A lot of bread making guides recommend mixing the dough by hand (as opposed to a wooden spoon, dough whisk or electronic mixer). Is there any actual benefit to the dough from this method? Or is it just a tradition?
-
2Are you really asking about mixing, or did you mean to ask about kneading?– rumtscho ♦Nov 25, 2020 at 19:05
-
@rumtscho I suspect this is not a question about kneading. Wooden spoon and dough whisks only work for really wet doughs. They do next to nothing for dough that’s firm enough to knead other than maybe push it around a little bit, so it would be obvious what the difference is– JoeNov 26, 2020 at 15:00
-
1This was about mixing. I've followed several recipes that recommend mixing by hand. I'm not sure if it's just a philosophical preference (i.e. feeling closer to the dough) or of there's some actual benefit (oils from my hands? some difference in how ingredients come together?)– mthorpNov 26, 2020 at 20:19
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
You can achieve great results by hand or using a machine, it's a matter of technique. I prefer kneading by hand as it has the advantage that you can feel the texture of the dough change, and through experience you know when a dough is right. Hand kneading also is good for gauging the hydration of the dough, as you can feel if it seems to dry or too moist and act accordingly. Through practice you get to know when a dough too sticky, and sprinkle just the right amount of flour on to get it just right, or add a few grams of water to open it up.
A machine is less work, but as you aren't feeling the dough as you go it's harder to gauge when it's kneaded right, and it's easy to overdo it and get a tough dough. With a machine it's also harder to know if the hydration level is right as you aren't feeling it. You can remedy that by stopping often to feel the dough, which is what some people do, and through experience get good results.
