January 6, 2022 - 2:07pm
New To Ankarsrum
Hello All!
I received a new Ankarsrum for Christmas and I've been using it daily for the last five days.
With a stand mixer it was clear when "the dough pulled away from the side of the bowl."
I haven't noticed anything similar to the Big A mixer.
Do this translate?
How do you know, with a new recipe, when enough flour is added?
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It depends on the ideal hydration of the recipe. In general my goal is forming a donut. Have you watched any of the YouTube videos such as from Bread Beckers?
That is a superb stand mixer, I believe it is the best in its class for size, weight, and functionality assuming you know how to use it properly (not all do). Congratulations!
Here are videos that might be helpful to watch:
Ankarsrum Masterclass 2021 - YouTube
Ankarsrum Introduction and Basic Tips - YouTube
Ankarsrum is often pushed onto the people as some sort of a "set it and forget it" magic bullet, but it's still a machine with its own set of limitations and you still have to watch the dough and help it when needed. Particularly with smaller loads. Usually I set the roller 1-2" from the edge and run it at low speed until the flour fully hydrates and the dough comes together. At this stage you often need to help it by moving rolled and scraper, with a looser doughs I also run a separate dough scraper along the wall from time to time. Once the dough comes together it can be mostly left on its own.
As to adding flour, I believe it's not the best way to go about theses things, generally it's advised to hold some water if you are not certain. I prefer to use reliable recipe sources, avoiding various youtube and instagram randos, and figure the math in advance. If the numbers are reasonable you make the dough happen even if it's a bit off and then make adjustments the next time.