Making Bread in a KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Flour Types and Capacities

It's important not to exceed the capacity of your bowl, so make sure to read your Owner's Manual for maximum flour capacity.

• If you use all-purpose flour, you can hold more.
• For specialty flours, such as whole wheat and bread flour - you must use less.

• Refer to your Owner's Manual for maximum amounts for your mixer.

Adapt your Recipes/Kneading Times

Making bread in a Kitchenaid^® stand mixer is very efficient.

• You may have to adapt your favorite recipes and cut the kneading time significantly.

Many people are amazed to learn that:

Kneading for 2 minutes in your mixer is equivalent to kneading 10-12 minutes by hand.

• If you knead too long, the dough will start to climb up the "c" shaped dough hook.
• The dough should form a ball and clean the sides of the bowl.

Speed

The dough hook should be used for all yeast breads.

• Speed 2 is the only speed that should be used.
  • If you use a higher speed, it is harder on your mixer motor, and if you use a lower speed, it will not provide enough momentum to knead properly.

Dough Climbing up the Dough Hook

When kneading yeast doughs, always use Speed 2 only for optimum results.  

• Kneading in a mixer for 2 minutes is very efficient and is equivalent to kneading 10-12 minutes by hand. 
  • It will be necessary to adjust the kneading times in your favorite recipes, to avoid over kneading.
• The dough should form a ball and clean the sides of the bowl.
• Do not over knead.
  • If you continue kneading past this point, the dough will climb up the top of the dough hook towards the mixer.

Mixer head Moving up and down while kneading

When kneading thick dough,  it is reasonable to see some mixer head movement on a tilt head mixer.

• If the mixer head is moving or bouncing a lot, make sure to check the following two adjustments to make sure your beater is not too high or low, either of which can cause the head to bounce.

CLICK HERE for more information on adjusting your beater to bowl clearance using the Dime Test.

• If the silver pin that holds the head onto the body of a tilt head mixer is loose, it is essential to not only reinsert it but also to tighten it, per the video below.