What Can I Use Instead Of a Dough Hook?
Dough hooks are an essential tool for every home baker. They allow you to easily roll out dough without having to use your hands. However, there are other tools that can be used instead of a dough hook.
When preparing bread, a dough hook makes your life easier in the kitchen. It comes with a dough maker attachment that creates dough quickly and efficiently.
However, if your dough hook breaks or you don’t have one, you should be aware of the alternatives. Fortunately, you can use your hands instead of a dough hook.
People assume that using their hands is messy, yet it produces the same results and allows you to enjoy your bread as usual.
Most chefs are uninterested in making dough by hand. It also causes you to use more flour than you would with a dough hook.
Hands, on the other hand, can come in helpful when you don’t have a dough hook or a mixer.
It takes about 25 minutes to prepare this dough on average, and the key is to utilize delicate movements that stretch the dough’s muscles. You’ll enjoy the results if you do it rhythmically.
Begin by combining the ingredients, and once you have a shaggy dough, place it on a flour-dusted counter.
Stroke softly while pressing your dough away from your hand. Lift it by the farthest edge, fold it in half, and sprinkle with flour before continuing to knead it.
It will begin smoothing in around 4 minutes. Rep the procedure till it is smooth and supple. Form it into a ball and set it aside until you’re ready to cook.
In this article, I am going to discuss the pros and cons of using each type of tool. I will also give you some ideas on what you can use instead of a dough hook if you want to save money.
Table of Contents
Dough Hook Substitutes
1) Make Use of Your Hands
Most of the time, kneading dough and making it by hand isn’t the most enjoyable part because it’s exhausting and can waste a lot of flour (dough hook keeps the flour consumption at bay). If you don’t have a dough hook, you may always knead the dough by hand. When kneading the dough by hand, you must be extremely careful.
To give you an idea, kneading the dough by hand takes about 25 minutes. Keep in mind that when kneading the dough with your hands, you should make gentle strokes to stretch the dough muscles. Also, the movements must be rhythmic, and the texture of the dough must be beautiful. To knead the dough by hand, combine the ingredients and form a shaggy dough.
When the shaggy dough texture is achieved, dust the counter with flour and knead the dough on it. Fold the dough many times while kneading it. The texture will be smoother after four minutes of folding and kneading, and you may use it for baking or frying.
2) Electric Stand Mixer
A stand mixer is a good option if you don’t want to knead by hand but still want the function of a dough hook. These stand mixers have a motor installation that results in a rotating movement. These hand-held stand mixers are powered by strong motors. Some stand mixers include a specific bowl attachment that can be locked in place to operate the mixer and knead the dough.
Typically, the stand mixer includes a wire whisk for whipping the egg whites and whipping cream. It also includes a flat beater for mixing the batters. There are several types of stand mixers on the market, including floor models and countertop models. The majority of the home models are capable of kneading up to four liters of flour.
3) Spiral Mixer
If the dough hook is not available, another method is to use a spiral mixer. To be honest, the spiral mixer can be quite costly (you have got to pay the price for losing or throwing away the dough hook). Spiral mixers are specialized appliances for kneading and mixing dough. They have spiral agitators that may spin the bowl in the opposite direction.
It means that a huge amount of dough can be kneaded without the flour spreading. Spiral mixers will also knead the dough to perfection while maintaining smoothness and consistency. Not to mention that the spiral mixer can raise the temperature of the dough, resulting in ideal rising. We enjoy spiral mixers because they can be used to knead the dough for naan, bagels, and pizza.
4) Planetary Mixers
These mixers include an agitator and a bowl. The bowl stays in position with planetary mixers, but the agitator moves swiftly to combine the components and contents. These mixers are incredibly flexible, with the ability to blend as well as whip the contents.
5) KitchenAid KSM150PSGC Artisan Series 5-Qt
The KitchenAid KSM150PSGC Artisan Series 5-Qt is one of the most versatile kitchen appliances. It makes blending diverse substances a breeze.
It is the greatest and most recognizable mixer model available. It is quite durable and functions admirably. It can be used to make bread, pizza, and meringues, among other things.
A 325-watt engine and a huge 5-quart mixing bowl power the 10-speed settings. It also comes with whip attachments, a dough hook, and a regular paddle. Furthermore, it features a power hub housing, allowing you to employ a variety of additional extensions.
It is solid and weighs 23 pounds, and there is no risk of your ingredients spilling while in the appliance. The tilting head mechanism makes removing the mixing bowl a breeze.
If you like bread, this is a great mixer because it can prepare dough for four loaves at once.
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