The Great British Baking Show Recap: A Work of Tart

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The words I dislike hearing most while filming are probably “handshake” and, close behind, “savory.” I’m a total sweets person. If I were stuck eating only one food for the rest of my life, it would definitely be something sugary – whatever it is, I want it to be loaded with sugar! This week, two out of the three challenges focused on meat. I do enjoy a good sausage, especially one made perfectly by Tom, but that’s not the main reason I watch the show. I mostly tune in for Alison’s laugh, but after that, I watch for things that are incredibly sweet and might even send me into a sugar-induced nap later.

The first challenge—baking a braided savory roll—wasn’t very exciting. I was hoping for something involving cream puffs! Things started slowly, but then Noel and Toby had a funny conversation about whether Toby would ever get a coveted ‘Hollywood Handshake’ from Paul. Toby joked that Paul wasn’t handing them out at all, using British slang. It was a playful comment, and honestly, I’m offering virtual handshakes to anyone who wants one – just send me a message! My DMs are open.

At this stage of the competition, all the bakers are pretty skilled, so major mistakes are less frequent – which is good for them, but maybe not so exciting for viewers. Toby takes on a particularly difficult challenge, deciding to make traditional puff pastry instead of the quicker version the others are using. Paul Hollywood warns him he won’t finish in time, but Toby insists he’s practiced it and continues anyway, despite the doubts. Unfortunately, it doesn’t pay off. Paul points out the pastry lacks enough layers and predicts he’d quickly tire of the chicken, bacon, and leek filling. All that hard work, and Toby definitely won’t be getting a coveted ‘handy’ (a handshake from Paul Hollywood).

Paul isn’t impressed with Iain’s baking choices either. I just found out this week that Iain is a vegetarian – proving that you don’t always know someone’s dietary habits right away. Apparently, avoiding savory pies means we don’t have to hear complaints about food restrictions. Iain made a roll filled with a tofu-based stew, which Paul immediately dismissed, walking away and acting very traditionally masculine. He joked that David Schwimmer was the only person who ever made him enjoy tofu. Seriously, *that* David Schwimmer? It was a charity bake-off, so the judging felt a bit biased. The roll looked fantastic with its claddagh ring design, but Paul thought the tofu flavor was lost amongst the other ingredients, which he didn’t seem to mind. Prue stayed quiet, but Alison stepped in to say Iain did a great job – she should offer her opinion more often.

Tom’s attempt at a dragon tail pastry doesn’t quite go as planned, despite his inspiration from his time in Hong Kong. While Hong Kong itself isn’t perfect now, it holds fond memories for him. The pastry cracks, and Paul doesn’t like it. Natalia also has trouble with her Chicken Kyiv roll, which the judges find isn’t cooked enough.

Jasmine consistently performs well, and her sausage roll – a family recipe – is a hit with Prue. Aaron also impressed with his Jamaican patty, a popular treat in London thanks to the city’s large Jamaican community. Paul enjoyed it so much he took a large piece for his lunch, though Aaron didn’t receive a handshake because Paul found the pastry slightly undercooked. Meanwhile, Toby jokingly mentioned Paul isn’t giving out his signature handshakes, and is now playfully concerned about potential complaints to HR.

The cooking challenge is to create a Gala Pie – a rectangular pork pie with a pastry crust made using hot water, and a boiled egg running through the center. Honestly, some foods just aren’t for me, and this is one of them, even after living in England for a while. It simply looks unappetizing – cold and soggy. It feels like a pointless and unpleasant experience, similar to hanging laundry outside on a damp day. I suspect you have to be raised eating it to actually enjoy it. It’s like asking someone from outside the US to understand the appeal of a corn dog – they just wouldn’t get it.

Iain still can’t use tofu, and he mentions he’s been vegetarian for eight years. Paul adds that he’s also avoided meat for a long time, making a playful joke. Continuing with the suggestive humor, Alison asks Tom when he last ate pork pie. He replies it was yesterday – Toby’s pork pie – and jokingly comments that it was smaller than usual. He always expects his pork pie to be large and perfect, and seems to find it tiring maintaining that standard.

His Gala Pie didn’t quite succeed, leaving him near the bottom in the technical challenge – only above Aaron, and below Nataliia, whose pies were soggy because steam couldn’t escape. It seems they forgot to cut vents in the top! Lesley, Iain, and Jasmine did well, with Jasmine, as expected, taking the win and challenging Tom’s previous perfect score.

I’m confused by the technical challenge again this week. They asked us to create a “visually stunning sculpted tart,” and I’m honestly not sure what that even means! I joked that it was me posing in a Speedo, but then Noel Fielding had Alison Hammond demonstrate, and she did a little walk down an imaginary runway. To avoid looking biased, Noel then did a silly prance, and even Prue Leith got in on the fun with a surprisingly energetic dance – the British called it twerking! Paul Hollywood, however, wasn’t interested in showing off. He’d rather eat tofu and offer constructive criticism.

Honestly, I’m still completely baffled by this ‘sculptural tart’ trend. From what I’ve seen, it basically means making a tart at least a foot tall out of pastry, but it doesn’t actually *look* sculpted – they’re all just round! It seems like they’re just piling a bunch of decorations on top to make them seem more impressive, which, okay, fair enough. Except for Lesley, who just stacked three bee-shaped tarts and called it a sculpture. Honestly, at this point, that explanation feels just as good as any other!

Everyone’s creations looked fantastic, with one exception: Toby’s roller-coaster-themed tart with burned honey custard. He miscalculated the time he had for the challenge, thinking he had 4.5 hours instead of 4, and ended up rushing. The result was a tart that tilted dramatically to one side – Don Jr. joked it needed a MAGA hat for support! Luckily, the judges loved the taste and the delicate pastry, which might just save Toby from elimination. Poor Toby is always under pressure and hurried; if he’d just take something to calm his nerves, he might actually win the competition.

Tom really impressed everyone this week, drawing inspiration from his Danish grandmother – it seems like pastry week is the perfect time to showcase a grandmother’s baking if you have one! He created a tart based on Risalamande, a traditional Danish rice pudding, and playfully decorated it with a design resembling the game *Connect Four*. The judges raved about the flavors, and Paul Hollywood declared that Tom was back to his best. It was his closest attempt yet at a truly perfect bake.

Aaron created a charming little scene with a gnome on a bridge, but the supports meant to make it taller snapped, leaving him noticeably shorter – just like Iain. He also added jasmine flavoring, which was a mistake. Floral flavors rarely enhance anything and usually cause more problems than they solve. It’s ironic that he used jasmine, considering how poorly it worked! Despite going all-out and making Paul Hollywood a special lunch, Aaron ultimately ended up with the lowest score.

Jasmine’s pear and chocolate tart was visually stunning – so much so that Tom was jokingly accused of having made it! The decoration included a remarkably realistic pear tree, complete with wood grain. However, the judges found it didn’t quite live up to its appearance, with Paul noting a lack of pears and a dry texture. Despite this, Jasmine’s consistent performance throughout the competition earned her a third Star Baker title. Personally, I thought Iain deserved the win with his pecan pie tart, which was inspired by the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and looked like something from a comic book. While Prue felt the whiskey flavor was too strong, it wasn’t strong enough to inspire another dance from her!

Nataliia created a beautiful swan-shaped pastry as a tribute to her grandparents, whose last name means ‘wetland bird.’ (Interestingly, my own last name means ‘bald’ – quite ironic, given my hair!) While the swan looks stunning – truly majestic and delicate – the judges didn’t enjoy the taste. They found the pastry too dense and tough, and the raspberry jam overwhelmed the other flavors, like pistachio and chocolate. Despite being a visually impressive creation, it wasn’t enough to keep Nataliia in the competition. She’s heading home, leaving only six bakers remaining, and everyone’s now wondering what unexpected moment will happen next – will Iain handle meat, or will Paul offer another helpful tip?

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2025-10-10 11:58