Unpopular opinion: Hand kneading vs stand mixer dough, I've seen a real difference over 5 years

I used to think stand mixers were just faster and that was it. But after baking sourdough for 5 years, I swear the loaves I hand kneaded had a better crumb structure. Then last summer I got a new mixer and suddenly my bread came out denser. Was it the mixer brand? Or am I just more careful when I knead by hand? Anyone else notice a difference in final results between methods over time like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonk982d ago

I remember reading a 2018 King Arthur Baking study where they tested hand kneaded dough against several different mixer types. They found that the mixers actually produced more even gluten development in controlled tests, but bakers preferred the hand kneaded loaves because of slight irregularity. That's really the key difference. Machines are consistent, but consistency in gluten structure can actually give you a tighter crumb if you aren't careful with your mixing speed or if the dough warms up too fast from the motor. Hand kneading lets you feel that subtle slackness that tells you when to stop.

wells.christopher2d ago

Did that study control for dough temperature differences between methods?