Pastry week
This is the fifth week of Season 14 of The Great British Baking Show ™ and focuses on the skill of pastry-making.
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This page is all about the food that the show brings to our screens. The goal is to have a lasting memory of some of the flavors and taste combinations, to bring some creativity and ideas to your own cooking. I hope you find it fun and useful.
Signature Dish
In episode 5 of Season 11 of The Great British Baking Show ™, the 9 remaining contestants were required to create twelve individual savory picnic pies. The fillings were completely freestyle, but the pies needed to be made using hot water crust pastry.
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Prue Leith said of hot water crust pies "These are traditionally made with lard". Paul Hollywood added "The other element is butter which adds flavor."
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Prue Leith "Hot water crust pastry is made by pouring ALMOST boiling water and melted fat into the flour."
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Paul Hollywood "You've got to put filling inside that is going to (a) be moist in the mouth and (b) carry a lot of punchy flavours. Finally, you want a beautiful bit of crimping on the lid."
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Prue Leith " Yes, you need to drop the lid INTO the pie where it will get trapped and won't rise up and fall off."
Technical Challenge
Decadent Dauphinoise Pithivier
Buttery crisp rough puff pastry encasing creamy potato and caramelized onion, served with a pour-on blue cheese cream sauce.
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Paul Hollywood said "The key thing when you're working a rough puff pastry is to add grated frozen butter between each term to create the 'lamination' of flaky layers." He also said "I recommend Roquefort for the sauce because it's a lovely salty blue cheese and adds a lot of flavor."
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It's worth noting that three of the contestants did NOT add the frozen grated butter slowly between turns, but added it in a single batch. In a blind judging, these three came last, so it's fair to say that's a good tip!
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The problems witnessed during the technical challenge were that the Pithivier was:
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flat
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pale
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uneven
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missing lamination
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undercooked potatoes
Show Stopper - trio of pies
The pies were expected to be highly decorative and use a rich sweet pastry
Cooking tips from pastry week
Frangipane
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Frangipane is a sweet almond-flavored custard that is used in a variety of pastries, especially in French baking. It is typically made with butter, eggs, sugar, ground almonds, and almond extract. Frangipane has a rich, nutty flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. It is often used as a filling for tarts, cakes, and pastries.
Dauphinoise Potatoes
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I've always found Dauphinoise potatoes to be a comforting and elegant dish that's surprisingly easy to make. It's the kind of side dish that can elevate any meal, from a simple weeknight dinner to a fancy holiday feast.
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The beauty of Dauphinoise potatoes lies in its simplicity. It's essentially just thin slices of potatoes baked in a creamy sauce. But the result is so much more than the sum of its parts. The potatoes become tender and buttery, while the sauce takes on a rich, savory flavor that's enhanced by garlic and nutmeg.
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I like to use a combination of Yukon Gold and russet potatoes for my Dauphinoise. Yukon Golds hold their shape well and have a nice, creamy texture, while russets add a bit of starchiness that helps to thicken the sauce.
Saucisson Sec
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Saucisson is a dry-cured sausage, often referred to as French salami, and is a staple in French charcuterie, offering a delightful balance of savory, salty, and sometimes slightly sweet notes.
It is typically made with coarsely ground pork, seasoned with a blend of salt, pepper, garlic, and other spices. The mixture is then stuffed into natural casings, and left to cure for several weeks or even months. During this curing process, the meat loses moisture, develops a firm texture, and intensifies in flavor.
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When sliced thinly, saucisson sec reveals a beautiful marbling of fat and meat. Its texture is delightfully firm but not hard, offering a slight chewiness that is satisfying and enjoyable.