The ovens are blazing and the pressure is mounting as Bake Off: The Professionals hits the semi-final stage this Tuesday, July 8, at 8 PM on Channel 4. Hosted by Ellie Taylor and Liam Charles, with pastry masters Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden presiding, the latest episode sees the best three teams from the heats push their skills to the limit for a shot at the final.
This week’s secret challenge demands precision and creativity: six identical plant-based petit gâteaux. These aren’t just any pastries; they must feature chocolate and blood orange and, to add to the difficulty, come without a recipe. The teams will need to rely on instinct and expertise to deliver on Blin and Finden’s high standards.
But the real showstopper, quite literally, will be the ‘Whoops I dropped the…’ themed chocolate showpieces. These gravity-defying creations must be delicately suspended from the ceiling and flanked by two batches of macarons. The technical and structural demands of this task will test the limits of what chocolate can do, and whether the teams can maintain their composure under such intense scrutiny. The competition brings together talented bakers from various UK establishments, from hotels to small patisseries, all vying for the ultimate recognition.
