Mixers

[Kermit]

After having had a Kitchenaid Artisan mixer with all it's limitations and no-knead action, I'm thinking of selling it and buying something that will actually be able to knead the dough. There's a ton of mixers out there, and a lot of people swear to the DLX Assistent mixer. I like the idea of a planetary mixer - don't really know why  As I was researching the topic, I found out that there's a danish company that makes one of the best mixers out there. In Denmark they're called Bjørn Teddy, and more internationally Bear Teddy - http://www.sweeda.com/en/product_show.asp?id=189

They're quite expensive however, so what are the other options? I'd like for a mixer to be able to mix atleast 1000 gram flour.

[The Dough Doctor]

Looks like a pretty neat mixer, but note the power requirements at 230V., also you should know the Hz cycle to make sure it is compatible with U.S. power. Another option is the Hobart A-200 series mixers (110 V.). They are expensive new, but they are easily found at sales and auctions.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[buceriasdon]

Tom, You missed he is located in Denmark. Kermit I have an Artisan and think it does a fairly good job at kneading. Could you elaborate on how you go about the mixing and kneading process?
Don

[Kermit]

Looks like a pretty neat mixer, but note the power requirements at 230V., also you should know the Hz cycle to make sure it is compatible with U.S. power. Another option is the Hobart A-200 series mixers (110 V.). They are expensive new, but they are easily found at sales and auctions.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

As Don mentions, I'm from Denmark where we use 230V 

Tom, You missed he is located in Denmark. Kermit I have an Artisan and think it does a fairly good job at kneading. Could you elaborate on how you go about the mixing and kneading process?
Don

I usually put water, yeast and about 85% of the flour in the bowl and start mixing until it comes together. The I add the salt and the rest of the flour, and let it mix for 6-10 minutes. What I'm disliking about the Artisan is that the dough climbs the hook, and just rotates around the bowl without kneading it.

[buceriasdon]

Kermit, Yes sometimes you do have to push the dough down or try this, turn up the speed for a few seconds and that will cause it to go down. Also try coating your hook with oil first. I cold rise so I rarely ever go over 5 minutes kneading, found no need for more time.
Don

[The Dough Doctor]

On that fancy mixer in question, it looked like a spiral hook in one of their pictures. With a hook of this type the dough will not climb up the hook, instead, it will be constantly be pushed down toward the bottom of the bowl. As for mixing the dough, a pizza dough only needs to be mixed to a point where it has a smooth, satiny appearance. Mixing beyond this is not necessary or desirable unless you're looking for a crumb structure that more closely resembles bread than pizza.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[art.vandelay]

Hello,
I just bought a KitchenAid 6000 mixer from Costco- it was a pretty good deal- and used it to make my 2nd ever batch of pizza dough. 
Not sure if did not knead the dough long enough.  I think I mixed the dry/wet ingredients for about 5 min using the spiral element and did note that not all the flour was being incorporated into the dough unless I used a spatula to push down the edges.
Can anyone enlighten me on how long I should let the mixer knead the dough after the 10 min rest period?  I fear I did not do this part of the process for long enough and noted the final dough kind of dry and crumbly.
many thanks for any input.

[buceriasdon]

Art, It would be helpful to know what the percentage of flour to water was. Dry and crumbly indicates a low hydration dough which is ok for some pizza.
Don

[art.vandelay]

Hello Don,
I am not sure of the % by weight but flour/water used is as follows:
3 1/3 cup bread flour
   1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup warm water

-Art

[buceriasdon]

Art, Do three things. Do a google search for bakers percent and read up on it.   http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2008/03/22/bakers-percentage-1/               Buy a digital scale that goes down to one gram, readily available and not expensive. Click on the logo on the top of this page and go to dough tools or click here:
http://www.pizzamaking.com/dough_calculator.html
Weigh out your flour and water weights. Write them down. Divide your water weight by flour weight you will know what the ratio, or bakers percent of your dough is. I recommend a starting point of at least 60%. I know you will find your current dough needs more water.
Don

Hello Don,
I am not sure of the % by weight but flour/water used is as follows:
3 1/3 cup bread flour
   1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup warm water

-Art

[art.vandelay]

Thank you Don- the links are very helpful!  I now understand the BP concept.  I will attempt to use BP this weekend- just have to go out and buy a good digital scale tomorrow.
-Art