The Great Canadian Baking Show (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 4 - International Week - full transcript
The first stop for the bakers on their global travel on International Week is anywhere they want to go for the signature challenge, as they can make their choice of hand held pie, of which most cuisines have their own version. The must make twenty-four identical pies with an accompanying dipping sauce in two hours. The potential issues with this challenge are the type of dough which needs to be sturdy enough to encase the filling while being held, the liquid content of the filling which could compromise the crust, and having he correct ratio of dough to filling. The technical challenge may be the most difficult of the week as the judges could ask for almost anything. The challenge takes them to Japan as they are asked to make twelve Daifuku mochi in two hours. This challenge will not require the use of an oven, but rather a steamer to prepare the dough, and a pressure cooker to cook the red bean paste within the time constraint. Both these utensils may make the challenge even more difficult as it will take the bakers out of their comfort zone in knowing when, especially the dough, is of a consistency ready to roll. And the showstopper takes the bakers to Italy, as they are asked to make an Italian cookie diorama in four hours. The bakers must use at least two different kinds of Italian cookie dough. They should choose a cookie that is sturdy enough to be used as a three dimensional building block. Beyond the flavor and texture of the cookies, the challenge will largely be judged on the diorama aspect, which in and of itself does lend itself to be a true centerpiece.
(Speaking foreign
language)
Huh?
(Speaking foreign
language)
(Speaking foreign
language)
Okay, what's going on?
Are we in some kind of fight?
Ah,
it's International Week.
Do we have to do
the whole thing as a neo-realist
Italian drama?
Si.
Last time,
the bakers took on bread...
If it goes wrong,
I have no place to hide.
A jaw-dropping
Showstopper
brought out their best...
The sandwich cake;
I'm a new fan.
And Sadiya emerged to
win her first Star Baker crown.
Oh, my God!
Devon struggled
in the technical challenge...
I forgot
to add sugar to my buns.
...but Ann Marie...
I'm eating
everything except the bread.
...was the
third baker sent home.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Now the bakers
will travel the world
for international week.
This is the most
unpredictable week
we have ever seen.
Absolutely.
I have never
seen one of these.
I've never eaten one of these.
They look
prettier than me!
Who will become
the star of far-off flavours?
That smells awesome.
That cookie, I want
the recipe, it's delicious.
And who
will be sent packing?
It's
just lacking oomph.
This is terrible.
Oh, my God.
Mmm.
It's good.
Mmm, yum.
I'm pretty lucky
I got Star Baker last week,
which was unexpected,
but very welcomed.
Last week went well.
I was really proud
of everything I did.
My sights on Star Baker
just escalated this week.
I'm excited
for International Week.
I'm feeling a lot better
now that bread is behind me.
No more bread!
Good morning,
and welcome, bakers.
I hope you're
feeling adventurous
because we're about
to take a culinary tour
around the world.
Ooh.
It's International Week.
Now for today's
Signature Challenge,
you've been asked
to bake 24 identical
and portable hand pies.
We want you to be
inspired by your family,
your cultures,
traditions, travels.
But ultimately
what is a hand pie, Julia,
without a dipping sauce?
I don't wanna say it.
Come on, say it.
Why it's a
dips-appointment, Dan.
There we go.
Yes.
The judges would like you to
make a complimentary condiment
to go with your hand pie
because this is Week 4, people.
Making 24 identical pies
just won't cut it.
You have two hours
for this challenge.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake!
This week
I have to show the judges
that I can deliver
good-tasting and pretty,
'cause usually I just deliver
good-tasting but ugly.
So, you know,
my children can be cute.
I'll show them.
I actually like hand
pies and I'm really excited
to show this one because this
is actually my mother's recipe
and she does it so well
that I never made it
because there's no point
in anybody else making it.
Hand pies are
a great way to get to know
our bakers' background
because every country
has their own version
of the hand pie.
I feel really good
about hand pies.
Being East Indian, our biggest
most famous hand pie
is the samosa,
so that is what
I'm making today.
There's really no
rules when it comes to choosing
the right crust
for a hand pie,
but it really needs
to compliment the fillings.
Sounds easy, but...
not so much.
I need to get it
as soft as possible,
because the softer the dough,
the softer the hand pie.
It's my Grammy's recipe.
I can only hope to make her
proud by doing it for her today.
Megan's drawing
on her grammy's recipes
and her Albertan roots for her
hamburger-inspired hand pies,
stuffed
with three
different
kinds of meat.
She'll serve them
with French fries
and her own
secret sauce.
So this looks like
a really lardy short pastry.
In Alberta
we do a lot of lard crusts.
Yeah.
So I'm sticking true
to where I'm from this time.
I can't wait.
I don't know.
I find that butter
I get a nice,
flakier crust.
Uh, lard is...
What even is lard?
I don't even know.
The dough
is looking alright.
It's just like
a simple white dough.
Sugar, flour, and water,
and a little bit of oil.
Mengling's making
a Northern Chinese version
of the hand pie.
Filled with lean
ground beef, vegetables,
and a variety
of spices.
They will be served
with a spicy soy
and vinegar
dipping sauce.
In Chinese
it's called "Xian Bing."
How are you
going to cook the dough?
I will pan-fry
my dough so it will be crispy
on the outside
and like, chewy...
Chewy dough.
And soft on the inside.
Delicious, Mengling.
Delicious.
But the perfect
pastry will fall flat
if it isn't combined
with a delicious
and well-chosen filling.
That smells awesome.
Day-old
rice for crispy rice.
I'm just going to roast
the spices with the onions
before I put the meat in.
Sadiya's making
a version of Fatayer--
a fluffy Middle-Eastern
hand pie.
She'll serve
them with
a cilantro-tamarind
chutney
to highlight
the flavours
of her mint
and beef filling.
So this is
a combination
of how many different countries?
The dough is Bahraini.
The filling is Pakistani.
Yeah.
The chutney is
both Arab and Pakistani.
We got them both in there.
Wow.
Yeah.
And Sadiya's
not the only baker
looking to their heritage
for inspiration.
I'm making a hand pie
version of a Russian dish
called Koulibiaka,
which is a salmon pie.
So an ode to
your Russian roots today.
Yes, yes exactly.
Andrei is scaling
down his mother's recipe
for this refined Russian dish
that combines salmon, dill,
and bean vermicelli.
Each pie will be wrapped
in a buttery pastry
and served with a fresh
cucumber relish.
So you're gonna
cook the salmon before
putting it inside?
No.
No, it's put in raw and then
it cooks inside the pastry.
Actually
sounds really ambitious.
It's a very fancy
recipe that's been scaled down.
So you've got
something to prove to us...
and to your mom as well.
Yes.
Double challenge.
Yes.
It's coming along
just fine I think,
but I'm like spilling
pork everywhere.
C'mon, mushrooms.
Do it.
So this is
some shredded potato
which acts as a binder
for everything
so your meat isn't just
all loose inside there.
This is quick
lighting charcoal.
It gives that minty and smoky
flavour profile in there.
This is bulgogi beef.
Mmm.
It's really good.
Now imagine that in a layer
of like pastry.
I can't even.
Well, you're going to.
Devon's
Bibimbap hand pies
will combine bulgogi beef,
crispy rice, vegetables
and a quail egg topper.
For his condiment, he'll be
creating a spicy Korean ketchup.
Why Korean food?
When I lived in Japan,
I spent quite a bit
of time in Korea.
Love Korean food.
Yeah, it just seemed obvious.
The judges will also
be looking for hand pies
that are dainty and uniform.
So when it comes to assembly,
precision is everything.
Neatness isn't
always my strength
so I'm gonna try my best
to compensate by doing
very careful, good work.
These are more
of a rustic hand pie.
It surprises
me because we know
how exacting
and perfect you are.
Yes.
You haven't even used
a round cutter to cut these.
No, I'm trying to meet
the brief as best as I can
with identical hand pies...
Yes.
...but they're all gonna
have their own little shape
and edge.
Sachin's
pork samosas are based
on his family's
Indian recipe.
But he'll be giving
them some extra kick
with a mint and chili
pepper chutney.
The trick is to
put just the right amount
of filling in it, otherwise
it's just gonna be busting out
and of course the final trick is
to make sure that you've crimped
and sealed all
your sides, otherwise...
I'm turning into
a hand pie-making machine.
I'm just grazing
over your meat bowl.
That's totally fine.
Can I just
take this bowl?
You can.
It's honestly all extra.
They kind of look
like buns but they're pies.
These are
flavours I recognize.
Yes.
From my childhood.
So it's kind of like
a spring roll filling
in a pie dough.
Right.
So it's a little east
meets west, right?
Yeah.
Exactly, yeah.
Timothy's
fusion hand pies feature
a pork spring roll
filling
wrapped inside a short
crust pastry shell.
He'll be serving
them alongside
a sweet and sour
dipping sauce.
I made these a couple
times and I finally kept saying,
try putting more filling in,
so this time
they are a bit more plump.
Stuffed.
So I hope
they don't like,
pop open but I think
it'll be fine.
Bakers,
you have one hour left.
I'm not
doing great for time.
I gotta get these in the oven
like as soon as possible.
Some of
the bakers have chosen
to work in small batches.
Should be
about 10 to 12 minutes
while I work on
the rest of them.
Others are taking
the all-or-nothing approach.
We are going
into the oven.
While Mengling
and Sachin's recipes
are a bit more hands-on.
I am not timing them so
much as I am just watching them.
The baker's still need
to prepare one final element...
their condiment.
You wouldn't normally
eat koulibiaka with a sauce
but, uh, with a hand one,
you probably
would like something
to freshen it up a bit.
These pickles
are my Grammy's
and she taught me
how to do 'em.
Yeah?
That should be
on every burger.
So good.
My condiment
is a combination
of different Korean condiments,
but I don't have enough
to fill the bowl
so I have to try to make
it look presentable.
Bakers, get ready
to hand over your pies.
Fifteen minutes left.
They're nice and golden.
We want that.
Two, four,
six, eight, 10, 12.
And there's another 12.
Twelve in there.
Yes, yes.
Okay, so we're covered.
Okay.
Eighteen.
Nineteen, 20.
Twenty, 21...
Twenty-one, 22, 23.
I better get one more made.
That's what
I'm here for Sachin.
Uh, thank you very much.
Uh-huh.
Wait just
a bit longer,
and I'll take you out of
this heat oven soon.
I know I have
to stop opening me oven.
I know, I know, I know.
I'm an impatient person.
Happy with
how things are going?
Uh...
They look
prettier than me!
Ah!
Two minutes, bakers.
Two final minutes remain.
Well,
I'll just use my hands.
Time is up, cutie-pies.
Step away
from your hand pies.
The hand pies will now
be judged by Bruno and Rochelle.
I know exactly what
kind of treat I'm in for here
and I love the way you've
represented the concept.
Your bake
is a bit inconsistent.
I love the flavours.
The sauce is spectacular.
You should bottle that.
The filling's very dry
and the pastry is very crumbly.
Okay.
You could've
done a brioche dough
and that would've been perfect.
Great concept,
great flavours.
The pickle was lovely.
Oh good.
Wow.
They look so rustic.
I got 24
and I triple counted.
You got a great
ratio of filling to dough.
Perfect.
So I know it's gonna
be packed with flavours.
And the chutney
is a mint chutney.
That is so hot.
Hot?
With a little
smear of that, it's perfect.
Mm, I can taste the cumin,
and I can taste the cardamom.
Great.
Your pastry
is incredible.
Good, okay.
Beautifully crunchy.
The flavour
is just amazing for me.
Wonderful.
It's perfect.
Great.
Visually,
they remind me of gyoza.
I love that you've
pan-fried them.
My concern is,
is that part cooked enough?
We'll find out.
They are
sensational flavours.
With your little dipping sauce,
I could eat a plate of those.
However, your
dough is a bit too doughy.
Oh...
Because the sides
are not cooked,
but very enjoyable.
Thank you.
These
are so colourful.
Yeah, I wanted it
to look like bibimbap,
and I think it does.
Yeah.
Great concept.
Your rice
is still crispy.
Oh, good.
And the sauce
is vibrant in the mouth.
I don't
love the pastry.
It's a little bit chewy
but you've represented
Korean flavours well.
Really delicious.
Thank you so much.
I love the concept
of east and west.
So your dough is very flaky.
When I cut into it,
I can hear some crackle.
But as you can see
on one of the sides...
a lot of moisture escaped
because you have a lot of
opening on the side.
What you could have done
is to pinch the edge.
There's a depth
of flavour that's missing
from the spring roll filling.
It's just lacking
a bit of oomph.
A good effort.
Okay.
These look
really beautiful.
I love the way
you formed the dough.
Thank you.
It's very light.
Almost like a little pillow.
You can see you've got
a beautiful bake around.
The texture
of the bread
with the finely ground
meat is beautiful.
The cilantro chutney
is punchy, it's acidic,
it beautifully
complements the meat.
The meat
is well seasoned.
Thank you.
Right amount of spices.
Maybe a bit on the dryer
side but the dough is very good.
Thank you.
These are beautiful.
They're so beautifully
consistent.
Wow, look at that.
Gorgeous.
So you can see
your bake is perfect
and you have the perfect
ratio, filling to dough.
It's very delicate.
Your salmon is not dry at all.
Good.
Great flavour.
It's beautiful finished product.
Thank you very much.
Are you
happy with them?
Yes, and my mother
will be very happy too.
Good.
What a relief.
They thought it was tasty.
Can't get any better than that.
They liked idea
so I'm excited to try a brioche
like Rochelle said and see if
it makes them even better.
I think
International Week Technical
could literally be anything,
so no panic, just have fun.
I'll probably panic
a little bit... some.
I'll panic
a little bit for sure.
Well, bakers, now is
the moment that none of you
have been waiting for:
this week's
Technical Challenge.
Well, I'm excited because
this week you'll be making
a dessert from one
my favourite countries.
Bruno and Rochelle, any advice?
Do not get wrapped up
in a sticky situation.
Well, as usual you two
will be banned from the bake so,
uh, sayonara.
Sayonara.
Sayonara.
As you can tell from
the gangs flawless Japanese,
today's technical challenge
is a Japanese dessert
that celebrates
the return of spring.
This week
you will be making
12 daifuku mochi.
This sweet confection
is made from rice flour,
sweet red bean paste,
and one entire strawberry.
Now, it's unlikely you've been
whipping these up every weekend
so you're gonna need
your imagination,
your instincts and of course
your incomplete recipe.
You have two hours
on the clock.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake!
I have never
seen one of these.
I've never eaten one of these.
This is fun.
I like this one.
Oh, man.
I'm really scared.
I've never made mochi before.
You know what these are?
I do know what these are.
It's like the first time that
I actually kind of feel like
I know what...
Well, at least you
know what they look like.
...what it
looks like, yeah.
Andrei.
Mm-hm.
What's mochi?
I have no idea.
People all over
the world love sweets.
It's not just about French
baking, Italian baking,
or even Dutch baking.
Mochi celebrates the return
of spring in a beautiful way.
They're such
a Japanese delicacy.
How do we get them
to look so beautiful.
It's all about
the right colour.
This soft pink.
But what's exciting
is what's inside the mochi.
Oh wow, look at that.
You have
a whole strawberry
wrapped in the red bean paste.
Mmm.
Very juicy.
Very fragrant.
And the red bean
paste, it's so smooth.
It's not grainy at all.
In every bite you get
that perfect balance
between sweet and tart
and that silky texture
from the mochi dough.
They are so elegant.
It's the perfect
spring celebration.
I do have some
experience with red bean paste.
We'll see if that
pays off today.
Making mochi
is bit of a juggling act.
The bakers will have to keep
one eye on their bean paste.
Just started my beans
there in the pressure cooker,
waiting for it to cook.
The rest of their
attention will be on creating
and steaming their mochi dough.
Made by combining
sugar and water
with mochiko rice flour.
Oops!
I'm mixing the mochi,
trying to get a paste.
I wanna whisk this until
there are no lumps in this,
which I'm pretty darn close.
I don't know
if I'm doing this right.
The final ingredient
is a dash of red food colouring.
The bakers will have
to use their intuition
to get the perfect
soft pink colour
the judges are looking for.
Everyone else?
I think everyone else
is using metal bowls
so I can't tell
what they're doing.
Not a lot of
people will know
what the right shade
of pink is for this.
You don't want it to be red.
How dark should this be?
It has to be dark enough
so that it's got a bold,
distinct colour.
I'm gonna
make my snake coil.
Aluminium foil snake coil.
I have no idea
what that means so um,
I've done something.
I think
it's twirly thing.
I'm not sure.
We're steaming something
so we're just putting this
into the bottom of the pot
so that we're not
putting the glass bowl
directly on the bottom
of the pot.
The bakers' next
challenge is to figure out
just how long they'll need
to steam their dough.
Steam until
mixture is thick and elastic.
Oh, it doesn't tell you how
many minutes to steam it for.
You don't want
it to go too long
because then it'll just
become a solid mass.
But it has to steam long enough
that you can roll it out.
It's a tricky, uh,
tricky situation.
While they wait
on their dough to steam...
it's time to check
back in on their beans.
Looks okay.
So I'm just like
cooking off the liquid
and making sure the liquid's
absorbed back into the beans
because right now
it's far too wet.
Well, I think
this is good enough.
The recipe
says to make smooth.
How do you make smooth.
I think I'm gonna
get my immersion blender.
Getting a silky-smooth
texture is crucial.
Though
some of the bakers...
seem to think otherwise.
I just want it
a little bit thicker.
Part of me just wants to
do it my way and be like,
"That's how I know
daifuku mochi."
I will read
the recipe next time.
Konnichiwa, bakers.
You have one hour left.
I wanna cook it
until it's a bit more elastic.
But I think it's quite close.
Something
seems to be working.
It's thick and
elastic-y and weird.
Turn mochi onto work
surface generally dusted
with potato starch.
The person who came up
with this is an evil genius.
This is my
very sticky mochi.
Very sticky.
Much like
flour on a yeasted dough,
a generous helping of potato
starch allows the mochi dough
to be rolled flat.
You wanna
go a very thin thickness
because you're gonna wrap
it around the strawberry.
Too little starch, and
the bakers will find themselves
in a very sticky situation...
Oh.
Uh-oh, uh-oh.
Okay, this not good.
Twenty minutes
left, bakers.
Twenty minutes left.
I have my strawberries.
Yeah.
I'm gonna take
my cool red bean paste
and wrap it into circles,
tuck it in.
Sounds like you've
got it all under control.
I'm thinking of
sitting them upright.
It sounds like you know
exactly what you're doing.
I don't.
I wouldn't have known.
This is
really terrible.
Oh, my God.
So I just trust my gut
and did what I know
and then I read the recipe
and was like...
Oh,
you're one of the sneaky
I-don't-read-the-recipe-
properly-people.
I don't read the recipe.
Why?
It didn't serve
me well last week.
This is week four!
I know.
Five minutes left.
This is usually when
the panic sets in.
Some chef is
cringing in Japan right now.
Okay, you can
do this, you can do this.
Okay.
These are a mess.
Sixty seconds left.
Mochi, mochi nightmare.
I'm happy with them.
I like them.
And time is up,
my little daifuku's.
This isn't very good.
Time to bring your
mochi up to the gingham altar.
The judges will
be looking for twelve dainty
daifuku mochi;
each containing
a delicate strawberry
wrapped in smooth
red bean paste
and a perfectly steamed
soft pink shell.
Baker number one,
colour's a little deeper
than we were looking for
but they all look
relatively consistent.
Good contrast
between the strawberry
and the red bean paste.
That's what we're looking for.
It's a great result.
Mochi number two.
Much better
on the colour.
A bit more plump.
Really
even distribution
of the red bean paste.
The red bean
paste is a bit gritty.
Baker number three.
Definitely some
challenge on the dough.
You can see the strawberry
going through.
The red bean
paste is gritty
and I'd go so far
as to say it's chunky.
Also the distribution
of the red bean paste
is not consistent.
The mochi dough
looks sensational on this one.
The strawberry
should have been up.
Way too much
red bean paste
but excellent work on
the mochi dough itself.
The mochi
dough is too thin.
Again, the strawberry
are put in different position.
The bottom is on the side.
Mm, it's quite
lumpy too isn't it?
The red bean
paste is very chunky.
Unfortunately that makes
it very mushy mochi.
A good size.
It's fairly consistent.
The thickness
of the mochi dough
is really quite good.
Mm-hm.
Red bean paste is very grainy.
And dry.
Very dry too.
It's
quite dry isn't it?
And finally
our last baker.
It's very red and some
have a thick skin,
some others, thinner.
The red bean
paste is very gritty.
The texture is distracting.
Bruno and Rochelle
will now rank
the daifuku mochi
from bottom to top.
In seventh place,
whose are these?
Mengling.
Too many difficulties.
I got all 12
on a plate at least.
At least.
Baker number six?
Devon!
I know!
I'll never live it down.
Really
translucent dough.
Gritty red bean paste.
Yeah.
Fifth place?
Andrei.
The colour is too deep
and there is too much dough.
Who's are these?
Sadiya.
The bean paste
could've been strained
and the mochi dough
was quite dry.
Third place?
Sachin.
Lovely colour.
Too much bean paste
but it was smooth at least.
Baker number two?
Timothy.
Good job.
Really dainty in size and good
ratio of all the elements here.
First place?
Megan.
The colour was a bit too deep,
however, it was smooth,
very tasty, bang on.
Thank you.
We've had four technicals
and I've won two of them.
I don't get it
but I will accept it.
Red bean can be chunky...
sometimes.
Wasn't supposed to be this time.
Oh, I'm never
making daifuku again.
I just gotta do well
on my Showstopper.
That's all I can do.
So this technical
has seriously messed
with the balance of the day.
We had bakers who did
well in the signature,
however, when time came
for the technical,
they just stumbled and went
all the way to the bottom.
Let's start
on the shaky grounds.
Mengling came in last.
I know,
and then Devon
didn't have a great
day yesterday.
You know, he lived in Japan!
So, it was really
shocking for us.
Is is safe
to say at this point
there is not clear front runner?
It's anybody's
game at the moment.
So this Showstopper
is really gonna decide
who is Star Baker
and who goes home.
If they thought
the mochi was hard,
today might be harder
for some of them.
Ciao, beautiful bakers,
and welcome to today's
International Showstopper
or as they like to call
it in Italy,
your Internazionale Showstopper.
Today, my dear bakers,
you will be making
an Italian cookie
sculpture or diorama.
For inspiration, picture
a miniature Bruno and Rochelle
walking through miniature
Tuscan vineyard.
Except the whole thing's made
of an Italian cookie dough.
You can use any
combination of dough
that you like but you must
use at least
two different kinds of cookies
so think biscotti,
amaretti, pizzelle,
lady fingers...
They can be any size,
colour or flavour
and you can choose
whatever glue you'd like
to hold it all together.
You have four
hours starting now.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake!
I've got a lot to do
in a very short time.
It's gonna be fun.
Don't get
fooled by my accent.
My first name is Bruno
and I know
about Italian cookies.
So we're looking
for the perfect bake.
If they are not baked properly
we're either going to have
the Tower of Pisa,
you know on the side,
or a total collapse.
The dough I'm okay with,
it's the actual creation
of the sculpture
that is most concerning to me.
My structure's simple
so I want it to be perfect.
Simple needs to be perfect.
This challenge
is great for our bakers
because it gives
them an opportunity
to really challenge
themselves by showing us
just how creative they can be.
These bakers are also
determined to show the judges
just how ambitious they can be.
So I'm making three
different types of cookies
and I'm over complicating
things as per usual.
It's going to be
a sculpture of a fish
in the ocean.
Out of four different types
of cookies if I can pull it off.
This recipe
is my longest recipe yet.
I am making a bee hive.
Bees.
Mengling's hive
will host a bevy of bees,
each made of
orange blossom
S-cookie dough.
She will use
delicate Florentines
for the wings,
and make
a third dough--
pistachio
biscotti--
for added floral
decoration.
This one is
less elegant, more fun.
I feel like only
shown us nervous Mengling...
But I'm liking fun
and silly Mengling.
I'm looking forward
to how it will turnout.
Right now I am making
my lemon S-cookie dough.
The density
and rigidity of Italian S-cookie
for added dough
is perfect for sculpting.
Which is why most of
the bakers have chosen it
as one of their doughs.
So this
kind of S-cookie
is actually really
strong because...
chemistry!
But all
that strength...
These are really,
really stiff cookies.
...comes with a price.
My piping bag split
'cause cookie dough is so stiff.
Yummy.
I just added some more milk
just to make it more, uh...
liquid.
Devon's hoping
to impress the judges
with his southwestern theme.
He'll be making
a Savoiardi snake,
black sesame Amaretti rocks,
and all of them surrounding
a giant cactus
of cardamom and orange
blossom S-cookies.
Your
dough looks so wet.
To pipe it I needed
to add a bit of moisture.
It's really elastic.
Rochelle, you don't
like that dough at all.
I'm just really
sceptical about the texture
of the dough.
To ensure their
sculptures turn out right,
the bakers will need to
start a cookie assembly line,
rotating batches in the oven
quickly so they have enough time
for building and decoration.
What are we making today?
So, today
I am making a bus.
Why a bus?
I take a bus
every day to school.
Sometimes it can be a bit glum.
This is gonna be
like a more upbeat,
cartoonish take on it.
Timothy's bus
will be constructed
with 3 different doughs:
lemon anisette,
almond biscotti,
and almond florentine,
with extra cookies
hidden inside.
Those are
baked already, ah?
Yes.
They're anisette cookies.
I believe that they are
supposed to remain quite pale
after baking.
Mm-hm.
I think that's enough?
Are you telling us,
or you asking us?
Yeah, yeah.
I'm...
I don't know.
I think you surprised
yourself yesterday, didn't you?
Uh, I think
I surprised everyone.
That should give you
some confidence for today.
Yeah, I hope.
So what exactly
are we building?
So we're building
a game called Ludo.
Okay.
It teaches my kids math,
strategy, sportsmanship.
Yeah.
We home school
so board games
become educational.
Sadiya's Ludo
sculpture will feature
a rainbow cookie game board
as well as S-cookie game pieces
drizzled in coloured icing.
Ludo is a
really ancient game.
Very popular in
the South Asian culture.
And you think this is
the right strategy for today?
The strategy
was to showcase the cookies
so only two cookie doughs,
but multiple flavours
and multiple colours
across the board.
And Saidya's not
the only one trying to bring
some of herself
to this challenge.
I'm making
northern lights,
camping in the woods theme
'cause that's what we do,
and we're privileged
and blessed enough to see them
where we live.
Megan will use a sugar
backdrop of the Northern Lights
to frame her three cookie
dough sculpture:
A biscotti base will support
lemon S-cookie creatures,
and a chocolate
ricotta mountain.
So when
you do mountain...
Like, is this the scale
we're talking?
No, I'm
hoping like that and then,
just as a backdrop to
hold my sugar wall up.
A sugar wall?
Yeah.
The whole northern lights
behind the thing.
So this'll be a fun one,
I think.
Yeah.
This is going to be
my glue for the cookies.
Not sure
if it will work.
I haven't tried this at home.
I'm making green caramel
but it needs to be more green.
What's the glue
for success today?
Royal icing.
Royal icing.
And it's gonna be
built up just like the sphinx
would be built up
in layers.
Just like
they did it.
Sachin's
tribute to Ancient Egypt
will have an
anise biscotti base
and a lemon S-cookie
sphinx.
Ever the man of detail,
he'll also be adding
fondant-covered tiles
with hand-painted
gold hieroglyphs.
I see a sphinx.
Yes.
An ambitious idea.
I love ancient history.
An Italian cookie in
the shape of an Egyptian sphinx.
Talk about
international, right?
Listen, I'm all in.
This is
where I burn myself.
Most of the bakers
have moved on
to assembling and decorating
their cookie sculptures.
I'm really scared
'cause everybody else is making
something that's standing.
But Andrei
still has to finish
his third and fourth cookies.
I don't want to interrupt
while you're doing something
delicate, but I just did.
Okay.
What are we making?
I'm trying to make
a fish leaping out
of the ocean.
Wow.
Yeah, I'm now
doing a bunch of scales.
Andrei will use
the natural shapes and textures
of his cookies to build
his fish sculpture.
A soft ricotta body
will be covered in crisp
amoretti scales,
while the head and tail will be
made of pizzelle waffle
biscuits.
The fish will
swim in an ocean
of polenta
S-cookie waves.
I'm making pizzelle.
Really, really
thin waffles aren't they?
Mm-hm, yeah.
And not
super, super sweet.
Like a ice-cream
cone or something.
Nice.
Sixty minutes left
on your sculptures.
Sixty minutes.
Now is when
the bakers need to go
the extra mile
to impress the judges.
And I am making fire.
This is isomalt so you melt it
down and bring it to a boil
and then you take it off,
mix in whatever colour you want
and then you pour it
on a bucket of ice
and now I gotta put water
in it and pull it out.
It's a swarm of bees.
Yes, they all
have different expressions.
This one's angry, this
one was hit on the head a bit.
Oh!
Maybe a little bit.
These are tiles?
These are
gonna be painted gold
and then these are gonna
have hieroglyphics on them
standing upright.
Oh nice.
But some bakers
still have a long way to go...
I hope it's
gonna be really cute.
So far it's, uh,
looking cute.
Ugh!
Disaster.
Fifteen minutes
remain, bakers.
The moment of truth...
Will the bakers pull off
a polished finish?
Stay.
Or will they simply...
fail to finish?
One minute left, bakers.
Oopsies.
Oh, my God!
Can I help?
Yes, please.
Five, four...
Oh, my God.
...three, two, one.
Time is up, bakers.
Time's up everybody.
It is good.
Yum.
The judges will now
sample each cookie sculpture
to help them decide
who will be star baker
and who will be going home.
Andrei, your
cookie sculpture, please.
Andrei, I love
that you've stayed really true
to the authentic
nature of the cookies
that you've chosen to use.
It's simple.
I can see the fish swimming.
I know your cookies
represent the water.
The only question I have,
was it intentional,
those cracks,
or was it accident?
No, it just cracked.
Ooh,
but it's so delicate.
Mmm, yes,
that's why it was breaking.
What a lovely,
light, wafer-y dough.
We've got the...
Zalletti,
which are polenta cookies.
You got a beautiful bake.
Texturally
it's so lovely.
And nice
lemon flavour.
Those
represent the scales?
Those are amaretti
flavoured with orange.
The thing that
impresses us is that you've made
a fourth cookie dough...
which you've used to form
the internal structure
of the fish.
I like the contrast
because the scales are crispy
and the ricotta
cookies are so soft.
Yes, like
the flesh of a fish.
That was the idea actually.
So thoughtful.
Four perfect cookies,
great design, amazing flavours.
Grazie mille.
You needed to redeem
yourself from yesterday
and that piece is just like
a postcard from Arizona.
Thank you.
I love
the attention to detail.
The caramel work
is really clean
and the presentation
is spectacular.
It's really nice to see.
You were worried
about this dough.
Mmm.
It's a bit stodgy in the middle.
And that one is black
sesame amaretti.
You got a very
nice bake on this cookie.
The black sesame seed
brings good flavours.
Great crunch on the outside.
That cookie,
I want the recipe.
It's delicious.
You've
challenged yourself,
which is what we wanted to see.
Thank you so much.
Thank you guys.
Mengling, you said
you were gonna have fun today...
I did!
Yay!
This is so cute.
I love the bees.
All your bees have
a different face expression?
Yes.
There is big smile,
little smile, happiness.
Your honey caramel is beautiful.
It's very shiny.
The S-cookie
dough is really well baked.
I like the softness inside.
Really exceptional.
Thank you.
Thanks, Mengling.
Thanks.
So, if it
was Monday morning,
you'd be sitting on the bench?
I'd be standing
because there's usually
people at the bench already.
The fact that you've
made not two, but three doughs,
this is exactly what we've
been waiting to see from you.
And there's a surprise inside.
There is.
Wow.
They're so lemony.
You've even made
lemon in the glaze.
You need to make
a batch of these
and give them to all
the people on your bus
because they are delicious.
Really well done.
Good job, Timothy.
I love the story;
however, for a Show Stopper,
it's a bit restrained in scale.
Visually,
it's underwhelming.
I'm gonna get in here.
The flavours are sensational.
The lemon in the S-shape
is just the perfect amount.
That cookie,
it's soft, it's delicate.
You're bang on, on the flavours
and the texture of
the cookies are amazing.
It's very good.
Thank you very much.
I love
that you bring to us,
the story of a game
that's very important
to you and your family.
It's about culture,
but for a Show Stopper,
it's restrained.
Sadiya, how do you
feel about your Show Stopper?
I just couldn't wrap
my head around a 3D sculpture.
Was your
ambition level...
No, it wasn't high.
I've... I was scared.
You used two
different kind of cookies?
Two different cookies,
but one cookie dough
has five flavours.
Now, your cookie's
under baked as you can see;
it's easy to push.
But the flavour here;
it's very light,
not overpowering.
Thank you, Sadiya.
Thank you.
Megan,
it's a beautiful piece.
We just wanted to see
everyone push themselves
out of their own comfort zones
and you have done that.
It's colourful,
but still tasteful.
The flooding of the black icing
and of course your sparkles.
And one enormous cookie
sheet on the bottom.
You use ice cubes
to make the flames?
Yeah.
That's impressive.
Oh, thank you.
And the northern
lights, it's just lovely.
Shame on us
to destroy it.
There you go.
So, remind me
the kind of cookie you used?
All the cut cookies
are lemon S-cookies.
It's very crispy.
Good lemony flavour.
Good texture.
The
biscotti's lovely too.
So this was your
chocolate ricotta.
I was a bit worried
because it looks very dry.
But when you cut into it,
it's so soft.
Look at this,
it's very nice.
And your frosting
works very well with this too.
Great artistic
presentation
with lots of flavours.
No doubt about it,
this is a great show stopper.
Thank you
very, very much.
So I think this is
the most unpredictable week
we have ever seen.
Absolutely.
On top of taking
us around the world
for International Week,
they also managed to personalize
each of these Show Stoppers.
It really shows
who the bakers are.
You know who had fun?
And she said she
was gonna have fun?
Mengling.
This just makes me smile.
And so when it comes to
crowning a star baker this week,
what are we thinking?
Andrei always delivers
something minimalistic
and really elegant.
Today he had a great
time and we can see it
and taste it in his bake.
Megan was another one
that really brought it today.
She came off
a fabulous technical challenge
and she showed us
this incredible story.
She went out of her way
to really impress us this week.
So I can only imagine that
star baker is going to be
a tough decision.
Ah, yeah.
Very hard for us.
Well, bakers,
it has been a truly
memorable week in the tent.
Today, I get
to play good cop.
Our Star Baker
is creatively curious,
innovative,
and this week
shone like the northern lights.
Megan, you are Star Baker.
Congratulations.
Which means that I have
the more unfortunate task.
The baker who is leaving us
this week is...
...Sadiya.
It's been
an amazing journey.
I would have loved
to stay on longer,
but all is well
that ends well, yeah.
Sadiya
can be so proud.
I mean, at the end of the day
she's one of Canada's
top seven bakers.
Megan's Show Stopper
was very ambitious.
It was the creativity,
the details, the story.
Megan nailed it.
I didn't see it coming
at all, but I'm ecstatic.
Like, cloud nine.
Alberta girl brought it
home for International Week
by showcasing Alberta.
How cool is that?
Well done to you.
I'm excited to bake
next week and onwards
as many weeks as I can.
Next time,
the bakers must prove
their pastry precision.
Oh, no!
The remaining six
face some signature stress...
Big freaking pie.
Right?
...get bent out
of shape in the technical...
No!
...and tackle
a basket of breakfast treats.
It's awesome.
This
looks spectacular.
Such a great job.
Delicious.
Very nice.
Opa!
language)
Huh?
(Speaking foreign
language)
(Speaking foreign
language)
Okay, what's going on?
Are we in some kind of fight?
Ah,
it's International Week.
Do we have to do
the whole thing as a neo-realist
Italian drama?
Si.
Last time,
the bakers took on bread...
If it goes wrong,
I have no place to hide.
A jaw-dropping
Showstopper
brought out their best...
The sandwich cake;
I'm a new fan.
And Sadiya emerged to
win her first Star Baker crown.
Oh, my God!
Devon struggled
in the technical challenge...
I forgot
to add sugar to my buns.
...but Ann Marie...
I'm eating
everything except the bread.
...was the
third baker sent home.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Now the bakers
will travel the world
for international week.
This is the most
unpredictable week
we have ever seen.
Absolutely.
I have never
seen one of these.
I've never eaten one of these.
They look
prettier than me!
Who will become
the star of far-off flavours?
That smells awesome.
That cookie, I want
the recipe, it's delicious.
And who
will be sent packing?
It's
just lacking oomph.
This is terrible.
Oh, my God.
Mmm.
It's good.
Mmm, yum.
I'm pretty lucky
I got Star Baker last week,
which was unexpected,
but very welcomed.
Last week went well.
I was really proud
of everything I did.
My sights on Star Baker
just escalated this week.
I'm excited
for International Week.
I'm feeling a lot better
now that bread is behind me.
No more bread!
Good morning,
and welcome, bakers.
I hope you're
feeling adventurous
because we're about
to take a culinary tour
around the world.
Ooh.
It's International Week.
Now for today's
Signature Challenge,
you've been asked
to bake 24 identical
and portable hand pies.
We want you to be
inspired by your family,
your cultures,
traditions, travels.
But ultimately
what is a hand pie, Julia,
without a dipping sauce?
I don't wanna say it.
Come on, say it.
Why it's a
dips-appointment, Dan.
There we go.
Yes.
The judges would like you to
make a complimentary condiment
to go with your hand pie
because this is Week 4, people.
Making 24 identical pies
just won't cut it.
You have two hours
for this challenge.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake!
This week
I have to show the judges
that I can deliver
good-tasting and pretty,
'cause usually I just deliver
good-tasting but ugly.
So, you know,
my children can be cute.
I'll show them.
I actually like hand
pies and I'm really excited
to show this one because this
is actually my mother's recipe
and she does it so well
that I never made it
because there's no point
in anybody else making it.
Hand pies are
a great way to get to know
our bakers' background
because every country
has their own version
of the hand pie.
I feel really good
about hand pies.
Being East Indian, our biggest
most famous hand pie
is the samosa,
so that is what
I'm making today.
There's really no
rules when it comes to choosing
the right crust
for a hand pie,
but it really needs
to compliment the fillings.
Sounds easy, but...
not so much.
I need to get it
as soft as possible,
because the softer the dough,
the softer the hand pie.
It's my Grammy's recipe.
I can only hope to make her
proud by doing it for her today.
Megan's drawing
on her grammy's recipes
and her Albertan roots for her
hamburger-inspired hand pies,
stuffed
with three
different
kinds of meat.
She'll serve them
with French fries
and her own
secret sauce.
So this looks like
a really lardy short pastry.
In Alberta
we do a lot of lard crusts.
Yeah.
So I'm sticking true
to where I'm from this time.
I can't wait.
I don't know.
I find that butter
I get a nice,
flakier crust.
Uh, lard is...
What even is lard?
I don't even know.
The dough
is looking alright.
It's just like
a simple white dough.
Sugar, flour, and water,
and a little bit of oil.
Mengling's making
a Northern Chinese version
of the hand pie.
Filled with lean
ground beef, vegetables,
and a variety
of spices.
They will be served
with a spicy soy
and vinegar
dipping sauce.
In Chinese
it's called "Xian Bing."
How are you
going to cook the dough?
I will pan-fry
my dough so it will be crispy
on the outside
and like, chewy...
Chewy dough.
And soft on the inside.
Delicious, Mengling.
Delicious.
But the perfect
pastry will fall flat
if it isn't combined
with a delicious
and well-chosen filling.
That smells awesome.
Day-old
rice for crispy rice.
I'm just going to roast
the spices with the onions
before I put the meat in.
Sadiya's making
a version of Fatayer--
a fluffy Middle-Eastern
hand pie.
She'll serve
them with
a cilantro-tamarind
chutney
to highlight
the flavours
of her mint
and beef filling.
So this is
a combination
of how many different countries?
The dough is Bahraini.
The filling is Pakistani.
Yeah.
The chutney is
both Arab and Pakistani.
We got them both in there.
Wow.
Yeah.
And Sadiya's
not the only baker
looking to their heritage
for inspiration.
I'm making a hand pie
version of a Russian dish
called Koulibiaka,
which is a salmon pie.
So an ode to
your Russian roots today.
Yes, yes exactly.
Andrei is scaling
down his mother's recipe
for this refined Russian dish
that combines salmon, dill,
and bean vermicelli.
Each pie will be wrapped
in a buttery pastry
and served with a fresh
cucumber relish.
So you're gonna
cook the salmon before
putting it inside?
No.
No, it's put in raw and then
it cooks inside the pastry.
Actually
sounds really ambitious.
It's a very fancy
recipe that's been scaled down.
So you've got
something to prove to us...
and to your mom as well.
Yes.
Double challenge.
Yes.
It's coming along
just fine I think,
but I'm like spilling
pork everywhere.
C'mon, mushrooms.
Do it.
So this is
some shredded potato
which acts as a binder
for everything
so your meat isn't just
all loose inside there.
This is quick
lighting charcoal.
It gives that minty and smoky
flavour profile in there.
This is bulgogi beef.
Mmm.
It's really good.
Now imagine that in a layer
of like pastry.
I can't even.
Well, you're going to.
Devon's
Bibimbap hand pies
will combine bulgogi beef,
crispy rice, vegetables
and a quail egg topper.
For his condiment, he'll be
creating a spicy Korean ketchup.
Why Korean food?
When I lived in Japan,
I spent quite a bit
of time in Korea.
Love Korean food.
Yeah, it just seemed obvious.
The judges will also
be looking for hand pies
that are dainty and uniform.
So when it comes to assembly,
precision is everything.
Neatness isn't
always my strength
so I'm gonna try my best
to compensate by doing
very careful, good work.
These are more
of a rustic hand pie.
It surprises
me because we know
how exacting
and perfect you are.
Yes.
You haven't even used
a round cutter to cut these.
No, I'm trying to meet
the brief as best as I can
with identical hand pies...
Yes.
...but they're all gonna
have their own little shape
and edge.
Sachin's
pork samosas are based
on his family's
Indian recipe.
But he'll be giving
them some extra kick
with a mint and chili
pepper chutney.
The trick is to
put just the right amount
of filling in it, otherwise
it's just gonna be busting out
and of course the final trick is
to make sure that you've crimped
and sealed all
your sides, otherwise...
I'm turning into
a hand pie-making machine.
I'm just grazing
over your meat bowl.
That's totally fine.
Can I just
take this bowl?
You can.
It's honestly all extra.
They kind of look
like buns but they're pies.
These are
flavours I recognize.
Yes.
From my childhood.
So it's kind of like
a spring roll filling
in a pie dough.
Right.
So it's a little east
meets west, right?
Yeah.
Exactly, yeah.
Timothy's
fusion hand pies feature
a pork spring roll
filling
wrapped inside a short
crust pastry shell.
He'll be serving
them alongside
a sweet and sour
dipping sauce.
I made these a couple
times and I finally kept saying,
try putting more filling in,
so this time
they are a bit more plump.
Stuffed.
So I hope
they don't like,
pop open but I think
it'll be fine.
Bakers,
you have one hour left.
I'm not
doing great for time.
I gotta get these in the oven
like as soon as possible.
Some of
the bakers have chosen
to work in small batches.
Should be
about 10 to 12 minutes
while I work on
the rest of them.
Others are taking
the all-or-nothing approach.
We are going
into the oven.
While Mengling
and Sachin's recipes
are a bit more hands-on.
I am not timing them so
much as I am just watching them.
The baker's still need
to prepare one final element...
their condiment.
You wouldn't normally
eat koulibiaka with a sauce
but, uh, with a hand one,
you probably
would like something
to freshen it up a bit.
These pickles
are my Grammy's
and she taught me
how to do 'em.
Yeah?
That should be
on every burger.
So good.
My condiment
is a combination
of different Korean condiments,
but I don't have enough
to fill the bowl
so I have to try to make
it look presentable.
Bakers, get ready
to hand over your pies.
Fifteen minutes left.
They're nice and golden.
We want that.
Two, four,
six, eight, 10, 12.
And there's another 12.
Twelve in there.
Yes, yes.
Okay, so we're covered.
Okay.
Eighteen.
Nineteen, 20.
Twenty, 21...
Twenty-one, 22, 23.
I better get one more made.
That's what
I'm here for Sachin.
Uh, thank you very much.
Uh-huh.
Wait just
a bit longer,
and I'll take you out of
this heat oven soon.
I know I have
to stop opening me oven.
I know, I know, I know.
I'm an impatient person.
Happy with
how things are going?
Uh...
They look
prettier than me!
Ah!
Two minutes, bakers.
Two final minutes remain.
Well,
I'll just use my hands.
Time is up, cutie-pies.
Step away
from your hand pies.
The hand pies will now
be judged by Bruno and Rochelle.
I know exactly what
kind of treat I'm in for here
and I love the way you've
represented the concept.
Your bake
is a bit inconsistent.
I love the flavours.
The sauce is spectacular.
You should bottle that.
The filling's very dry
and the pastry is very crumbly.
Okay.
You could've
done a brioche dough
and that would've been perfect.
Great concept,
great flavours.
The pickle was lovely.
Oh good.
Wow.
They look so rustic.
I got 24
and I triple counted.
You got a great
ratio of filling to dough.
Perfect.
So I know it's gonna
be packed with flavours.
And the chutney
is a mint chutney.
That is so hot.
Hot?
With a little
smear of that, it's perfect.
Mm, I can taste the cumin,
and I can taste the cardamom.
Great.
Your pastry
is incredible.
Good, okay.
Beautifully crunchy.
The flavour
is just amazing for me.
Wonderful.
It's perfect.
Great.
Visually,
they remind me of gyoza.
I love that you've
pan-fried them.
My concern is,
is that part cooked enough?
We'll find out.
They are
sensational flavours.
With your little dipping sauce,
I could eat a plate of those.
However, your
dough is a bit too doughy.
Oh...
Because the sides
are not cooked,
but very enjoyable.
Thank you.
These
are so colourful.
Yeah, I wanted it
to look like bibimbap,
and I think it does.
Yeah.
Great concept.
Your rice
is still crispy.
Oh, good.
And the sauce
is vibrant in the mouth.
I don't
love the pastry.
It's a little bit chewy
but you've represented
Korean flavours well.
Really delicious.
Thank you so much.
I love the concept
of east and west.
So your dough is very flaky.
When I cut into it,
I can hear some crackle.
But as you can see
on one of the sides...
a lot of moisture escaped
because you have a lot of
opening on the side.
What you could have done
is to pinch the edge.
There's a depth
of flavour that's missing
from the spring roll filling.
It's just lacking
a bit of oomph.
A good effort.
Okay.
These look
really beautiful.
I love the way
you formed the dough.
Thank you.
It's very light.
Almost like a little pillow.
You can see you've got
a beautiful bake around.
The texture
of the bread
with the finely ground
meat is beautiful.
The cilantro chutney
is punchy, it's acidic,
it beautifully
complements the meat.
The meat
is well seasoned.
Thank you.
Right amount of spices.
Maybe a bit on the dryer
side but the dough is very good.
Thank you.
These are beautiful.
They're so beautifully
consistent.
Wow, look at that.
Gorgeous.
So you can see
your bake is perfect
and you have the perfect
ratio, filling to dough.
It's very delicate.
Your salmon is not dry at all.
Good.
Great flavour.
It's beautiful finished product.
Thank you very much.
Are you
happy with them?
Yes, and my mother
will be very happy too.
Good.
What a relief.
They thought it was tasty.
Can't get any better than that.
They liked idea
so I'm excited to try a brioche
like Rochelle said and see if
it makes them even better.
I think
International Week Technical
could literally be anything,
so no panic, just have fun.
I'll probably panic
a little bit... some.
I'll panic
a little bit for sure.
Well, bakers, now is
the moment that none of you
have been waiting for:
this week's
Technical Challenge.
Well, I'm excited because
this week you'll be making
a dessert from one
my favourite countries.
Bruno and Rochelle, any advice?
Do not get wrapped up
in a sticky situation.
Well, as usual you two
will be banned from the bake so,
uh, sayonara.
Sayonara.
Sayonara.
As you can tell from
the gangs flawless Japanese,
today's technical challenge
is a Japanese dessert
that celebrates
the return of spring.
This week
you will be making
12 daifuku mochi.
This sweet confection
is made from rice flour,
sweet red bean paste,
and one entire strawberry.
Now, it's unlikely you've been
whipping these up every weekend
so you're gonna need
your imagination,
your instincts and of course
your incomplete recipe.
You have two hours
on the clock.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake!
I have never
seen one of these.
I've never eaten one of these.
This is fun.
I like this one.
Oh, man.
I'm really scared.
I've never made mochi before.
You know what these are?
I do know what these are.
It's like the first time that
I actually kind of feel like
I know what...
Well, at least you
know what they look like.
...what it
looks like, yeah.
Andrei.
Mm-hm.
What's mochi?
I have no idea.
People all over
the world love sweets.
It's not just about French
baking, Italian baking,
or even Dutch baking.
Mochi celebrates the return
of spring in a beautiful way.
They're such
a Japanese delicacy.
How do we get them
to look so beautiful.
It's all about
the right colour.
This soft pink.
But what's exciting
is what's inside the mochi.
Oh wow, look at that.
You have
a whole strawberry
wrapped in the red bean paste.
Mmm.
Very juicy.
Very fragrant.
And the red bean
paste, it's so smooth.
It's not grainy at all.
In every bite you get
that perfect balance
between sweet and tart
and that silky texture
from the mochi dough.
They are so elegant.
It's the perfect
spring celebration.
I do have some
experience with red bean paste.
We'll see if that
pays off today.
Making mochi
is bit of a juggling act.
The bakers will have to keep
one eye on their bean paste.
Just started my beans
there in the pressure cooker,
waiting for it to cook.
The rest of their
attention will be on creating
and steaming their mochi dough.
Made by combining
sugar and water
with mochiko rice flour.
Oops!
I'm mixing the mochi,
trying to get a paste.
I wanna whisk this until
there are no lumps in this,
which I'm pretty darn close.
I don't know
if I'm doing this right.
The final ingredient
is a dash of red food colouring.
The bakers will have
to use their intuition
to get the perfect
soft pink colour
the judges are looking for.
Everyone else?
I think everyone else
is using metal bowls
so I can't tell
what they're doing.
Not a lot of
people will know
what the right shade
of pink is for this.
You don't want it to be red.
How dark should this be?
It has to be dark enough
so that it's got a bold,
distinct colour.
I'm gonna
make my snake coil.
Aluminium foil snake coil.
I have no idea
what that means so um,
I've done something.
I think
it's twirly thing.
I'm not sure.
We're steaming something
so we're just putting this
into the bottom of the pot
so that we're not
putting the glass bowl
directly on the bottom
of the pot.
The bakers' next
challenge is to figure out
just how long they'll need
to steam their dough.
Steam until
mixture is thick and elastic.
Oh, it doesn't tell you how
many minutes to steam it for.
You don't want
it to go too long
because then it'll just
become a solid mass.
But it has to steam long enough
that you can roll it out.
It's a tricky, uh,
tricky situation.
While they wait
on their dough to steam...
it's time to check
back in on their beans.
Looks okay.
So I'm just like
cooking off the liquid
and making sure the liquid's
absorbed back into the beans
because right now
it's far too wet.
Well, I think
this is good enough.
The recipe
says to make smooth.
How do you make smooth.
I think I'm gonna
get my immersion blender.
Getting a silky-smooth
texture is crucial.
Though
some of the bakers...
seem to think otherwise.
I just want it
a little bit thicker.
Part of me just wants to
do it my way and be like,
"That's how I know
daifuku mochi."
I will read
the recipe next time.
Konnichiwa, bakers.
You have one hour left.
I wanna cook it
until it's a bit more elastic.
But I think it's quite close.
Something
seems to be working.
It's thick and
elastic-y and weird.
Turn mochi onto work
surface generally dusted
with potato starch.
The person who came up
with this is an evil genius.
This is my
very sticky mochi.
Very sticky.
Much like
flour on a yeasted dough,
a generous helping of potato
starch allows the mochi dough
to be rolled flat.
You wanna
go a very thin thickness
because you're gonna wrap
it around the strawberry.
Too little starch, and
the bakers will find themselves
in a very sticky situation...
Oh.
Uh-oh, uh-oh.
Okay, this not good.
Twenty minutes
left, bakers.
Twenty minutes left.
I have my strawberries.
Yeah.
I'm gonna take
my cool red bean paste
and wrap it into circles,
tuck it in.
Sounds like you've
got it all under control.
I'm thinking of
sitting them upright.
It sounds like you know
exactly what you're doing.
I don't.
I wouldn't have known.
This is
really terrible.
Oh, my God.
So I just trust my gut
and did what I know
and then I read the recipe
and was like...
Oh,
you're one of the sneaky
I-don't-read-the-recipe-
properly-people.
I don't read the recipe.
Why?
It didn't serve
me well last week.
This is week four!
I know.
Five minutes left.
This is usually when
the panic sets in.
Some chef is
cringing in Japan right now.
Okay, you can
do this, you can do this.
Okay.
These are a mess.
Sixty seconds left.
Mochi, mochi nightmare.
I'm happy with them.
I like them.
And time is up,
my little daifuku's.
This isn't very good.
Time to bring your
mochi up to the gingham altar.
The judges will
be looking for twelve dainty
daifuku mochi;
each containing
a delicate strawberry
wrapped in smooth
red bean paste
and a perfectly steamed
soft pink shell.
Baker number one,
colour's a little deeper
than we were looking for
but they all look
relatively consistent.
Good contrast
between the strawberry
and the red bean paste.
That's what we're looking for.
It's a great result.
Mochi number two.
Much better
on the colour.
A bit more plump.
Really
even distribution
of the red bean paste.
The red bean
paste is a bit gritty.
Baker number three.
Definitely some
challenge on the dough.
You can see the strawberry
going through.
The red bean
paste is gritty
and I'd go so far
as to say it's chunky.
Also the distribution
of the red bean paste
is not consistent.
The mochi dough
looks sensational on this one.
The strawberry
should have been up.
Way too much
red bean paste
but excellent work on
the mochi dough itself.
The mochi
dough is too thin.
Again, the strawberry
are put in different position.
The bottom is on the side.
Mm, it's quite
lumpy too isn't it?
The red bean
paste is very chunky.
Unfortunately that makes
it very mushy mochi.
A good size.
It's fairly consistent.
The thickness
of the mochi dough
is really quite good.
Mm-hm.
Red bean paste is very grainy.
And dry.
Very dry too.
It's
quite dry isn't it?
And finally
our last baker.
It's very red and some
have a thick skin,
some others, thinner.
The red bean
paste is very gritty.
The texture is distracting.
Bruno and Rochelle
will now rank
the daifuku mochi
from bottom to top.
In seventh place,
whose are these?
Mengling.
Too many difficulties.
I got all 12
on a plate at least.
At least.
Baker number six?
Devon!
I know!
I'll never live it down.
Really
translucent dough.
Gritty red bean paste.
Yeah.
Fifth place?
Andrei.
The colour is too deep
and there is too much dough.
Who's are these?
Sadiya.
The bean paste
could've been strained
and the mochi dough
was quite dry.
Third place?
Sachin.
Lovely colour.
Too much bean paste
but it was smooth at least.
Baker number two?
Timothy.
Good job.
Really dainty in size and good
ratio of all the elements here.
First place?
Megan.
The colour was a bit too deep,
however, it was smooth,
very tasty, bang on.
Thank you.
We've had four technicals
and I've won two of them.
I don't get it
but I will accept it.
Red bean can be chunky...
sometimes.
Wasn't supposed to be this time.
Oh, I'm never
making daifuku again.
I just gotta do well
on my Showstopper.
That's all I can do.
So this technical
has seriously messed
with the balance of the day.
We had bakers who did
well in the signature,
however, when time came
for the technical,
they just stumbled and went
all the way to the bottom.
Let's start
on the shaky grounds.
Mengling came in last.
I know,
and then Devon
didn't have a great
day yesterday.
You know, he lived in Japan!
So, it was really
shocking for us.
Is is safe
to say at this point
there is not clear front runner?
It's anybody's
game at the moment.
So this Showstopper
is really gonna decide
who is Star Baker
and who goes home.
If they thought
the mochi was hard,
today might be harder
for some of them.
Ciao, beautiful bakers,
and welcome to today's
International Showstopper
or as they like to call
it in Italy,
your Internazionale Showstopper.
Today, my dear bakers,
you will be making
an Italian cookie
sculpture or diorama.
For inspiration, picture
a miniature Bruno and Rochelle
walking through miniature
Tuscan vineyard.
Except the whole thing's made
of an Italian cookie dough.
You can use any
combination of dough
that you like but you must
use at least
two different kinds of cookies
so think biscotti,
amaretti, pizzelle,
lady fingers...
They can be any size,
colour or flavour
and you can choose
whatever glue you'd like
to hold it all together.
You have four
hours starting now.
On your marks...
Get set...
Bake!
I've got a lot to do
in a very short time.
It's gonna be fun.
Don't get
fooled by my accent.
My first name is Bruno
and I know
about Italian cookies.
So we're looking
for the perfect bake.
If they are not baked properly
we're either going to have
the Tower of Pisa,
you know on the side,
or a total collapse.
The dough I'm okay with,
it's the actual creation
of the sculpture
that is most concerning to me.
My structure's simple
so I want it to be perfect.
Simple needs to be perfect.
This challenge
is great for our bakers
because it gives
them an opportunity
to really challenge
themselves by showing us
just how creative they can be.
These bakers are also
determined to show the judges
just how ambitious they can be.
So I'm making three
different types of cookies
and I'm over complicating
things as per usual.
It's going to be
a sculpture of a fish
in the ocean.
Out of four different types
of cookies if I can pull it off.
This recipe
is my longest recipe yet.
I am making a bee hive.
Bees.
Mengling's hive
will host a bevy of bees,
each made of
orange blossom
S-cookie dough.
She will use
delicate Florentines
for the wings,
and make
a third dough--
pistachio
biscotti--
for added floral
decoration.
This one is
less elegant, more fun.
I feel like only
shown us nervous Mengling...
But I'm liking fun
and silly Mengling.
I'm looking forward
to how it will turnout.
Right now I am making
my lemon S-cookie dough.
The density
and rigidity of Italian S-cookie
for added dough
is perfect for sculpting.
Which is why most of
the bakers have chosen it
as one of their doughs.
So this
kind of S-cookie
is actually really
strong because...
chemistry!
But all
that strength...
These are really,
really stiff cookies.
...comes with a price.
My piping bag split
'cause cookie dough is so stiff.
Yummy.
I just added some more milk
just to make it more, uh...
liquid.
Devon's hoping
to impress the judges
with his southwestern theme.
He'll be making
a Savoiardi snake,
black sesame Amaretti rocks,
and all of them surrounding
a giant cactus
of cardamom and orange
blossom S-cookies.
Your
dough looks so wet.
To pipe it I needed
to add a bit of moisture.
It's really elastic.
Rochelle, you don't
like that dough at all.
I'm just really
sceptical about the texture
of the dough.
To ensure their
sculptures turn out right,
the bakers will need to
start a cookie assembly line,
rotating batches in the oven
quickly so they have enough time
for building and decoration.
What are we making today?
So, today
I am making a bus.
Why a bus?
I take a bus
every day to school.
Sometimes it can be a bit glum.
This is gonna be
like a more upbeat,
cartoonish take on it.
Timothy's bus
will be constructed
with 3 different doughs:
lemon anisette,
almond biscotti,
and almond florentine,
with extra cookies
hidden inside.
Those are
baked already, ah?
Yes.
They're anisette cookies.
I believe that they are
supposed to remain quite pale
after baking.
Mm-hm.
I think that's enough?
Are you telling us,
or you asking us?
Yeah, yeah.
I'm...
I don't know.
I think you surprised
yourself yesterday, didn't you?
Uh, I think
I surprised everyone.
That should give you
some confidence for today.
Yeah, I hope.
So what exactly
are we building?
So we're building
a game called Ludo.
Okay.
It teaches my kids math,
strategy, sportsmanship.
Yeah.
We home school
so board games
become educational.
Sadiya's Ludo
sculpture will feature
a rainbow cookie game board
as well as S-cookie game pieces
drizzled in coloured icing.
Ludo is a
really ancient game.
Very popular in
the South Asian culture.
And you think this is
the right strategy for today?
The strategy
was to showcase the cookies
so only two cookie doughs,
but multiple flavours
and multiple colours
across the board.
And Saidya's not
the only one trying to bring
some of herself
to this challenge.
I'm making
northern lights,
camping in the woods theme
'cause that's what we do,
and we're privileged
and blessed enough to see them
where we live.
Megan will use a sugar
backdrop of the Northern Lights
to frame her three cookie
dough sculpture:
A biscotti base will support
lemon S-cookie creatures,
and a chocolate
ricotta mountain.
So when
you do mountain...
Like, is this the scale
we're talking?
No, I'm
hoping like that and then,
just as a backdrop to
hold my sugar wall up.
A sugar wall?
Yeah.
The whole northern lights
behind the thing.
So this'll be a fun one,
I think.
Yeah.
This is going to be
my glue for the cookies.
Not sure
if it will work.
I haven't tried this at home.
I'm making green caramel
but it needs to be more green.
What's the glue
for success today?
Royal icing.
Royal icing.
And it's gonna be
built up just like the sphinx
would be built up
in layers.
Just like
they did it.
Sachin's
tribute to Ancient Egypt
will have an
anise biscotti base
and a lemon S-cookie
sphinx.
Ever the man of detail,
he'll also be adding
fondant-covered tiles
with hand-painted
gold hieroglyphs.
I see a sphinx.
Yes.
An ambitious idea.
I love ancient history.
An Italian cookie in
the shape of an Egyptian sphinx.
Talk about
international, right?
Listen, I'm all in.
This is
where I burn myself.
Most of the bakers
have moved on
to assembling and decorating
their cookie sculptures.
I'm really scared
'cause everybody else is making
something that's standing.
But Andrei
still has to finish
his third and fourth cookies.
I don't want to interrupt
while you're doing something
delicate, but I just did.
Okay.
What are we making?
I'm trying to make
a fish leaping out
of the ocean.
Wow.
Yeah, I'm now
doing a bunch of scales.
Andrei will use
the natural shapes and textures
of his cookies to build
his fish sculpture.
A soft ricotta body
will be covered in crisp
amoretti scales,
while the head and tail will be
made of pizzelle waffle
biscuits.
The fish will
swim in an ocean
of polenta
S-cookie waves.
I'm making pizzelle.
Really, really
thin waffles aren't they?
Mm-hm, yeah.
And not
super, super sweet.
Like a ice-cream
cone or something.
Nice.
Sixty minutes left
on your sculptures.
Sixty minutes.
Now is when
the bakers need to go
the extra mile
to impress the judges.
And I am making fire.
This is isomalt so you melt it
down and bring it to a boil
and then you take it off,
mix in whatever colour you want
and then you pour it
on a bucket of ice
and now I gotta put water
in it and pull it out.
It's a swarm of bees.
Yes, they all
have different expressions.
This one's angry, this
one was hit on the head a bit.
Oh!
Maybe a little bit.
These are tiles?
These are
gonna be painted gold
and then these are gonna
have hieroglyphics on them
standing upright.
Oh nice.
But some bakers
still have a long way to go...
I hope it's
gonna be really cute.
So far it's, uh,
looking cute.
Ugh!
Disaster.
Fifteen minutes
remain, bakers.
The moment of truth...
Will the bakers pull off
a polished finish?
Stay.
Or will they simply...
fail to finish?
One minute left, bakers.
Oopsies.
Oh, my God!
Can I help?
Yes, please.
Five, four...
Oh, my God.
...three, two, one.
Time is up, bakers.
Time's up everybody.
It is good.
Yum.
The judges will now
sample each cookie sculpture
to help them decide
who will be star baker
and who will be going home.
Andrei, your
cookie sculpture, please.
Andrei, I love
that you've stayed really true
to the authentic
nature of the cookies
that you've chosen to use.
It's simple.
I can see the fish swimming.
I know your cookies
represent the water.
The only question I have,
was it intentional,
those cracks,
or was it accident?
No, it just cracked.
Ooh,
but it's so delicate.
Mmm, yes,
that's why it was breaking.
What a lovely,
light, wafer-y dough.
We've got the...
Zalletti,
which are polenta cookies.
You got a beautiful bake.
Texturally
it's so lovely.
And nice
lemon flavour.
Those
represent the scales?
Those are amaretti
flavoured with orange.
The thing that
impresses us is that you've made
a fourth cookie dough...
which you've used to form
the internal structure
of the fish.
I like the contrast
because the scales are crispy
and the ricotta
cookies are so soft.
Yes, like
the flesh of a fish.
That was the idea actually.
So thoughtful.
Four perfect cookies,
great design, amazing flavours.
Grazie mille.
You needed to redeem
yourself from yesterday
and that piece is just like
a postcard from Arizona.
Thank you.
I love
the attention to detail.
The caramel work
is really clean
and the presentation
is spectacular.
It's really nice to see.
You were worried
about this dough.
Mmm.
It's a bit stodgy in the middle.
And that one is black
sesame amaretti.
You got a very
nice bake on this cookie.
The black sesame seed
brings good flavours.
Great crunch on the outside.
That cookie,
I want the recipe.
It's delicious.
You've
challenged yourself,
which is what we wanted to see.
Thank you so much.
Thank you guys.
Mengling, you said
you were gonna have fun today...
I did!
Yay!
This is so cute.
I love the bees.
All your bees have
a different face expression?
Yes.
There is big smile,
little smile, happiness.
Your honey caramel is beautiful.
It's very shiny.
The S-cookie
dough is really well baked.
I like the softness inside.
Really exceptional.
Thank you.
Thanks, Mengling.
Thanks.
So, if it
was Monday morning,
you'd be sitting on the bench?
I'd be standing
because there's usually
people at the bench already.
The fact that you've
made not two, but three doughs,
this is exactly what we've
been waiting to see from you.
And there's a surprise inside.
There is.
Wow.
They're so lemony.
You've even made
lemon in the glaze.
You need to make
a batch of these
and give them to all
the people on your bus
because they are delicious.
Really well done.
Good job, Timothy.
I love the story;
however, for a Show Stopper,
it's a bit restrained in scale.
Visually,
it's underwhelming.
I'm gonna get in here.
The flavours are sensational.
The lemon in the S-shape
is just the perfect amount.
That cookie,
it's soft, it's delicate.
You're bang on, on the flavours
and the texture of
the cookies are amazing.
It's very good.
Thank you very much.
I love
that you bring to us,
the story of a game
that's very important
to you and your family.
It's about culture,
but for a Show Stopper,
it's restrained.
Sadiya, how do you
feel about your Show Stopper?
I just couldn't wrap
my head around a 3D sculpture.
Was your
ambition level...
No, it wasn't high.
I've... I was scared.
You used two
different kind of cookies?
Two different cookies,
but one cookie dough
has five flavours.
Now, your cookie's
under baked as you can see;
it's easy to push.
But the flavour here;
it's very light,
not overpowering.
Thank you, Sadiya.
Thank you.
Megan,
it's a beautiful piece.
We just wanted to see
everyone push themselves
out of their own comfort zones
and you have done that.
It's colourful,
but still tasteful.
The flooding of the black icing
and of course your sparkles.
And one enormous cookie
sheet on the bottom.
You use ice cubes
to make the flames?
Yeah.
That's impressive.
Oh, thank you.
And the northern
lights, it's just lovely.
Shame on us
to destroy it.
There you go.
So, remind me
the kind of cookie you used?
All the cut cookies
are lemon S-cookies.
It's very crispy.
Good lemony flavour.
Good texture.
The
biscotti's lovely too.
So this was your
chocolate ricotta.
I was a bit worried
because it looks very dry.
But when you cut into it,
it's so soft.
Look at this,
it's very nice.
And your frosting
works very well with this too.
Great artistic
presentation
with lots of flavours.
No doubt about it,
this is a great show stopper.
Thank you
very, very much.
So I think this is
the most unpredictable week
we have ever seen.
Absolutely.
On top of taking
us around the world
for International Week,
they also managed to personalize
each of these Show Stoppers.
It really shows
who the bakers are.
You know who had fun?
And she said she
was gonna have fun?
Mengling.
This just makes me smile.
And so when it comes to
crowning a star baker this week,
what are we thinking?
Andrei always delivers
something minimalistic
and really elegant.
Today he had a great
time and we can see it
and taste it in his bake.
Megan was another one
that really brought it today.
She came off
a fabulous technical challenge
and she showed us
this incredible story.
She went out of her way
to really impress us this week.
So I can only imagine that
star baker is going to be
a tough decision.
Ah, yeah.
Very hard for us.
Well, bakers,
it has been a truly
memorable week in the tent.
Today, I get
to play good cop.
Our Star Baker
is creatively curious,
innovative,
and this week
shone like the northern lights.
Megan, you are Star Baker.
Congratulations.
Which means that I have
the more unfortunate task.
The baker who is leaving us
this week is...
...Sadiya.
It's been
an amazing journey.
I would have loved
to stay on longer,
but all is well
that ends well, yeah.
Sadiya
can be so proud.
I mean, at the end of the day
she's one of Canada's
top seven bakers.
Megan's Show Stopper
was very ambitious.
It was the creativity,
the details, the story.
Megan nailed it.
I didn't see it coming
at all, but I'm ecstatic.
Like, cloud nine.
Alberta girl brought it
home for International Week
by showcasing Alberta.
How cool is that?
Well done to you.
I'm excited to bake
next week and onwards
as many weeks as I can.
Next time,
the bakers must prove
their pastry precision.
Oh, no!
The remaining six
face some signature stress...
Big freaking pie.
Right?
...get bent out
of shape in the technical...
No!
...and tackle
a basket of breakfast treats.
It's awesome.
This
looks spectacular.
Such a great job.
Delicious.
Very nice.
Opa!