Six important suggestions for kneading dough in a stand mixer

If the prospect of hand kneading dough has deterred you from baking bread, have you considered using a stand mixer to knead dough?

If you use a stand mixer, you don’t have to knead the dough by hand, and the final product is less messy. The only drawback is that there are a few things to keep in mind when using a mixer to knead the dough:

6 Tips For Kneading Dough In A Stand Mixer

1. Is Your Machine Capable of Handling Bread Dough?

Consult the mixer’s instruction manual to ensure that dough can be mixed in the machine, as not all mixers are capable of doing so. Additionally, ensure that the machine’s engine is powerful enough to handle the dough. If it cannot, you risk damaging your device.

We have two stand mixers; the first is 375 watts, and we had to struggle with heavy dough due to insufficiently powerful motor.

Our second machine features a significantly larger 1200 watt motor and can handle bread dough containing approximately 1 kg of flour with ease.

2. Make Use Of A Dough Hook

Most stand mixers include this single bent, spiral, or curved attachment. The dough hook is designed explicitly for dough and works the dough similarly to hand kneading.

3. Don’t Leave Your Machine Alone.

You should watch your stand mixer as it kneads if you’ve never used it to make bread dough before. Some machines, exceptionally light in weight or lack suction cap feet, can “walk” when kneading.

Depending on the situation, you can do one of two things: either hold on to the machine while it is operating or move it to the back of the bench every time it gets closer to the front.

This may not occur with every batch of dough you make because some dough are soft and will not cause the machine to travel as far. Then there are thicker and heavier dough, causing the machine to work harder and move along the kitchen counter.

4. Kneading Dough in a Mixer Takes Less Time Than You Think

How much time does it take to knead dough in a mixer?

In general, the dough can be kneaded for up to 10 minutes, but it may take a little longer, sometimes less time, depending on the machine’s capabilities and the speed setting you’re using. Finally, while kneading, keep an eye on the progress of the dough structure; it will “tell you” when to stop.

5. When Should You Stop Kneading?

How do you know when you can stop dough kneading?

The dough looks lumpy and wet at the start of the kneading process and stays at the bowl’s sides. As you continue kneading, the dough will pull together, become more smooth, and don’t stick to the sides of the bowl. You may do a simple test to determine if the dough is ready, called the windowpane test, to do this:

Break a piece of dough the size of a golf ball and gently pull and stretch it until it becomes skinny; more kneading is required if it breaks or tears when trying.

If the dough has been sufficiently kneaded, it is soft and pliable, can be stretched out to form a skinny transparent membrane that will not tear or break and allow light to pass through.

If you’ve done the windowpane test and the dough still needs more kneading, try kneading for up to 1 minute more, then repeat the windowpane test until you get the desired results. Stop kneading once the dough has passed the windowpane test. If you don’t stop and keep kneading, you might end up over-kneading the dough.

6. Overkneading should be avoided.

What happens if you knead the dough for an excessive amount of time?

The dough can easily be overworked when using a stand mixer. Overkneaded dough is difficult to push and flatten, and it will not meld to itself when folded, resulting in a bread with a hard crust and a crumbly interior.

Always check the dough’s progress and follow the steps above for the windowpane test to avoid this, and you should have perfect dough every time.