Great British Bake Off recap: Pastry week tests bakers with perfect pies and pithivier

Tasha with Paul, Prue, Noel and interpreter Daryl during Pastry Week in the Bake Off tent.

Pastry Week in The Great British Bake off had contestants desperate to create perfect pies with no soggy bottoms.

“I actually like pastry, I find it quite therapeutic,” Nicky said, ahead of this week's episode of The Great British Bake Off.

Fighting words during pastry week, but did they predict doom?

With two bakers leaving the tent after facing a savoury picnic pie signature, a dauphinoise pithivier technical and a sweet pie showstopper.

Signature Bake: Picnic pies

This week for the signature challenge the bakers were asked to make 12 individual savoury picnic pies using water crust pastry.

Bakers had to be on the look out for overfilling and underfilling their pies; too much filling and they risk springing a leak, too little and they risk leaving an air pocket.

Matty came out the gate with spanakopita-inspired pies with ricotta, feta, spinach and garlic. Alongside Cristy, Matty was one of two bakers who chose to lattice the top of their pies instead of using pastry lids.

Cristy’s pies were made with creamy mushroom, garlic and leek then topped with a delicate lattice lid.

Dana, in a move which would turn out in her favour, created a potato dauphinoise filled pie, with caramelised onion and rosemary. Josh was creating a “post-match picnic pie” filled with sausage, cheese and pickle, with Tasha and Rowan also creating sausage inspired bakes.

Dan took inspiration from a spicy lamb keema, with Saku also incorporating spice into her mix with her – toned down for the judges – spicy tuna and quails egg pie.

Nicky went traditional with her pork and cheese pie mix – but she did have to start again as she was unhappy with how it went the first time round, putting her in trouble.

But how did they all do?

Saku faced the dreaded soggy bottom for her pies, though her flavours were praised. Similarly, Matt, Dan and Dana were also praised for their flavours, however, their inconsistent pastry stopped them from excellent results.

Other bakers who did well include Josh and Rowan, who was told if his pies had looked better he would have a “little triumph” on his hands.

Tasha was praised for her pies with their mustard bottoms which Prue called a “little work of genius”, while Cristy blew the judges out of the water receiving the third Hollywood handshake of the series.

Technical Challenge: Dauphinoise potato and caramelised onion pithivier

Now, Dana had been very seriously asked by Paul during the signature challenge if her pies were like a pithivier.

Dana laughed, denying his statement but she would be the one with the last laugh considering what Paul’s technical challenge would be.

The bakers were asked to create a dauphinoise potato and caramelised onion pithivier – something eerily similar to Dana’s earlier bake.