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i have a viking professional 1000w stand mixer with a spade and a spiral dough hook [a gift from my wife]. let's say i am trying to make an 80% hydration ciabatta. in order to develop the gluten strands, do i use the spade or hook; low speed or other; for how long. i know this sounds basic, but i do want to use this machine since she was nice nough to buy it for me. [i just used to do strecth and folds in a bowl with good results, but i want to use the machine to show my appreciation. any married man would know what i am talking about.]
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it is better to live alone in the corner of your attic than to live in a large house with an angry woman
[book of proverbs]

I'd use the hook - that's what I use on my Kenwood.

Phil

I use a hook in my mixer and 2 mins at a slowish speed ( just under quater speed on my mixer)followed by a further 10 mins at a higher speed, the higher speed is determined by how much my mixer jumps about but it's normally just over half the max speed . I then leave it to stand for about 10 minutes then I beat the dough up a bit and rest it for another 10 minute before beating it up again. I then leave it to rise for an hour or so in a bread tin or baking tray before sticking it in a hot oven. This is pretty much the method recommended by the kitchen foods lady mixed with a bit of Dan Lepard ( from his book The Handmade Loaf ) and it works every time for me.

Try this method http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/video/2 ... sweetdough for working air into the dough. The mixer knocks it out rather than putting it in so the texture is not as open (so I am told - I have only used a mixer so far but I intend to try this method when I next make ciabatta).

Richard

gordon
thanks for the info. i'll try it.

The recipe I follow is

500g Strong white flour ( I use Costco Manitoba )
312g luke warm water ( I weigh it because it's easier )
1 pkt fast yeast ( Tescos it's cheap )
teaspoon salt
tablespoon sesame oil*
dough improver



* you should try this !!!

and off you go

Is that for a ciabatta Gordon?

Phil

No that's just a general bread recipe I use, for ciabatta I would just make the mix slightly slacker and substitute the sesame for olive oil and let it rise for longer to give a more open texture

You listed your formula, but not your method, anyway I'd recommend you try an old french technique called autolyse, heres one link below, but basically for gluten development time is a key factor, and rest intervals are a good way to develop gluten. Bread making is a true challenge, some science and some art, understand the science then take that to the art, it's great fun, only other suggestion is use bakers percentages, once you are comfortable with these you can develop new formulas, and scale them at your will.

http://www.redhenbaking.com/methods.html

RodinBangkok, I think you will find my method was in my eariler post and it does have resting periods as you suggest