as much as the other two.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 11:52 PM on October 1, 2014

Oy, I know. I picked Chetna to win it, but if the editing and judging is to be believed, she really didn't have a good week. Can't fault them, sadly.

Has Luis ever won star baker? His stuff often looks gorgeous, like those floral baklavas, but frequently seems to fall a bit short on flavor/moistness/mouthfeel. As much as the judges ask for innovation, in the end it does seem to be well executed interpretations of the standard—viz Richard's more traditional baklavas—that they go for.
posted by mumkin at 1:01 AM on October 2, 2014

I believe Luis was star baker once (Nancy was also 1x star baker - hers was the first episode).
posted by minsies at 7:55 AM on October 2, 2014

Surely at this point it's Richard's to lose. I can't imagine anyone being so ahead of the pack and not being their obvious choice going into the final. Normally it's the quiet underdog who wins it, like Frances or John, but this time there's a really noticeable disparity.
posted by Magnakai at 11:34 AM on October 2, 2014

Chetna is super charming in the Jo Brand after show.
posted by roger ackroyd at 11:12 PM on October 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

I've no idea what Chetna does in real life, but if she's not at least offered jobs teaching cookery courses and/or doing TV shows then there's no justice in the world. I know we just see the edit, but she comes across as unflaggingly cheerful and incredibly charming. It does seem that she had a bad week, relative to her normal standards, but it's a shame to see her go.
posted by metaBugs at 6:46 AM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

I've no idea what Chetna does in real life…

According to her Twitter bio, she's a “full-time mom,” but her background’s in fashion design, per her blog. She seems to be making a go of baking celebrity at the moment, appearing (with other GBBO folks) at a London baking exhibition this weekend.
posted by mumkin at 1:29 PM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]