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Dough Hook Tricks


BadRabbit

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I had the same problem until I finally broke my habit of trying to run the thing at high speeds. Say if I'm making dough for pretzels, speed 6 will just spin it around the bowl and just twist it a little bit, but if I lower it to 4 the hook is able to dig into it better.

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Mine doesn't seem to do much at any speed with the doughs I've had issues with. Reinhart's Napoletana pizza dough is the one I most recently had problems with. It's relatively high hydration and just seemed to climb up the hook. I tried everywhere from mix on up to 6 and nothing worked. I ended up kneading by hand to get my windowpane.

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I have a 5qt, bowl lift commericial, and make pizza and bread in 4 lb batches, use #2 speed and never have any problems...You may not have enough product in the bowl.especially if its 6 qt...

Bud

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I have a 5qt, bowl lift commericial, and make pizza and bread in 4 lb batches, use #2 speed and never have any problems...You may not have enough product in the bowl.especially if its 6 qt...

Bud

#2 is the recommended speed on mine as well. anything less than a 3-4 pound batch in a 6 qt bowl seems to work less well as bud noted.

Jon

--formerly known as 6ppc--

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I have a wimpy 4.5 quart Artisan, and frequently have the problem with dough climbing, no matter the type, speed of the mixer or hydration. Or, I have the reverse problem, where a small blob of dough will "cleave" off from the main one, and just rotate around the orbit of the hook, never really getting kneaded or "slapped around" like it should be. I should note, I usually do half quantities of most bread recipes, since I'm baking for one, and want only one loaf at a time. So I've written off my issues to insufficient quantity, resigned myself to stopping the machine, and re-integrating everything, and carrying on.

--Roberta--

"Let's slip out of these wet clothes, and into a dry Martini" - Robert Benchley

Pierogi's eG Foodblog

My *outside* blog, "A Pound Of Yeast"

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Maybe it's the shape of your dough hook? Can't say I've experienced any serious problems with my hook, but it's the newer-style "pigtail" corkscrew shaped hook. I bake 1-lb loaves in my 6 quart Pro all the time; it handles small batches just as well as large ones. I usually knead from speed 1-4, but it's worked a batch of pizza bianca (ultra wet) at higher speeds for quite a long time (15-20 minutes).

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Maybe it's the shape of your dough hook? Can't say I've experienced any serious problems with my hook, but it's the newer-style "pigtail" corkscrew shaped hook. I bake 1-lb loaves in my 6 quart Pro all the time; it handles small batches just as well as large ones. I usually knead from speed 1-4, but it's worked a batch of pizza bianca (ultra wet) at higher speeds for quite a long time (15-20 minutes).

Is the pigtail available for all models? I have a tilt head artisan.

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Maybe it's the shape of your dough hook? Can't say I've experienced any serious problems with my hook, but it's the newer-style "pigtail" corkscrew shaped hook. I bake 1-lb loaves in my 6 quart Pro all the time; it handles small batches just as well as large ones. I usually knead from speed 1-4, but it's worked a batch of pizza bianca (ultra wet) at higher speeds for quite a long time (15-20 minutes).

Is the pigtail available for all models? I have a tilt head artisan.

I've read that using a spiral dough hook on an older machine for which it was not intended will damage the motor of said machine.

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Maybe it's the shape of your dough hook? Can't say I've experienced any serious problems with my hook, but it's the newer-style "pigtail" corkscrew shaped hook. I bake 1-lb loaves in my 6 quart Pro all the time; it handles small batches just as well as large ones. I usually knead from speed 1-4, but it's worked a batch of pizza bianca (ultra wet) at higher speeds for quite a long time (15-20 minutes).

Is the pigtail available for all models? I have a tilt head artisan.

I've read that using a spiral dough hook on an older machine for which it was not intended will damage the motor of said machine.

My machine is not old (maybe 2 years). I would check the Kitchenaid website but for some reason it doesn't want to load on my browser.

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This is from the KitchenAid website:

The Spiral Knead dough hook should only be used on select Stand Mixers.

Can I use or purchase a Spiral Knead Dough Hook on my Stand Mixer if it did not come with one?

It is important to only use the attachments recommended for your Stand Mixer.

IMPORTANT:

  • Do not use a Spiral Dough Hook on a mixer that did not come with one originally as it will damage the mixer, eventually if not, immediately, even if it does fit on the beater shaft.
  • Damage resulting to the mixer as a result of using a Spiral Dough Hook on a mixer that did not originally come with one is not be covered under the KitchenAid Warranty.
    NOTE:
  • The Spiral Dough Hook is not compatible with any tilt head mixers.
  • In 2004, KitchenAid introduced a Spiral Dough Hook to be used with some of the larger capacity bowl lift stand mixers. See illustration.

NOTE: For use with the following models only: KV25G0X, KV25G8X, KV25H0X, KP26M1X, KP26M8X, KL26M8X, and KB26G1X. Hand wash only.

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I have a wimpy 4.5 quart Artisan, and frequently have the problem with dough climbing, no matter the type, speed of the mixer or hydration. Or, I have the reverse problem, where a small blob of dough will "cleave" off from the main one, and just rotate around the orbit of the hook, never really getting kneaded or "slapped around" like it should be. I should note, I usually do half quantities of most bread recipes, since I'm baking for one, and want only one loaf at a time. So I've written off my issues to insufficient quantity, resigned myself to stopping the machine, and re-integrating everything, and carrying on.

Make the full batch and freeze the other loaf. Most breads, when wrapped well first in plastic and then put into a freezer safe bag will freeze and thaw without much problem. You can toss the defrosted loaf into the oven at the same temperature you originally baked it at for 5-10 minutes to warm and re-crisp the crust. Just make sure that the loaf is completely cool before wrapping and freezing.

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My 6 Qt. KitchenAid uses the pigtail dough hook and usually the only time I have an issue is when I have to add a touch of water to a dough that is already in the mixer. I have also used the "J" dough hooks with the smaller KitchenAids and while some breads kneaded just fine, others caused the hook to simply sit on top of the dough and spin uselessly. I ended up having to knead those doughs by hand.

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I had both styles of dough hooks for a while and I found that the traditional J-style hook worked better with smaller quantities usually than the spiral type, though the spiral type can handle more dough and produces a result more like hand kneading.

If your mixer doesn't have "slow start," it helps to combine the ingredients by hand using the dough hook before putting the bowl and the dough hook on the mixer.

I've never considered climbing a big problem. It climbs and comes off back into the bowl, and it's still working the gluten. I haven't had it climb out of the bowl.

If the dough quantity is too small and the hook is just moving around on top of it, then I just stop the mixer and scoop up the dough with a rubber spatula or with the dough hook, removed from the shaft and start it up again. It will work eventually.

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I've never considered climbing a big problem. It climbs and comes off back into the bowl, and it's still working the gluten. I haven't had it climb out of the bowl.

My dough often climbs onto the hook and stays there with little movement (relative to its position on the hook). Eventually it is just riding around in a circle like a kid on a ride. It is not really being worked at all at that point unless the centrifugal force is somehow working the dough even though it is stable on the hook.

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[My dough often climbs onto the hook and stays there with little movement (relative to its position on the hook). Eventually it is just riding around in a circle like a kid on a ride. It is not really being worked at all at that point unless the centrifugal force is somehow working the dough even though it is stable on the hook.

Yep, at that point I just stop the machine, scrape it back down into the bowl, and start again. Sometimes I do that 3 or 4 times, but I just process for a bit longer to compensate for the stop time. It's just "one of those things", and I deal.

Edit to add---still better than hand kneading !!

Edited by Pierogi (log)

--Roberta--

"Let's slip out of these wet clothes, and into a dry Martini" - Robert Benchley

Pierogi's eG Foodblog

My *outside* blog, "A Pound Of Yeast"

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  • 3 weeks later...

Update: I have found that the best way to combat my issue is to autolyze with about 60-70% of the flour and then do most of the mixing at that same ratio. I add the rest of the flour with only a minute or two left in the mix.

Since I've started doing this, I've found it much easier to get my dough where it needs to be.

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I just spray the top 1/3 or so of the dough hook with cooking spray or coat it with oil. Then, as the dough climbs up the hook, it slides down and falls off, allowing the hook to hit it in new places.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta." - Frederico Fellini

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I just spray the top 1/3 or so of the dough hook with cooking spray or coat it with oil. Then, as the dough climbs up the hook, it slides down and falls off, allowing the hook to hit it in new places.

*slaps palm to forehead*....what a great idea !

--Roberta--

"Let's slip out of these wet clothes, and into a dry Martini" - Robert Benchley

Pierogi's eG Foodblog

My *outside* blog, "A Pound Of Yeast"

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I just spray the top 1/3 or so of the dough hook with cooking spray or coat it with oil. Then, as the dough climbs up the hook, it slides down and falls off, allowing the hook to hit it in new places.

*slaps palm to forehead*....what a great idea !

Just too lazy to try to figure out autolyzing and I only have 1 dough hook. . . so. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta." - Frederico Fellini

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