It is very advisable to knead the dough with your own hands in baking Artisan bread. But if numbing arms and hands are a pain, this can be solved using a mixer without compromising the dough’s quality. To find out how, read on.

You use a dough hook in kneading using a mixer. By the texture of the dough, you will know if it is time to stop mixing. The basic steps of kneading using a mixer are listed below:

• Begin mixing slowly. Choose the number two of your mixer and moderately add the ingredients one a time. Because of the slow speed, no ingredients will be tossed off the bowl but to be sure, you can use a rubber or plastic lids on the sides.

• Mix until smooth. Rough dough means that the ingredients are not well combined. Until the ingredients are blended thoroughly, do not stop the mixer. It will take about five minutes or more to completely achieve the desired texture, although different kinds of dough yield different texture. Some bread requires the dough must be very sticky, but oftentimes it should be smooth.

• Rest for two to three minutes. After the resting period, add any remaining ingredients left. For five to eight minutes, mix the dough again until you get soft dough with smooth consistency.

• Leave the dough to rise. Place it at room temperature for one to two hours or until it has completely risen. After the allotted time, the dough will be smooth and easier to shape. Sometimes waiting for the yeast or the starter to activate is tricky, but the simple key to this is to make sure that the water and room temperature is correct.

• Prepare the dough for baking. On a pizza peel, turn the dough and knead it by hand for a few minutes. Make sure to sprinkle flour on the pizza peel so the dough will not stick on it. Mold the dough into desired shape and then brush some glaze at the top. Carefully place it inside preheated oven to bake it.

Maybe some bakers argue that it is better to knead by hand when baking Artisan breads, but it is not that bad to use a mixer.