Just wondering how many use a KitchenAid, or Mixer for dough or do you get better results mixing by hand.

Although I own a KitchenAid mixer, I haven’t used it in years.  For the small batches I do (4 pounds maximum, and usually 1000 grams) I much prefer hand mixing. 

For doughs in the 60% hydration range, my 12-cup food processor does an outstanding job in 45 seconds.  The “trick” is to adjust the starting water temperature so that the finished dough temp is 75-80F.  The formula I use is: Flour temp (F) + water temp (F) = 130.  Just solve the algebra problem.

I like to bake but I really hate hand mixing. I just don't like the feel of the dough all over my hands. I know it seems weird, just maybe an OCD type of thing.

I'm no expert, but I can easily tell while using my KA when the dough is where I want it to be. I usually just use the slow speed which is probably similar to a hand mix for the average person. My food processor died so that isn't an option and I never really liked it except for pie crusts. I had a more robust Bosch mixer but that also stopped working and since the cost of repair was 50% of the new machine I tossed it.

I mix and knead by hand.  I don't have a mixer, so I can't comment on how it compares to a mixer.

I have spiral dough hook on my kenwood but theres a problem that these just dont get all the ingredients together into a ball

So I usually get the handle of a  wooden spoon, mix the ingreidents until its rough ball, then put it in the kenwood dough hook mixer.  It does good job, but it seems like a hassle.   I believe Petezza  had this issue to, and he used the paddle attachment to get the ingreidents together then the dough hook. Thats just more cleaning up to do.


But I prefer to do it all by hand.   No need to wash the big glass bowl that my kenwood has. 



Many people love kneading by hand its theraputic.  But if its a sticky dough I know what you mean I hate it getting stuck and finding dried up dough mix on my hand the next day.

I'm just a power tools kinda guy.  I have a hand saw that's hanging on my workshop wall and I'm pretty sure I haven't taken it down in 25 years. Same with dough.  I hear some accomplished bakers wax poetic about being one with the dough and they only get a proper feel for it if they've got their hands involved.  It looks impressive and I've really tried to learn to love hand kneading, but it just does nothing for me.  Perhaps if there was a power outage and I really wanted pizza.  (Oh who am I kidding?  I've got an 8500 generator.)

I moved from mixer to hand mixing lately. This is the method I use - courtesy of Jeff Varasanos. It works wonderfully for direct dough above 60% hydration for 3 kg dough. The only thing you get dough nb while it is still sticky and gooey is a stick. It is a nice shoulder workout.

My hands barely need washing afterwards.

When we first opened our pizzeria the mixer died and I was in a battle to get a refund and find a replacement asap.  We were only open a couple weeks and I didn't want to share our problem so I hand mixed all the dough.  It is something I would not want to do again.  Walter

I use both methods. When at home I will use the KA about 3/4 of the time but when away from the house I use hand mixing almost exclusively. For small batches I can't say that I have a preference but for larger batches or multiple doughs machine mixing wins out every time.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

I usually only make one doughball at a time. I can mix by hand much faster than I can get the mixer out, mix the dough and clean up.

I usually only make one doughball at a time. I can mix by hand much faster than I can get the mixer out, mix the dough and clean up.

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Exactly....😎💪🍕

I mix by hand. I don’t have a mixer and I usually make from two to eight pies which means not a lot of dough. I do enjoy kneading and hand stretching ready dough to assemble the pie. I’ve been finding out about a mixer to buy but I think about washing after using and I get discouraged.

Really nothing to washing it, just use a hard plastic scraper to scrape the bowl out when you remove the dough then straight to the sink where it's filled with hot water, agitator then goes into the bowl and I get back to my pizza making chores. After the dough is put up I go back to the sink and finish washing the bowl and agitator and wipe down the mixer with a damp towel. Since we are not blessed with acres of counter space I find it more troublesome to drag the mixer out from its hiding space than to wash it.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

I just fill a scotch brite pad with water and clean out the bowl, then i wipe it down with a towel (small mixer).  Takes maybe 5 minutes top, if I've let it dry out, less if I do it immediately.

Edit: To clarify, it's a spiral mixer with an 8 liter fixed bowl.

My German gf does all the cleaning... I'm jus here to make the mess. As long as I keep cranking out delicious food.... she no complain. Bless her heart!  🤗

I'm a pretty diligent clean as you go cook though.   

I moved from mixer to hand mixing lately. This is the method I use - courtesy of Jeff Varasanos. It works wonderfully for direct dough above 60% hydration for 3 kg dough. The only thing you get dough nb while it is still sticky and gooey is a stick. It is a nice shoulder workout.

My hands barely need washing afterwards.

Looks like a pain and pretty inefficient mixing with a stick.

I start with the KA and finish/fine tune by hand!

Im with you on this one Jon!   As some of you know I have owned just about every mixer out there.  I can get them all to work for me, but I always need to do some work by hand at the end to know where I am for gluten development.   I suppose the only exception is when I accidentally over mix!   I will say tho, that my recommendation to family and friends is not to buy a mixer for home use unless you really need something that can cream butter/sugar or other non bread/pizza related projects, or if you are someone like me that always tends to make large batches for parties or to give away pizza/bread to neighbors.   

I use my wife's  stand mixer. It has two counter rotating spirals, and a two speed rotating bowl.
Sure takes the load off, and find it's pretty obvious when I have the hydration right, just by the way it cleans up the bowl nice.

Hand mixing irritates me to know end, I can't wait to get Famag or Sunmix