WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

THE new series of the Great British Bake Off continued with the semi-final, Patisserie Week, for the remaining four bakers.

The bakers had to tackle a signature of baking six identical mini-Charlottes, a technical of making four identical chocolate, hazelnut and raspberry vertical tarts and making a Nordic-inspired showstopper for their three challenges. Janusz went home and Abdul was voted star baker in this week’s episode.

 

Here is Sandy Docherty’s verdict of this week’s ninth episode, as she continues her weekly Telegraph & Argus column which will be online each Wednesday morning while the 10-week series is on.

Sandy said: “Patisserie Week is always a tricky one. Patisserie is that high end of baking.

“It’s complex in its elements. It’s always the precision and the smartness of the look.

 

“I like the challenges from the whole of this series. I have been thinking ‘I’m going to go and try that’.

“The mini-Charlotte signature challenge was a good one.

“All four of them had bakes that stayed up in the showstopper. I was absolutely amazed.

“Sandro went to the far end to it to try to push for star baker. I want him to come back a step.

“We lost poor Janusz. It was the right decision. He just reached the end of the road I think. It was so tight last night, it could have been Sandro or Janusz.

 

“The surprise last night was Abdul. He was really focused. He didn’t do anything amazing, he just did simple flavours. He showed you don’t have to come out with weird and wonderful flavours to get it right. He kept it to the brief. He executed them really well.

“Syabira was incredibly focused last night. She was in the zone and that works 10-fold.

“We have got a final of mixed ability. I think ‘will Abdul play it safe?’ ‘Will Sandro spoil himself by going off-piste too much?’ and will ‘Samira keep it together?’ “It’s anybody’s game next week for the final.”