I'm going to make bread with my KitchenAid mixer... advice?

[Anonymous]

If I understand the instruction book correctly, I can just let it go with the dough hook (no higher than speed 2) and that will take care of the kneading for me. Is that right? And if I'm using a (challah) recipe that says to knead it for "5-20 minutes until smooth and satiny," will that be what I'm watching for with the mixer, too? Or will the mixer do it faster than kneading by hand would go?

[Anonymous]

I find that when kneading dough in the mixer I need a lot more flour to keep it from sticking to and crawling up the dough hook. Its lots easier than kneading by hand but also possible to over knead. 5 to 20 minutes is a big window; keep an eye on it.

[Anonymous]

The dough hook is MUCH faster than kneading by hand, so watch it carefully. You are looking for the texture described, not the time - so plan on 1-3 minutes total and watch it.

DO NOT, ever, turn it up past 2 with the dough hook. I burned out the motor of my professional KA by not heeding that instruction.

[Anonymous]

I make a lot of bread with my KA mixer. I never need more flour tgan the recipe calls for. Ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The dough hook is MUCH faster than kneading by hand, so watch it carefully. You are looking for the texture described, not the time - so plan on 1-3 minutes total and watch it.

DO NOT, ever, turn it up past 2 with the dough hook. I burned out the motor of my professional KA by not heeding that instruction.

Dough hook pulls it together very fast. Don't wander off. I second the watch the texture tip. I make bread weekly with my KA. I love my KA. I would marry my KA if I could.