Unpopular opinion: I heard a baker say you should never use a stand mixer for bread dough.

They claimed it 'kills the gluten' but my challah has been perfect for years using my KitchenAid. Has anyone else found this to be totally wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavinb972mo ago

Honestly, I get where that baker is coming from. I've seen people just let their mixer run on high for ten minutes and it absolutely shreds the dough structure. You get this weird, warm, slack mess that never really recovers. A gentle mix to combine is one thing, but full kneading in a machine can overwork it fast, especially with higher hydration doughs. My best loaves always come from a short mix and then hand folding.

blair_webb2mo ago

My buddy learned that the hard way. He overmixed a batch in his new stand mixer and ended up with flat, gummy pancakes. Swears by the short mix and fold method now.

elizabethg852mo ago

But if your challah works, it works, right? That whole 'kills the gluten' thing seems way overblown for a home baker.