'Great British Bake Off' 2022 Quarter Final: Shock elimination in Pastry Week

The Great British Bake Off saw Maxy fail to make the semi-final after she struggled with soggy pastry.

The 29-year-old architectural assistant was sent home from the tent in Pastry Week as the judges felt her vol-au-vents had a soggy bottom, and her filo pastry in her Showstopper was not cooked enough.

Maxy said: "I can't believe it. I had a bad, bad week, I knew it was me. I was hoping my Showstopper would have saved me, But I'm happy. I'm proud I made it this far."

Read more: The Great British Bake Off pastry week: Why is Paul Hollywood so cross?

Judge Paul Hollywood consoled her that she had achieved a lot by making it the quarter-final.

Cardiovascular research assistant Syabira, 32, was made Star Baker for the third week in a row.

But she was in tears, sobbing: "Maxy is leaving! I'm sad, my best buddy, I feel so confused. I dont know where to be happy or cry."

She added: "Next week is still a clean slate, I have to fight for a spot in the final, which is a dream for me."

The bakers were challenged with making sweet vol-au-vents, deep fried spring rolls and a pie Showstopper scene depicting a children's book or nursery rhyme.

But the judges and hosts all agreed that their pasty skills had been disappointing.

Noel Fielding said: "It's the quarter final - you want it to be amazing and it just wasn't."

Judge Prue Leith agreed: "It was disappointing. For three out of five of them the pastry wasn't very good and all their pies were dry inside."

Swedish Maxy made a globe pie out of filo pastry surrounded by shortcrust stars to represent Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Hollywood told her: "The globe -I would have baked that filo for longer it should be flaky. I think filo was the wrong choice."

Nanny Sandro, 30, narrowly escaped going home after serving up his Very Hungry Caterpillar pies in a soft, non-descript pastry.

Asked what kind of pastry he was using he said: "I don't know the name of the pastry but it's done with flour and water."

Leith said the pastry was soft and raw, while Hollywood said: "It's like a sandwich rather than a pie. You've lost your way with this pasty."

Almost all the bakers served up undercooked vol-au-vents. Maxy's impressed on flavour but Hollywood told her: "It's a bit raw at the bottom... you do get that overriding flavour of raw pastry."

Malaysian Syabira's vol-au-vents were deemed to be "two minutes away from perfect".

And while her Jack and the Beanstalk pie scene looked underwhelming, Hollywood said: "It's clever using this pastry because it's bullet proof and cant go wrong - flaky, buttery, falls apart."

Leith said her filling of chicken rendang tasted' "luscious" and "unctuous".

Read more: Great British Bake Off 2022: Which baker went splat in custard week?

Also going through to the semi final of The Great British Bake Off 2022 are 30-year-old nanny Sandro from Angola; electronics engineer Abdul, 29, from Saudi Arabia and Polish head teacher's PA Janusz, 34.

Watch: Former Great British Bake Off contestants reveal who they are tipping to win this year