I was totally wrong about using a stand mixer for bread dough

For years I thought my KitchenAid was the only way to get a good gluten structure, especially with high hydration doughs. I'd just let it run on medium for a full 10 minutes until the bowl was clean. My buddy who runs a small bakery in Boise finally called me out on it last fall, saying I was overheating the dough and killing the yeast flavor. He showed me his method: mix on low just until it comes together, maybe 3 minutes, then do the rest by hand with stretch and folds. I tried it with my basic white loaf recipe and the difference was huge. The crumb was more open and the taste was way better, less like store bread. Now I only use the mixer for the initial mix and feel like I actually connect with the dough. Has anyone else made the switch from machine kneading to mostly hand work?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva9084mo ago

My mixer basically became a very expensive paperweight.

mary7764mo ago

Honestly, I just let my mixer do the work. The whole overheating thing feels overblown for a home baker. My bread tastes fine and my time is worth something. If I had to do all that hand work, I'd probably just buy a loaf. Is the difference really that big for a simple sandwich bread?

william_jackson653mo agoTop Commenter

Go ahead and ask Mary if her mixer is making her bread or if she's just using it to save time. I've been baking for 20 years and I can tell the difference between a hand-kneaded loaf and one that got beat up in a machine. It's like comparing a home-cooked meal to fast food, both fill you up but one tastes better. For a simple sandwich bread, sure, it's fine, but don't pretend you can't taste the difference when you actually pay attention.