Making dough in a KitchenAid

[MrsMcGregor]

Does anyone have any tips please as to how to get the dough nice and stretchy - mine never has any stretch. I don't know whether I'm over or under doing it. I use Speed 1.

Thanks

Don't know how to advise other than check your recipe. I make bread in my Panasonic bread machine, bake in oven but occasionally I make it in the kitchen aid and the dough from the KA is so much easier to work with.

Are you using decent flour? I always use branded flour and have never had any problems - and I am very slapdash with my KA, just chuck it all in, put it on 1 and let it knead while I do something else.

I usually use Waitrose strong white flour, it's not as stretchy as the extra strong Canadian stuff but that's ok - what do you use Brian?

I like Allinson's flour generally as I find many own brands a bit crap - though I daresay Waitrose is better than Tesco/Morrisons!

Whereas I've always judged Allinson's by their bread which I think tastes pretty awful, so I never buy their flour.

Thanks. I use Allinsons Strong White flour. I tried again today, using a new recipe. It was different in that it said to knead at a medium speed for 8 minutes which was both faster and longer than I would use. And it was a much better dough!! Might try bread again now!

Brilliant! I think with bread you just need to keep trying before you figure out how it should feel and look at each stage and before sticking in the oven....even then I still get the occasional dodgy loaf.

I use the k beater 1st to blend then the dough hook, for ages.
Waitrose strong bread flour here too.
Paul Hollywood uses cold water & a longer rise time but it didn't make much difference when I tried that.

I don't follow a recipe as such, I use cold water sometimes, other times warm....I prove till it's ready and that depends on the kitchen temp.

I'm going to give bread a go this week. Kitchen's not overly warm now so to the hotpress it shall go!

It doesn't need to be a warm kitchen just let the bread prove at room temp....the longer it proves the better it tastes.

It's all about the flour and the yeast, if one of them is old or crap then no matter what else you do it will not give you good bread.

I use Waitrose strong white bread flour (80p for 1.5kg! Bargain!) and Doves Farm yeast in an orange packet. I usually knead for about 10 min on 2 check it after 8 min just in case.

PourqoiPas can I ask you what you look for to tell that you've kneaded for long enough? I've taken to kneading in my KA but am never sure how long to give it.

I'm experimenting with spelt at the moment and the structure is completely different. Strong white is so much easier to work with. I agree Doves farm yeast in the orange packet seems to work well, I keep mine in the fridge and it lasts for ages.

I've always used the sachets of Allinsons Easy yeast (green box) - is it okay?

In the KitchenAid instruction booklet, it says to hold back some of the flour until the wet ingredients have been incorporated. Does anyone do this?

Yes I would add flour gradually because you never know how much flour you are going to need.

I knead for 5 to 10 minutes in the KA with the hook on 2 or 3. Dough needs to be a bit wetter than you think.

DH has given up on the KA and does everything by hand now. He does get slightly better results that way but I am lazy.