t has taken four series, multiple lineup tweaks and a channel hop, but this Great British Bake Off spin-off may have perfected its recipe at last. First, precisely measure out 12 teams, each consisting of two chefs, then serve up in two batches of six. Any more that that, and it becomes impossible to remember the contestants’ faces, let alone invest emotionally in their “gelatine control” technique. Next, carefully fold in a pair of judges – Cherish Finden and Benoit Blin – who are as exacting as they are eccentric; then finish off with the able, amusing presenting duo of comedian Tom Allen and former GBBO contestant Liam Charles. Some may find the cheesy preshow presenters’ sketch (a leftover from Mel and Sue’s day) overpowers other flavours, but that’s a matter for personal taste. The fifth series (the third on Channel 4) continued this week with a miniatures challenge that was ideal for any chefs given to cryptic self-expression. They had been tasked with making 24 identical millefeuilles, constructed from puff pastry and at least two crème pâtissière-like fillings, plus 24 illusion desserts. The latter, in Benoit’s words, should be “in the shape of an egg, but taste nothing like one”. Some of the more intriguing efforts included Lexington Catering’s chocolate-based take on Chinese delicacy “century eggs” (“More like three-and-half-hour eggs” quipped Liam) and Park Plaza hotel’s yolk made from a curd of sea buckthorn. No, me neither, but team leader Domenico informed us that it tastes “like a kumquat, but more sour”, which regular kumquat-quaffers will no doubt find very descriptive. It’s not just the ingredient lists that are telling, though. This format allows us to get to know the individual contestants in context as team members and, in some cases, bosses or skivvies. For all that The Professionals is often unfavourably compared with GBBO in its 2013-16 prime, or the more instantly appealing Junior Bake Off, it does bring to the table a deeper understanding of cookery science. And not just the chemistry bit, the psychology bit too. Teams with a traditional chef/sous-chef hierarchy can perform extremely well – the frontrunners so far, Domenico and Alessandra, have this dynamic – but it’s the more equal partnerships that seem to demonstrate the most resilience in the face of setbacks. Does the solidarity engendered by Ryan and Clanny’s matching barbershop fades (last week they had stars shaved in; this week it’s diamonds) contribute to The Ivy’s ability to bounce back from disappointment? Is Andrew and Ian’s non-stop pop music punning the secret of The Lounge’s unshakable morale? As ever, the proof is in those puddings. Or rather, in this case, the avian-themed pièce montée that they were instructed to make as this week’s showpiece challenge. Having managed only eight illusion eggs out of the requested 24, proud Lancastrians Andrew and Ian decide to “bring some northern attitude” and redouble their efforts overnight. They also shrewdly declined to specify the bird species that would be perched atop their ambitious tower of nougatine and Paris-Brest choux pastries: “Sometimes it’s a swan, sometimes it’s a dove … sometimes it’s a penguin,” Andrew coyly told the judges. That was actually among the more structurally sound of these constructions. Tracy and Moos, nougatine novices, decided to make their entire swan from the tricky, brittle stuff, while Domenico’s addition of cappuccino flavouring to the classically French Paris-Brest risked provoking Benoit’s patriotic indignation: “So we go to Brest, but with a small detour via Roma?” The final five minutes is always a tense montage of trembling hands, sweating foreheads and swaying sugar-work, but this episode culminated in the almost unbearable tension of each team attempting to relocate their pièce montée from the work surfaces to the judging table without it crashing to the floor. As a glum Kristine commented: “It’s literally whose is gonna fall apart first, isn’t it?” Indeed, isn’t that what Bake Off: The Professionals is really all about? Not who makes the most most impressive edible structure, but who most effectively manages their stress throughout the painstaking process? Some people are cortisone-powered perfectionists, driven to excellence by their own nerves, while others own a cooling rack and know how to use it. The fact that many of us at home have also spent the last few months baking the pain away only makes these insights that much more timely.