Switched from hand-kneading to a stand mixer for enriched doughs

I used to hand-knead brioche for 20 minutes because I thought the mixer would overwork it, but after burning out my shoulders on a 5-pound batch last year, I gave in. Now I let the KitchenAid run on low for 8 minutes and the crumb is actually fluffier. Am I the only one who resisted the change for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_jones18h ago

I held out for years too. My poor biceps finally won that argument.

perry.jesse18h ago

A buddy of mine from work had the same thing happen. He was dead set against getting one of those robot vacuums for years. Said he liked the exercise of pushing a normal vacuum around. Then his wife went and bought one anyway while he was on a business trip. He came home, plugged it in, and now he won't shut up about how much time it saves him. He even named it "Dustin" after his dad's old basset hound.

alex82017h ago

Why are people acting like kneading dough is some huge ordeal? It's like 10 minutes of movement, not running a marathon. If a mixer is the difference between making brioche and not making it, sure, go for it. But saving ten minutes of arm work isn't exactly a life-changing upgrade, it's just swapping one chore for another.