Mixers and Sourdough? or: Baking Brad
Again forgive me if this has been discussed a lot here before, but I'd like to know whether it is practicable to knead up a sourdough in any kind of electric mixer. Years ago I used a Presto hand crank mixer with fine results; still have that gizmo too but it is in storage upstate plus it was kind of a PITA to use because the riveted handles had worn loose and could not be tightened. Also used to have a 600W Braun Kitchen machine which, sadly, is currently only being manufactured for the European market; it made great dough but I can't remember now whether I ever attempted sourdough in it.
So does anyone here employ either the Universal or Compact Bosh, or Braun K-650, in making sourdough? If so, what is the trick to it? Followed the links on this forum to Bosch's Baker Brad whipping up 12 lbs of [freshly ground!] whole wheat dough in the Universal Plus, during which he mentioned that six minutes of knead time was the equivalent to two rises! But of course he was referring only to the development of the gluten; were one starting with a sour rather than just throwing in instant yeast, an additional twelve hours or so of rise would still be needed to get the thing going, I reckon. But now how would that work, could you just take the dough from the Bosch and divide and shape it into loaves as in the video, and let them rise in their pans until approximately doubled in size before baking? Or, would you still have to proof the dough for X hours before forming into loaves, which would then need to rise another hour? Perhaps there is some entirely different method for making sourdough with a mixer but I haven't been able to find anything about this so far. On a positive note, Brad did mention that using the Bosch with his whole grain recipe allowed for a greater hydration than one could achieve by hand. Well that sure sounded off bells!
Thanks in advance for any tips.