Ep 4. Batter Week

In season 7 episode 4 of The Great British Bake Off, it's Batter Week and the contestants are ready to take on the difficult challenge of creating perfect batters. In the first round, they are tasked with making a batch of Yorkshire puddings, a classic British dish. The judges are looking for puffy and crispy puddings with a perfect hollow center for holding gravy. Some bakers struggle with getting the right consistency and rising properly, while others excel at creating the perfect puddings.

Next up is the technical challenge, where the bakers are asked to create twelve lace pancakes using a traditional French recipe. They have to get the batter and pan temperature just right to create the delicate lacy pattern on each pancake. The challenge proves to be difficult for many of the bakers, with some struggling to get the pattern right or burning the pancakes.

For the showstopper challenge, the bakers have to create a novelty or shaped cake using only batter. They have to be creative and come up with unique designs while still producing a great-tasting cake. Some contestants choose to make animal-shaped cakes, while others go for intricate designs like a windmill or a teapot. The judges are blown away by the creativity and taste of some of the bakers, while others fall short in their execution.

Throughout the episode, the judges provide feedback and critique to the contestants. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood give tips and advice on how to improve their bakes, and they judge each round based on flavor, texture, and presentation. The contestants are under pressure to produce their best bakes yet as they face each challenge.

As always, the hosts, Mel and Sue, provide some comic relief and help to keep the bakers calm under pressure. They offer encouragement and support as the contestants work their way through each challenge.

At the end of the episode, one contestant is crowned star baker for their impressive bakes throughout the challenges. Another contestant is eliminated after struggling in one or more of the rounds.

Overall, Batter Week proves to be a difficult challenge for the bakers, but they rise to the occasion and produce some impressive bakes. The episode showcases the creativity and skill of the contestants, as well as the expertise of the judges.