Urgent: Do I really need a mixer? (DLX ordering soon)

[ben.nic.king]

Hi all... I'm working on my dough making chops, now that I have a backyard WFO.

I have a KA Artisan which I dont love, and I tried out the Bosch and sent it back as it didnt seem right.  I'm about to order the Electrolux Assistent (DLX), which is truly a fortune!

But now looking around I'm seeing that maybe with the high hydration doughs the mixers arent so important anymore???  I'm seeing the stretch and fold technique etc, and actually maybe the mixer/kneading is more optional?

I do want to make breads and pizza fairly often, so I do want to make it easier, but if I dont need to spend the big bucks that would be nice.

thanks for any info, comments appreciated.

Ben

[c0mpl3x]

the best doughs i've ever made, were mixed with nothing but a spoon and my hands

[dellavecchia]

Hi all... I'm working on my dough making chops, now that I have a backyard WFO.

I have a KA Artisan which I dont love, and I tried out the Bosch and sent it back as it didnt seem right.  I'm about to order the Electrolux Assistent (DLX), which is truly a fortune!

But now looking around I'm seeing that maybe with the high hydration doughs the mixers arent so important anymore???  I'm seeing the stretch and fold technique etc, and actually maybe the mixer/kneading is more optional?

I do want to make breads and pizza fairly often, so I do want to make it easier, but if I dont need to spend the big bucks that would be nice.

thanks for any info, comments appreciated.

Ben

Ben - I have a KA which is great for lots of different applications. It works well for dough, but shines when you get the hydration up to 62 and beyond. If you have the time to dedicate to stretch and fold techniques, you will not need a mixer for most anything you make. If you do not want to extend a 5-8 minute session in a mixer to 2-3 30 second turns over the course of two hours, then the mixer is a better choice. I cannot see how the DLX would perform any better than a KA for simple doughs - especially if you did not like the Bosch.

John

[scott r]

you don't need a mixer.   save your money!   

[SquirrelFlight]

I'm still deep into Newbie-territory in my pizza making, but so far, I have not needed any sort of mixer other than my hands.  My latest experiments have been with the DKM cracker crust, and while he calls for using a food processor to mix all the ingredients, I have had some very acceptable results just using a pastry knife (I think that's what those are called - those things that have a handle, and 5-6 curved blades). I don't have a food processor, and cheap pastry knives are easy to come by.

I suppose if you're trying to make enough dough for a large number of pizzas a mixer could be needed, though.  Since I'm just feeding myself and my wife (and birds with leftover dough), working by hand is perfectly fine... and working dough by hand also has a sort of "Zen" quality to it that can be very relaxing.

[ben.nic.king]

thanks all.... hmmmm

maybe no glittering mass of Swedish steel needed then?

Is stretch and fold somehow superior to using a decent mixer?

I'll continue to wait then.  thanks.   any other comments appreciated.

Ben

[Bill/SFNM]

Is stretch and fold somehow superior to using a decent mixer?

It is superior if you are going for a super-high hydration dough. Around 63% is the best I can do with my fork mixer. I can easily get over 70% using fold and stretch. As you become familiar with your WFO and the kind of crust you prefer, you may very well discover a mixer contributes nothing. I'd do stretch and fold for a few years before plunking down for a mixer. It might take you that long to figure it all out. In the meantime, you will certainly make some great pies without a mixer.