The Great British Bake Off 2014 - Episode 5

By Mark Savile

A rather feisty episode last week ended with Iain's abrupt departure and tension reaching melting point. Week 5 brought a touch more tranquillity but as the number of contestants decreased so increased the pressure, and what a show it turned out to be.

It kicked off with the sad news that Diana, who we thought would be walking on egg shells after her involvement in last week's debacle, had fallen ill and could no longer continue, and there was also a gentle reminder not to throw bakes in the bin!

First up was fashioning a traditional 'family-sized' custard tart, with texture being paramount. From a simple tarte au citron to pastry infused with coco power to the interestingly named 'tropical Mancunian tart', the bakers pulled out all the stops. Time pressure kept most of the cooks on the edge right to the end. The judges were indifferent to a few of the creations, but Luis once again excelled.
The unseen technical challenge was to recreate one of Paul's recipes comprising mini pear pies with the fruit poached, baked and then encased in spiralled puff pastry. Every baker was put to the test, not only because of the limited instructions but also due to the fact that this dessert was new to everyone, and only one person in the tent had previously poached pears. There was time for some cheeky word play from Mel before the pears went in the oven. It went pear-shaped for Richard; however Martha triumphed, making up for a disappointing first round.

A sweet or savoury pie with at least three tiers that could stand up on its own was this week’s showstopper. Paul wanted the tiers to be thematically as well as physically linked, and the bakers duly obliged. Norman and Richard were under extra scrutiny after mediocre performances so far. The end products looked fantastic until the judges had to dismantle them for tasting.

There was debate over whether or not someone would be leaving the show after Diana's enforced absence, but Paul and Mary were not in a mood to drop any early hints. Despite a few mishaps from other bakers, Norman's Pieful Tower let him down at the end. Kate, a born and bred southerner, won the star baker prize, much to the playful annoyance of northerner Luis!

European cakes are up next week, so tune in again to see who possesses continental class and who gets lost in translation.