‘Shortcrust, puff, hot water crust, choux … do sweet shortcrust and rough puff count as separate ones?’ The nation’s viewers reflect on their personal pastry prowess as Aaron reveals that he once included the skill to make seven different kinds in a dating profile. Jasmine, by contrast, admits that ‘ninety-five percent of my pastry knowledge has been learned in the last two days.’ She’s silent on any romantic implications.

Anyway, amorous entanglements are shelved for the next two and a half hours as the bakers have a twisted tryst with a savoury pastry plait.

Hoping to win the affection of the man himself, Lesley confesses that she’s essentially ‘tweaked’ a Paul Hollywood recipe, adding dried cranberries and a gooseberry compote to the pork sausage, mushroom and caramelised onion of the original. ‘The interior’s lovely,’ says Paul modestly, although he adds that slightly thicker pastry ‘would have given you more flake.’ Prue confirms that Lesley’s onto a winner with her additions. ‘That gooseberry is a little bit of genius,’ she concludes.

Also reworking a tried and tested recipe, Jasmine turns to her family for inspiration. The wonderfully named Aunt Pom naturally includes apple in her pork sausage roll, which also features leek and herbs, and a tasty tomato relish makes the perfect accompaniment. Paul admires the look and lamination, whilst Prue laments, ‘if only more sausage rolls tasted like that.’

Three bakers venture further afield for their recipes. Tom’s Hong Kong style plait is coloured a vibrant shade of red and shaped like a dragon’s tail. ‘Flavour’s lovely, texture’s good,’ Prue discerns, enjoying the filling of minced pork, crispy chilli oil and fermented soy, but Paul decides, ‘I don’t like your pastry… it’s underbaked.’ Nataliia’s reinvention of chicken Kyiv also needed longer in the oven, but her additions of leek and asparagus to the chicken, bacon and garlic butter are much appreciated. However, it’s Iain’s vegetarian combo of tofu, broccoli and potato that has Paul walking away before he's even tried it. ‘The only person to impress me in the tent with tofu was David Schwimmer,’ he says, and, after an unenthusiastic response to the finished bake, Iain is forced to conclude, ‘I’m a sinker, not a Schwimmer.’

‘You just can’t do it in the time,’ warns Paul, as Toby explains that he’s attempting a ‘full puff’ and not a rough puff for his chicken, bacon, leek and cheese roll. ‘Amazingly brave,’ decides Prue, a little more optimistically. ‘The pastry’s got some rise,’ concedes Paul, picking critically at the completed crust. ‘Not enough though,’ he insists, whilst also complaining that he could soon ‘get a bit bored’ with the filling. Prue enthusiastically insists, ‘I think it tastes lovely,’ adding ‘I could obviously eat more of it than Paul.’

However, it’s Aaron who safely secures the judges’ lunch orders. His take on a Jamaican beef patty, (or, as he renames it, ‘platty’) served with a pineapple and Scotch bonnet jam convinces Paul to ditch his usual midday jacket potato in favour of another slice. Despite being ‘just a bit underbaked,’ it’s still deemed ‘stunning,’ and Prue insists on bagging a piece for herself too.

‘I wonder if it’s more the older generation who eats this,’ muses Prue, as she tucks in to another slice of savoury pie; this time the classic gala pie of the technical challenge. On cue, the contingent of younger bakers appears dutifully baffled by the mysteries of the mincer and the cryptic puzzle of a rectangular tin with removable sides. ‘I doubt that they’d serve this at the Met Gala,’ sneers Aaron, who, having opted not to include the essential steam hole, ultimately finds his soggy specimen far from red carpet ready. Hot water crust newbie Iain bravely grinds away through his meat aversion to deliver a pie that’s only bettered by Jasmine’s superior crimping.

Elevated pastry skills are put to the test in this week’s showstopper, as the bakers must construct a sculpted sweet tart in four hours. At least thirty centimetres tall and with only edible supports, it’s impressive to see everyone rise to the challenge, and for added motivation, Alison, Noel and Prue take it in turns to give their impression of a ‘visually stunning tart.’ The sight of ‘the Dame’ twerking may sear itself into our memories indefinitely.

Toby uses his sweet shortcrust to recall a painful encounter with a theme park goat. Set atop a burnt honey custard tart with blackberry reduction and mascarpone Chantilly, by judging time, his towering rollercoaster has the added jeopardy of an unintentional lean. Paul decides it’s still ‘delicious’ with ‘exceptional’ pastry.

‘Proper 3D’ and ‘very arty’ is his assessment of Lesley’s tiered beehive of pecan pies. Prue notes it’s ‘a little bit skewed,’ but Paul likes the ‘depth of flavour,’ despite it being ‘slightly overbaked.’
Iain also rocks up with pecan pie, adding walnuts, Irish whiskey and an edible recreation of the Giant’s Causeway, complete with charmingly illustrated giants. ‘Like a little work of art,’ admires Paul, and though Prue is equally awed, she reluctantly admits, ‘I never thought I’d live to say this, but I think there’s a tiny touch too much booze.’

Clear heads are essential for the strategic gameplay of Tom’s pastry version of Connect Four. Striking scarlet shortcrust encases his cherry, rice and almond crème pâtissière filling, inspired by the Danish dessert, risalamande. ‘I like the design - it really works,’ admires Paul, whilst Prue decides, ‘I love that … I could eat a lot of it.’

Unfortunately for Aaron, her appetite dwindles after tasting his pâte sucrée gnome garden. ‘Strange’ and ‘new’ is her assessment of the combination of jasmine rice custard with ginger jam and she concedes, ‘I couldn’t eat a lot of it.’ Paul pins it down to Aaron’s addition of jasmine flavoured essence. ‘You shouldn’t have done that,’ he tells the shamefaced baker.

The tent’s totally natural Jasmine serves up an impressive pâte sucrée tree that blossoms from its base of amaretto-poached pears and chocolate frangipane. 

‘Pastry’s good,’ asserts Prue, and though Paul thinks it lacks a little texture and moisture, he admits it’s ‘very professional,’ adding, ‘I love it.’

Finally, Natallia presents her stunning shortcrust swan, which glides gracefully on a lake of raspberry jelly, pistachio praline and chocolate ganache. ‘Delicious,’ but with ‘slightly overworked pastry’ is Paul’s verdict. However, it’s those pesky little bottles of flavouring that prove to be problematic yet again. Several overenthusiastic glugs of the stuff prompt Prue to declare, ‘the raspberry dominates a little too much for me.’ In a week when nobody has blatantly muffed their puff, those margins of error become thinner than a sheet of filo. So, sadly this is Nataliia’s swansong, whilst Jasmine gets her Star Baker hat trick.

Prue says, ‘frankly, if you can’t make pastry, you’re not much of a baker.’ And, as we now know, mastery of the discipline could even enhance your love life.