I switched from a stand mixer to hand kneading for my brioche and it's a different world

For years, I used my KitchenAid for everything, especially rich doughs. Last winter, my mixer broke right before a big order for 12 dozen brioche rolls. I had to knead by hand for 45 minutes straight. The dough felt completely different, warmer and more alive. I got a better windowpane test and the final texture was way more even. Has anyone else gone back to hand work for specific doughs and noticed a real difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_knight1mo ago

Bet that 45 minute workout changed your whole perspective. I did the same thing with croissants after my spiral mixer died mid laminating session. The difference was night and day, that slow hand work lets you feel exactly when the gluten tightens up versus the machine just smashing it together. What about the butter integration, did you have to adjust your technique for keeping it cold while hand kneading?

the_kim1mo agoMost Upvoted

@mason_knight I read an article somewhere that said hand kneading lets you feel the dough temperature better than machines. For the butter issue I kept my butter block cold by chilling it for an extra 15 minutes before laminating. I also worked fast and took breaks to pop the dough back in the fridge. That helped keep everything from melting into a greasy mess.

olivia_webb1mo ago

lol yeah my first attempt at hand kneading a brioche was basically me fighting a sticky blob for an hour and a half while questioning all my life choices. I remember thinking "this is what I get for being too cheap to fix the mixer right away." But honestly once I got past the sore wrists I noticed the dough felt so much more responsive. The butter integration thing is tricky though, I ended up doing almost like a french fold technique where I'd flatten it out, add the butter in stages, then fold and knead for like 30 seconds before chilling again. It took way longer but the layers were incredible. Now I almost feel guilty when I use my mixer for brioche like I'm cheating on my dough lol.