So down to the project at hand - a few years ago my mother gave me her old mixer. With the mixer came a set of dough hooks. And because I'm kind of lazy and set in my ways when it comes to bread making I'm never quite motivated enough to try making dough with dough hooks.
For the past few days I've been thinking that giving the dough hooks their shot might be worthwhile. What if all of the extra kneading that I can provide through dough hooks actually makes a difference?
So this morning I finally got around to putting the dough hooks in the mixer and adding bread ingredients to make a very basic bread (and one that some people have suggested requires plenty of kneading but that I've never knead more than a few minutes).
Immediately it became clear that unlike when a spoon is used, the ingredients were quickly and evenly mixed. With just a few more minutes the dough really started to take shape and look like dough. And because the dough I was making is relatively wet this process was much cleaner than had I tried to do it with my hands or a wooden spoon. Oh, and it was also much less wasteful.
So after the 'kneading' I was left with a dough about which I am quite hopeful: it's quite wet, it's evenly mixed, and it's been well kneaded.
Now I'll just have to see if the rising, baking, and consumption processes go as smoothly. And, as you've likely already guessed, I'll be trying to keep you updated as I work my way through the remaining stages of the production of this bread. Hopefully you fascination with the progress of this project won't cause you to spend you entire day in front of the computer hitting re-fresh again and again until you see the next update.
Back in a few.
Cameron - 9
Neil - 0
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