Big batch of high hydration in a DLX
Fired up my new DLX today and had mixed results. First thing was a sourdough starter built up from my mother. Went like a charm. About 4 cups flour, 67% or so hydration.
Batch two, less successful. 80% hydration french dough (5lbs flour, 4 lbs water), no knead stretch and fold thing for an overnight fridge rise (triple batch). I used to do a single batch in my kitchen aid, and it only needed about 2 minutes of mixing. In the dlx, it took forever to come together, and forever to tighten up/smooth out. We tried the roller and scraper, then the dough hook, then the roller and scraper, tehn another 2 cups of flour, which helped some. I think next time, I need to try hand mixing before starting the machine to get kind of a start of a dough going. Other advice?
For an 80% hydration dough, I would stick with the roller. You need to learn to hold the roller near the edge of the bowl and fool with the shape of the dough ring. The flutes in the roller do some stretching with every rotation. It looks weird but it will work. I usually make the mix, let it set and absorb the water and after a few minutes of speed 2, go to a stretch and fold method.
Almost every other mix works better using the hook and after the first minute or so I remove the scraper. Hope this helps.
Eric
Thanks!
SO you just kind of push the roller by hand against the side?
That has worked for me. Actually it's kind of a pain to have to be standing there manually tending to the roller but it does work. I was very happy to discover that the hook works so well. The hook is pretty much fool proof and allows me to attend to other things while the mixing/kneading is running.
Eric