April 28, 2009 - 4:08pm
can a blender be used as a dough mixer?
Greetings
I don't have a dough mixer, and I was wondering.. if its possible somehow to use a blender for mixing and kneading? My blender is a 2-speed, with a powerful motor.
I was thinking, in particular with high hydration doughs, maybe if I use half the dry ingredients and all the liquids, blend well to develop enough gluten, then add more flour just before turning it off, or mix the rest by hand. Will that work?
Did anyone try that before? I'd love to have any tips in that regard. Many thanks.
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Blenders work by creating a vortex that pulls things down through the center. This is why sometimes if you add protein powder to a blender before it's turned on that there are clumps of it beneath the blades that never get mixed in. Ice and large chunks of fruit, veg, etc. get broken up by having the blades slam into them at high speed.
I honestly don't think this would work. The blades are too short and moving to actually knead anything. I think what you'd end up with is a highly mixed first inch or two of floury water, then a huge mess, and possibly a burned-out blender. And really - if you can't knead the whole thing in there, why start mixing in the blender? It's just more dishes to do.
Sallam, I tend to agree with sulablue.
Have you tried the autolyse method then followed by just a very short kneading phase ?
Paul.
I don't think the blender will work either.
If you are on a tight budget, you can buy a dough whisk some places for under $10 (see, for example: http://www.breadtopia.com/store/danish-dough-whisk.html,) and I am quite amazed by how well it works in high hydration doughs (70% and above)--I didn't think it was going to be that effective. I have shoulder problems and can't mix much, but the dough whisk just slices through those ingredients pretty painlessly.
Although I do use a mixer at times for high hydration doughs, my preferred method is the "stretch and fold in the bowl technique." See this
no-knead video
and this
Hamelman's “Stretch and Fold in the Bowl” no-knead technique
I wouldn't use a blender.
David
Janknitz, that's an interesting gadget there!
I have to agree with everyone else. The blender probably won't work too well.
I found mine for $5.95 at a local store selling kitchen gear. I use it daily to mix my sourdough cultures. Fantes sells them for $6.95.
I've often wondered why it's called a Danish dough whisk when the ones I've seen come from Poland.
I tried this and it worked nicely. I thought, since kneading is needed to develp enough gluten in the dough, I tried blending equal parts of dry and liquid ingredients (all the liquids of the recipe blended with equal part - in volume - from the dry ingredients). My idea was to over-develop gluten in part of the dough, so that I get enough gluten for the whole thing. For example: in a recipe that calls for 9c flour and 4c water, I blended 4c water with 4c flour for 3 minutes, then spoon mixed the batter with the rest of the flour in a bowl. The result was nice elastic bread. It seems that the fast blender can develop enough gluten for the whole dough. This, with slow fermentation (less yeast), would probably give results similar to that of pricey stand mixers. I think I can live now with one less electric tool and save some precious space in my kitchen.