Arts & Culture

The Great British Bake-Off: Week Seven: Caramel week’s top ten moments

8 November 20217 November 2021By
The Great British Bake-Off: Week Seven: Caramel week’s top ten moments

This week is caramel week, and the remaining bakers put their sticky twist on a classic caramel tart, caramel biscuit bar in the technical, and a showstopper encased in a sugar dome, which is said to be the most demanding showstoppers so far in bake-off history.

“Caramel a week where everything can go wrong!” Said Giuseppe.

“Dare I say it, but I’m feeling fairly confident,” Said George.

“I think the bakers will be nervous for caramel week. It isn’t something they would have worked with that often.” Said Leith.

Last time: Pastry week saw a strong showing for bakers Giuseppe and Jurgen, but it was the handshake in the showstopper that saw another baker get the win, and Crystelle was crowned star baker.

Whist George and Amanda were in the frame for going home. Sadly, Amanda didn’t live up to Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith’s expectations as GBBO passed the halfway mark in the completion, and she was the next baker to go home.

Signature bake: Caramel Tart

Technical bake:  Ten caramel biscuit bars, set by Hollywood. 

Showstopper bake: Sugar dome showstopper.

My top ten moments of week seven:

1. Giuseppe compares his fear towards caramel to his Italian wife

For his signature caramel tart, Giuseppe used the flavour of apricot and hazelnut. 

He took caramel week one step further in this signature bake by caramelising hazelnuts for decoration to top his tart.

“It doesn’t like moisture, and it doesn’t like hot or cold. I’m used to living with an Italian wife, so it isn’t so mental,” Joked Giuseppe about the obstacle of caramel.

2. Focusing on the star of the show

Being caramel week, the key player and the element that needs to be spot on is no other than the caramel.

Throughout the tent, some of the bakers opted for different ways to make their caramel. With Crystelle making a wet caramel and Lizzie making a dry, both technics could have gone wrong in seconds if the bakers were not playing close enough attention.

The bakers had to be incredibly precise about the temperature and the colour to achieve the correct flavour.

“The tip for this is taking it off the heat when lightly golden as it will still keep cooking seconds after”, Said Giuseppe.

With Chigs matching his caramel colour to the tan of Hollywood, the bakers feared that if their caramel were too dark, it would be close to tasting burnt. 

3. “I hate these”

This week the bakers were tasked by Hollywood to make ten identical caramel chocolate biscuits. As oven temperatures rose throughout the tent, each baker struggled to put all the elements together. 

For George, disaster struck when his shortbread cracked in the wrong place. Later on, his caramel formed a toffee consistency rather than the smooth caramel, making things worse when he dropped one of his chocolatey coated biscuits.

“I’m panicking!” Said, George.

4. Technical Judgement time

It is now time for Hollywood and Leith to rank the baker’s caramel fingers.

With not one baker standing out by having all the elements perfect, it was down to the judges to decide which baker had got some of the features nearly to their standards.

In sixth place for George. Leith commented that he had taken his caramel to a brick-hard toffee and also been unable to finish his biscuit.

In fifth was Lizzie. Paul commented how her biscuits were a bit of a mess and that the shortbread was more like bubble gum.

Crystelle was fourth, and Chigs was third.

Jurgen came in second, leaving first place to go to Giuseppe.

“Giuseppe, overall, the look was elegant. The biscuit was a bit soft, but you were the baker that ticked most of the boxes.” Said Hollywood.

“Certainly, getting first is a definite boost.” Said Giuseppe.

5. Chig’s caramel mistake

Chig’s showstopper caramel dome showcased a chocolate flower using a pecan dacquoise and a chocolate pecan ganache. The layers of caramel, chocolate, pecan and coffee are all used to contrast one another.

Being an ammeter to the baking world this year, Chigs feels like an apprentice baker for the chaotic caramel challenge.

Is this showstopper challenge going to be too sticky to handle?

Like Chigs, another caramel novelist is Giuseppe that mentions how he had cracked and broken more moulds then successfully held one together.

6. Packed full of layers

Within this showstopper challenge, each baker had to show the judges they could produce both set and baked elements in their dome spectacular. The bakers can personalise this showstopper challenge by choosing any dessert. For Lizzie, she went for an apple cake inspired dome, whereas Jurgen decided to create a dessert that resembled a Russian shallot. 

“It would be boring if we all done the same”, Said Lizzie.

“Every element needs to generate an interest and a curiosity,” Said Jurgen.

7. 107 steps for Jurgen

One baker that had his work cut out for him during this caramel showstopper was Jurgen.

For his showstopper, he had to make sure he had followed the 107 steps within his recipe!

“One element is a caramel, another is a praline, and I have a shortcrust, and a layer of mango and passionfruit, then a chocolate Genoese. Under my dome, I will have a piped flower which ladyfingers will encase,” Said Jurgen, which seemed to have impressed and frightened both the judges.

With this lengthy to-do list, Jurgen hopes that his showstopper will be his return to form.

“I just want to do my best”, Said Jurgen.

8. Lizzie the Mad Professor

Unlike the dome on top, Lizzie has opted to put her dessert into the sugar bowl. 

For her ‘Roses smell like caramel’ showstopper, her bowl will be filled with honeycomb, pecan brittle and sage caramel, all decorated in apple flavoured pastry roses.

“I want finesse,” said Hollywood.

9. Jurgen’s caramel contrasts

“Jurgen, I think it looks so spectacular,” Said Leith.

“The dome looks beautiful, and It is crystal clear”, Said Hollywood.

Jurgen had once again impressed the judges with his baking brilliance. Not only had he produced a perfect looking bake, but the flavours and textures wowed the judges further.

“Every layer is just made beautifully. It is nice to have you back in the tent,” Said Hollywood.

“I can’t resist another mouthful”, Said Leith.

10. Tightest ever showstopper

With every baker not thoroughly impressing the judges with their showstopper, star baker and who will leave the tent is a guessing game.

“This is the tightest week so far”, Said Chigs.

With Lizzie and George close to going home, It’s the other four bakers that are in line for this week’s star baker.

Sadly, the baker that is going home this week is George. Although his sugar made dome impressed the judges, his signature and technical challenge made him fall behind this week’s other bakers.

“It is very bittersweet. I am proud of my achievements and getting to week seven.”

On the other hand, the star baker went to the Jurgenator, who has again shown his excellent baking skills within the tent.

“Jurgens showstopper was delicious, and I defiantly want the recipe”, Said Leith.

Next Week: Quarter Final Week!

Read last weeks column here: The Great British Bake-Off: Week Six A Pastry insight