October 31, 2016 - 6:33am
Large quantity using a small mixer
Happy Halloween TFL-ers! If you get a moment away from the ghoulishness, I'd welcome advice on bulk doughs.
My mixer will only handle a maximum of 2kg of dough so until now I've only made a couple of loaves at a time. I'd like to be able to double this so would welcome advice on how to do this within the limits of the mixer. Currently I make bread with a levain fermented overnight, which is then used to make a dough which is bulk fermented for a second night. I'm wondering if I should mix 2 separate small doughs, then combine them by hand, and bulk ferment overnight. Is that likely to work? Any other suggestions or advice? How do others manage this?
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... is the easy solution!
However, just make up 2 batches and split your levian between them. You could then ferment them in separate tubs or mix them together.
When I was getting to that stage, (before I got my first big mixer) I was mixing (by hand) 2 (or 3) separate lots and fermenting them separately.
-Gordon
Bigger mixer would be great but would need a bigger kitchen, which would need a bigger house, which would need a bigger plot, which would need a bigger..........well maybe your two batches idea sounds more feasible. Thanks Gordon, I'll give that a go.
Could you get more bowls for your mixer?
I have two, which is enough to make 8-9 loaves in three batches. I just need to do them in order where I don't need to do a lot of cleaning to avoid potential contamination (so usually white bread first, then wholemeal rye, then seedy with strong and whole flours). If I make one of the gluten free recipes (or low gluten, as they are contaminated anyway), I make them before I do anything else, cover with cling film and then get to the glutenish ones.
Another bowl - why didn't I think of that - it would have so many uses! And thank you tptak for the sequencing suggestion, that could work.