Who Left The Great British Bake Off? Episode 9 Recap

1 month ago

Who made it into the final?

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Another week, another episode of The Great British Bake Off. Just four bakers remain in the tent, and this week’s theme is a famously tricky one: Patisserie Week. Here’s everything you might have missed in episode 9 of Bake Off series 15.

Getting ahead of yourself? Find our recap of episode eight here, episode seven here, episode six here, episode five here, episode four here, episode three here, episode two here and episode one here.

What Happened In The Great British Bake Off Series 15, Episode 9?

Alison, Noel, Paul and Prue (Channel 4)

What Was The Theme This Week?

It’s patisserie week in the Bake Off tent, a famously tricky week that will test the bakers on their laminating skills, flavour combinations and speed. ‘It’s the semi-final and the bakers show off their patisserie prowess with breakfast pastries and a classic-but-theatrical Technical,’ Channel 4 teases. ‘Who’ll make final-worthy fruit entremets?’

Signature Bake: Breakfast Pastries

‘This is the most ambitious bake in the history of The Great British Bake Off,’ Alison says. No pressure, then. With the bakers tasked to craft two batches of breakfast pastries, this challenge began with a one-hour session to prep their dough, followed by three hours the following day when the bakers would whip up their breakfast pastries of choice – two each. Here’s how they fared.

Georgie: Georgie wasn’t pleased with her pastries, but the judges complimented her flavours despite the poor bake and lamination. Her pinwheels were delicious, according to Prue, with perfect flavours across the board.
Christiaan: Described as ‘inviting’ by Prue, Christiaan’s pastries were just short of the mark, with punchy flavours but not a perfect bake.
Gill: A less continental, more savoury take on the brief, Gill’s pain au sausage was described as ‘nearly there’, while her banana brulés were better received.
Dylan: After mistaking a three hour challenge for a two hour one, Dylan’s less ambitious selection needed a longer prove, but his flavours were ‘good and punchy’ according to Prue. Perhaps Dylan’s most scathing batch of feedback, filling his croissants was criticised for masking his lamination.

Technical Challenge: Opera Cake

The layers trend continues with the return of the infamous gateau opera aka the opera cake. The judges are looking for even layers in this many-layered cake, which features coffee and chocolate ganache amid its layers of jaconde sponge.

This is the cake of choice if a baker is looking to boast their skills. Here’s how the bakers fared…

Dylan
Gill
Christiaan
Georgie

Paul and Prue (Channel 4)

Showstopper: Fruit Shaped Entremets

Going into the Showstopper, no one felt safe – so the bakers have to pull out all of the stops in this tricky Showstopper. Tasked with constructing 12 fruit-shaped entremets and presenting them in a creative way, the bakers will be tested on their flavours as well as their flair.

Gill’s Strawberries: Gill’s glossy strawberries were true-to-size and went down a treat with the judges with Paul calling them exquisite.
Georgie’s Blackberries & Lemons: Presented in a woven chocolate basket, the judges were impressed with the look of Georgie’s fruit entremes, as well as the delightful flavours hidden inside.
Dylan’s Avocados and Oranges: ‘They look like they’ve just been picked,’ Paul says. These super realistic fruit shaped entremes were loved by the judges, both flavour-wise and the hyper-realistic look (the avocados even featured a stone inside).
Christiaan’s Lemons and Apples: ‘It’s staggeringly beautiful,’ says Prue. And Christiaan’s flavours were described as beautiful, too. ‘You’ve created something really elegant,’ says Paul.

Who Got Star Baker?

Christiaan bagged star baker after a super-tight final round, beating Dylan to the punch thanks to the latter’s missing orange (which Paul only noticed later…).

Who Went Home?

It’s curtains for Gill, who sadly didn’t push her skills far enough to make it into the final. It’s a shock turn of events after a tricky week for Georgie who struggled through the first two challenges (even threatening to quit in the Technical), but pulled out all of the stops for the Showstopper.

What’s Happening Next Week?

It’s the final, and ‘the bakers go all out with Signature scones, afternoon tea and tiered celebration cakes,’ Channel 4 teases. ‘Whose chance of winning has come and scone?’