In Artisan Bread baking, kneading the bread with your own hands is very advisable. But if you are the kind of person who finds kneading a pain because of numbing arms and hands and would prefer using a mixer without compromising the quality of the dough, read on.
In kneading the dough with a mixer, you use a dough hook. You will know if it is already time to stop mixing by the texture of your dough. Below are the basic steps of kneading using a mixer.
* Start slow. Turn the notch to number two and let your dough mix in frenzy. Slowly add the ingredients one at a time. At low speed, you are sure that the mixer will not toss away any ingredients off the bowl. Although to be sure, you can put a protective plastic or rubber lids on the sides.
* The dough should have a smooth texture. If it is rough that means the ingredients are not well combined. Use the mixer until all the ingredients have thoroughly blended. The mixing will take about five or more minutes. Different dough for different purposes yields different textures. Some can be very sticky, but oftentimes the outcome is smooth.
* Let it rest for about two to three minutes and if you have to add more ingredients to the dough, now is the time to add it. Mix is again for about five to eight minutes at the most. If the dough is soft and the consistency is smooth, you've done a great job.
* Let the dough rest. At this point, the dough will rise. Place the dough in room temperature and wait for about an hour or two until it had risen. By that time, the dough will be smooth and shape forming. The tricky part about this is to wait for the yeast or the starter to activate. Getting the water and the room temperature right is the key to this.
* Sprinkle flour on a pizza peel, turn the dough and knead it by hand for a few minutes. Shape it according to your preference, slash the top, and glaze it. Place it in the oven, and you're done!
Although some bakers argue that it is better to use the hand in kneading, it is not really a bad thing to use a mixer. It all depends on your preferences.
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