Kneading dough by hand or machine?
- Thread starter chefjlin
- Start date
GadgetGuy
(Formerly Shermie)
For years, I've been making & kneading dough for bread by machine - one of my 3 mixers or my bread machine.
The dough has come out beautifully! When I first started out with it, it was at home before any of us left the nest.
This was in the spring of '68. I was always flabbergasted & intrigued by the process and smelling the bread baking in the oven, and then the heavenly taste of it all with some butter on it!!
As the years past, my left shoulder began to hurt badly (I'm a lefty), and I was diagnosed with severe tendinitis, there is no way that I can ever possibly go back to doing it by hand, especially the mixing and beating of the batter part!!
The dough has come out beautifully! When I first started out with it, it was at home before any of us left the nest.
This was in the spring of '68. I was always flabbergasted & intrigued by the process and smelling the bread baking in the oven, and then the heavenly taste of it all with some butter on it!!
As the years past, my left shoulder began to hurt badly (I'm a lefty), and I was diagnosed with severe tendinitis, there is no way that I can ever possibly go back to doing it by hand, especially the mixing and beating of the batter part!!
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I tend to do it by machine nowadays due to a bad wrist. But I have to remember to watch the machine because I have killed our Kenwood Chef mixer (a really old one from the 60's) when I left it unattended kneading some chapatti dough and it works its way too the edge of the work surface and found the floor. It didn't survive and when taken apart the part that had broken was not easily obtainable or repairable, so we had to purchase a new one. I am glad to report that the new one bounces a touch better 
GadgetGuy
(Formerly Shermie)
Mixers should not be made to "walk or strut their stuff" to the edge & off the counter or table. The heavier, the more stable, and rubber feet should be under them to help keep this disaster from ever happening.
All three of my mixers are very heavy, making for solid well-made machines.
Oh. I forgot about my food processor. That machine can also make bread dough. And it is very heavy and solidly made as well. You cannot pick it up using just one hand to do it!!! It strongly forces & demands you to use TWO hands to pick it up, or you just won't be doing it with one hand, regardless of how strong that you are!!!
All three of my mixers are very heavy, making for solid well-made machines.
Oh. I forgot about my food processor. That machine can also make bread dough. And it is very heavy and solidly made as well. You cannot pick it up using just one hand to do it!!! It strongly forces & demands you to use TWO hands to pick it up, or you just won't be doing it with one hand, regardless of how strong that you are!!!
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I prefer to kneed my dough using a bread machine, It is so much easier, and less of a messl. I make bread almost everyday and I just don't have the time to knead my hand.
GadgetGuy
(Formerly Shermie)
Here's mine above. A Zojurushi machine.
It can be programmed do the entire process from mixing to kneading to proofing to baking the bread!!
It can also be programmed to do just the mixing & kneading for things like rolls, pizza dough, French bread, etc., for those of you who still like the opportunity to pleasurably finish the dough by hand!
