'The Great British Baking Show' Series 3 Episode 6: Pastry Week

Editorial Note: It came to my attention this week that PBS affiliates across the country are following different broadcast schedules for The Great British Baking Show. Here at WETA UK, we are showing one episode a week each Sunday night at 8 pm. On the other hand, my local channel in Cleveland started out with one installment each Friday evening, but since last week has starting doubling up, airing two in a row. In fact some of you may actually have only the season finale left to watch on August 12th. The point here is that, for many of you, our recaps may not be keeping up with your viewing.  I wish we could be having a shared experience as before and this may be one of the reasons there have been far fewer reader comments on this series.  We regret the situation, but since we can only adhere to one schedule and not the many permutations out there, it must be to the affiliate associated with this blog. Sorry for any confusion you may have experienced.

Now on with the task at hand! You would think after a week of alternative ingredient challenges, pastry baking would be a lark for our experienced contestants. However, while many were praised for their flavors, few were able to create pastry perfection. We’ll come back to soggy bottoms, raw centers and burnt blind bakes in a moment, but first let’s review last week’s highs and goodbyes.

Nadiya excelled as usual in her planned signature and showstopper bakes. But it was her first place showing in the pita bake that broke her technical challenge curse and also ended Ian’s Star Baker streak. Alas Ugne suffered a pair of appearance and structural disasters and was sent home for basically taking on more than was required.

In the tent this weekend, the seven remaining bakers were assigned three pastry projects. The judges opened with a signature challenge to make an open-topped frangipane tart with a shortcrust pastry in two hours.  In the toughest technical challenge yet, according to Mary, Paul set our bakers the task of making a Cypriot cheese-filled pastry called flauones in two hours. Finally in the showstopper round, the bakers had to make that 70’s dinner party staple, vol-au-vonts. They had three hours and forty-five minutes to make forty-eight perfect puff pastry and two different delicious fillings.