By buying the best stand mixer for bread, you’re actually buying an incredibly versatile kitchen equipment.
You’re not only buying a machine that is very powerful and one of the best kneading bread machines but you’re also getting a kitchen appliance that can make pasta & pizza dough and absolutely all the desserts in the world.
A stand mixer can become one the best kitchen tools for those who appreciate making loaves at home. It’s an already known matter how amazing stand mixers are for those who frequently make desserts. We’re not going to talk about that since it’s a known fact. This discussion will be focused on the matter of using a stand mixer for bread dough making.
You can make dough for pizza, all kinds of breads, flatbreads, gluten-free loaves, pasta, pastries, desserts, and so on.
Contents
Best Stand Mixer for Bread Dough: My Top 4
1. Overall the Best Stand Mixer for Bread Dough: KitchenAid Classic Series
The Classic Series from KitchenAid is one of my favorites and it’s also one of their most popular. It has a 4.5 quart, which is large enough even for larger families. It’s capable of mixing large batches but it also performs perfectly when mixing small amounts of ingredients. Plus, the price is reasonable. What’s not to like really?
2. Runner-up: Cuisinart SM-50BC
At a price around $200, we have a best stand mixer with a metal body but you still can’t be rough with it when lowering and lifting up the head. It has an impressive 12 speeds, a powerful 500 watts motor and a vert big 5.5-quart bowl that fits up to 6 cups of dry ingredients. Overall, it’s an amazing best stand mixer with an appropriate price tag for what it offers.
3. The Affordable One: Hamilton Beach Electric 7 Speeds
It’s a perfect stand mixer for smaller households or for people who don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on getting the best stand mixer for bread dough. Hamilton Beach is also pretty powerful, has 7 speeds, a 4-quart bowl with a handle. It has a plastic body but as long as you treat it gently when lifting and lowering the head then all’s good.
4. Large Mixer for Bread Dough: KitchenAid KSM8990NP Commercial Countertop Mixer
A budget of around $800 can get you a commercial KitchenAid stand mixer with an 8 quart bowl and the power to match.
Best Stand Mixer for Bread Dough Reviews
KitchenAid is the brand that rules this area, including when we’re looking for the best stand mixers for bread dough.
Their models are not the cheapest but the KitchenAid Classic Series, my first recommendation, manages to have a price under or around $300. That’s pretty decent in my opinion. If you have the budget, go for it. It’s also one of my favorite series from KitchenAid.
For those who are looking for something cheaper or some other manufacturer, we have Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach as potential options. And a few other models that I will review.
1. KitchenAid Classic Series, 4.5 Quart: The Best Stand Mixer for Bread Dough
Is their a more famous manufacturer of stand mixers than KitchenAid? Even those who don’t bake or cook have heard of it and it has been featured absolutely everywhere.
It wouldn’t be a complete review for the best stand mixers for bread without reviewing one of these. In my opinion, it’s hard to beat the Classic Series in terms of quality, performance, and price.
When it comes to KitchenAid there are a number of models to choose from, including their massive 6-quart KitchenAid Professional 600 series that actually features their bowl-lift design. But the 600 series is quite expensive so, let’s review the more moderately priced KitchenAid Classic Series Stand Mixer.
The Artisan Series is quite a bit more expensive than the Classic one but it features a 5-quart bowl so you should check that one out if you want a bigger bowl.
What they all have in common is that they’re all famous for their planetary mixing action.
Large-capacity bowl
The KitchenAid Classic Series Stand Mixer looks amazing, it’s not often that I think about a kitchen appliance that it’s really great looking. It’s not big so it will fit in any kitchen and that white design is just stunning.
It’s a tilt-head design.
The KitchenAid Classic Series features a 4.5-quart stainless steel bowl that still promises to incorporate and knead the ingredients for 3 loaves of bread so, it’s not as small as you might think.
It has capacity for up to 8 cups of flour, that’s definitely a very high number, higher than the 6 cups of dry ingredients that the above Cuisinart model allows.
The manufacturer tells us that it also has enough capacity for 7 dozen cookies. You can throw a party without any worries.
Attachments
The accessories are fantastic, too: coated flat beater, coated dough hook, and 6-wire whip.
It has a wide variety of mixing speeds, there are 10 speeds.
And even though it only has a 275 watts motor don’t be deceived to believe that it’s not powerful enough. It will mix, beat or knead anything you want.
Pretty light
At 22 pounds, it’s light enough that you can easily move it back in a cupboard if you don’t have the counter space for it.
The only thing to complain about is that the bowl doesn’t have that comfortable handle that the rest of the models have but given that this is a stand mixer more on the affordable side by KitchenAid standards, I’m not even surprised to see that there’s no handle.
The user manual that comes with this stand mixer also includes a lot of recipes. Even if you’re not going to make those exact recipes, read them because they offer insights on the speeds that the mixer should be used at.
For example, the instructions in the basic white bread recipe state that you should use speed 2 for kneading and it will take about 5 minutes for the dough to be done. And you should never exceed speed 2 when using the dough hook. Definitely read the user manual attentively.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
2. KitchenAid KSM8990NP Commercial Countertop Mixer
If you feel like a commercial countertop best stand mixer for bread is the way to go, KitchenAid has created the model for you.
This has an 8 quart stainless steel bowl, which is absolutely huge. Well, it is made for commercial use after all.
What I absolutely love that this is not a head-tilt design. This is a bowl-lift design that is absolutely beautiful and it’s so easy to use. There’s no worry about lifting up the whole head to remove the bowl.
KitchenAid also mentions that they have a high-efficiency motor that runs longer with less heat build-up. That’s completely understandable since a commercial best stand mixer for bread is certainly expected to run for longer than a model that is used by regular users.
You can choose between 2 main models: with bowl guard, with no bowl guard.
There are 4 color options: empire red, nickel pearl, onyx black, and white. They all look amazing, it’s hard to choose.
Overall, it works just as well for small and large loads. You don’t always have to mix ingredients in big quantitates for awesome kneading and mixing. Small batches will be kneaded just as expertly.
It can handle up to 16 cups of flour.
And it has 10 speeds.
It weighs 31 pounds. This is a massive kitchen appliance. You won’t be moving it from its place.
As for cons, there are some reviewers who mention that a 6qt KitchenAid model is much better than this 8qt and that this one tends to get really noisy. There are more than a few user reviews that analyze the cons for this appliance, you should definitely read through them carefully before making your purchase.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
3. KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer
I guess my favorite remains the KitchenAid Classic Series, 4.5 Quart, it’s just a personal favorite of mine.
However, the alternative to that one is the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer.
Features
They look quite similar. But there are some quite easy to notice differences, besides the fact that these two belong to different series and the Artisan comes with a 5 quart bowl.
Besides the bowl being bigger and the mixer being bigger overall, the bowl also has a handle, which is very nice so I definitely like that aspect.
The Artisan series is also significantly more powerful, with a motor of 325 watts.
The 10-speed slide control will glide from a very fast whip to a very slow stir. It’s perfect on all 10 speeds.
Well, some of you might not notice all that at first glace. But if you compare these two KitchenAid sides by side as two of the best stand mixers for bread dough, you’ll notice that the Artisan series is seriously expensive.
Besides their hand mixers, the KitchenAid Classic Series, 4.5 Quart remains the most affordable mixer from this world famous brand. The price is under $350 and I think that it’s the best value for money.
On the other hand, the Artisan series can cost around $450, maybe a bit lower if you catch it on sale. The price difference is significant so I’m sticking to the Classic.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
4. Cuisinart SM-50BC
Cuisinart SM-50BC is not exactly the cheapest best stand mixer for bread but it’s not on the price level of the KitchenAid mixers either.
I think that if you’re willing to spend a bit more on a stand mixer for bread, then this Cuisinart model might be worth it. Let’s see what it has to offer to those who are willing to invest a bit more.
Large bowl
It’s quite a large one, it features a 5.5-quart bowl that looks great even though it’s a tall bowl and not a wide shallow bowl. But the size is really nice even for those cooking for a large family. And it has a nice big handle, you won’t be afraid of dropping it or of not being able to carry it.
It states that it stirs 6 cups of dry ingredients, that’s quite a good amount for non-professional bakers.
Metal construction
I also like the fact that it has a metal construction and the silver lining design looks really good, although they have a bunch of color options.
The metal construction definitely inspires reliability and durability, it’s one of the reasons for recommending this Cuisinart stand mixer as the overall best. The price is not outrageous either so it’s a fantastic combination.
It’s a tilt-head model. And I know that it’s made of metal but don’t flip it aggressively. Don’t slam it open. Don’t let it drop shut. Aid it. If you treat it roughly, it might make the pivot snap. As long as you lift it slowly and lower it just as slowly, you shouldn’t have any problems with it.
That goes for all stand mixers, whether they’re made of plastic or metal, not just for this Cuisinart.
Power
It’s also quite powerful being able to handle heavy thicker dough as well. It’s a 500 watts stand mixer with an impressive number of 12 speeds. Speed 3 is the one used for making bread dough.
Attachments
The attachments are exactly what we would expect: chef’s whisk, flat mixing paddle (flat beater), dough hook, and splash guard with pour spout. You won’t have any problems adding ingredients through that space. The accessories are coated metal, they’re easy to clean.
There are optional attachments that you can buy, just like it’s the case with KitchenAid: pasta extruder, pasta roller & cutters, ice cream maker, meat grinder, spiralizer.
They also have a recipe book that will offer you all the insight needed to properly operate this mixer. They even include a gluten-free pizza dough recipe, it contains quite the variety.
It also has a 3-year warranty.
However,
Stand mixers with larger bowls like this one work incredibly well when adding ingredients in large quantities because their attachments don’t touch the bottom of the bowl. It’s something that’s common with stand mixers.
With that in mind, I don’t recommend this Cuisinart for those who are baking or making desserts for one or two persons. Check out the next best stand mixer for bread if you’re looking for a smaller model.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
5. Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer 7 Speeds: The Affordable One
This is definitely a smaller stand mixer and it’s a pretty amazing model. I’ve also included it on my list for the best affordable stand mixers.
Affordable
The price is just barely under $100, making it one of the cheapest best stand mixers for making bread and a whole lot of other baking goods and desserts. However, I will also review the cheapest model that you can find, which 2 times cheaper than this Hamilton Beach. Check it out below.
If you don’t want to spend anywhere near $200-$300 on a mixer then this is definitely worth checking out. Let’s review the Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer a bit.
Planetary mixing action
The first feature that is worth mentioning and the manufacturer seems to be very proud of it is the fact that this has the same planetary mixing action that more expensive models from KitchenAid have.
What does that mean?
The attachments will thoroughly mix and incorporate the ingredients while, through their rotation that imitates planets orbiting the sun, they will not leave the sides of the bowl untouched. You don’t have to scrape any ingredients from the sides.
This is definitely one of the main selling points for this best stand mixer for bread.
Smaller bowl
It only has a 4-quart bowl but you will still be able to make nice loaves of bread with it. The bowl has a small handle, it will not be the most comfortable but at least it’s there.
Power
You might also be deceived by the 300 watts motor but you should be aware that this is definitely a powerful stand mixer. You’ll be able to enjoy it a lot and it promises constant mixing speed.
It’s not for professionals but it’s definitely a very good mixer for those who enjoy baking a few times a week without the hassle of having to knead the dough by hand.
The black simple design is nothing extraordinary but at least it will be able to fit in most kitchens.
This is another tilt-head stand mixer but this one is not made of metal but of plastic. If you treat it with care and don’t tilt it brusquely or let the head drop forcefully, it should be quite long lasting.
There are 7 speeds and what each one is best used for are inscribed on the mixer like your personal guide always in your vision field.
Speed 3 has been ascribed for kneading.
Attachments
There are the usual 3 attachments: dough hook, whisk, and flat beater. And a removal splashing shield.
Overall, the Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer is a nicely priced stand mixer just barely under $100 that will fit even in smaller kitchens and it’s perfect for smaller families, while still being able to boast of planetary mixing action and constant speed.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
6. Smeg 1950’s Retro Style: Power & Quality
This is really a choice for those who want a unique design. I must admit that I’m not even a big fan of its design but we all have different tastes. Don’t let mine stand in the way of yours. Some people definitely love the design.
It is a tilt-head design. Even though this mixer is nicely built, you still have to accompany the tilting with your hand. It’s just something you have to do for all models, regardless of materials and manufacturer.
I would say that its design resembles quite a bit that of the KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart series but the KitchenAid is prettier, it has sleeker lines, a retro-modern combination that just works. That’s how I see it.
It’s not a very popular model and I can clearly see why: there are KitchenAid models that are a bit cheaper than this one. Let’s see what Smeg offers for the money.
Size
The Smeg is not a small stand mixer. It has a 5-quart model that can handle plenty of ingredients.
You can mix a maximum of 12 egg white, the minimum being 2. I love this aspect, that you can use it for small recipes as well as for big batches.
It’s also capable of handling a maximum of about 10 cups of flour. That’s a lot. It can knead almost 4 pounds of dough. I’m pretty speechless right now, just as I was when I saw that really high price.
Accessories
It comes with 3 amazing-looking accessories: aluminum dough hook, aluminum flat beater, and stainless steel wire whisk. They’re all of great quality and very sturdy.
It also includes a poring shield. And it uses planetary action for mixing the ingredients thoroughly, without leaving nothing on the sides of the bowl.
In addition, you can buy additional accessories, just like you can for KitchenAid mixer. For the Smeg, you can get: multi food grinder, slicer & grater, pasta roller and cutter set, spaghetti cutter, taglionlini cutter or an ice cream maker.
That’s a wide array of extra-accessories that can turn this stand mixer into so much more. Another plus in its favor.
Power
This is one area where Smeg practically screams pick me as the best stand mixer for bread and beyond. I mean, according to the manufacturer, it comes equipped with an 600 watts motor. That’s quite powerful.
Just to tell you a bit of what that kind of power can do: bread/pizza dough in 4 minutes (impressively fast), egg pasta dough in 5-7 minutes, pastry in 3-4 minutes, cream in 2-3 minutes, egg white in 2-3 minutes. It’s fast with everything.
There are 10 speeds to do absolutely anything you wish them to do. The kneading is done on speeds 1 to 3.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
7. Aucma Stand Mixer
The Aucma Stand Mixer is unbelievably popular. It’s also really affordable, it has a price under $150, which is quite rare for a model that it’s really good.
Design
There is an array of colors to choose from: red, black, blue, champagne (my least favorite), gray (quite nice), lavender, pink, royal blue, silver (pretty), and white (my favorite).
It comes with a splash guard with access hatch for pouring ingredients in the order that the recipe indicates.
I will admit that the splash guard stands out a bit but it has an important purpose so you should leave it on. It’s not absolutely necessary when kneading bread/pizza/pasta dough but there are plenty of dessert recipes where it will come in handy.
It’s not the prettiest model but it looks solid. I love its presence and how it inspires quality.
Its measurements are: 9.4 x 15.2 x 12.4 inches. 12.4 is the height, 15.2 is its length and 9.4 is the width. Now you can measure the available space in your kitchen and see if it fits.
It’s a tilt-design. Just lift it up gently and lower it down just as gently. You won’t have any problems if you do that.
Very large bowl
It has 6.5 quart large capacity bowl with handles. It’s also made of stainless steel.
If you need an even bigger bowl, they also have 7.4qt stand mixers for making bread and absolutely anything you might think of.
Powerful
It has a power consumption of 66o Watts. That makes it more powerful than the Cuisinart that I reviewed above. It’s more than twice as powerful as Hamilton Beach 7 speed.
There are not many models that are powerful as this Aucma.
There are 6 speeds.
With the help of these 6 speeds you can make anything: knead bread/pizza/pasta dough, the thickest cookie dough, whisk light mixtures, and beat medium-heavy mixtures.
Attachments
We get the classic 3: whisk, dough hook, mixing beater. They’re not stainless steel so I advise you to wash them by hand and then dry them with a towel.
Cons
While there are so many positive reviews from people that state how much they love this best stand mixer for bread from Aucma, there are also a few cons.
Some reviews mention that their model has stopped working after a few uses or a couple of months. That’s definitely something to keep in mind.
The manufacturer mentions that they have upgraded their attachments in 2022. Some people who bought this Aucma in 2020 or 2021 have had problems with the paint coming off the attachments.
The replacements involve: a stainless steel whisk, the dough hook and beater are made from aluminum with painting.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
8. Dash Stand Mixer: Cheapest Stand Mixer for Bread Dough
Let’s be honest: the Dash stand mixer is cheaper than some hand mixers that also work for making dough because they come with dough hooks, among the other accessories.
Given that the Dash is 2 times cheaper than the above Hamilton Beach model, I would say that we can call this one the cheapest best stand mixer for bread. Do we have high expectations from it? I would say that we don’t but let’s review it and see how it goes. It might be what you’re actually looking for, who knows?
Design
Before going into reviewing the features and its capabilities, I must comment on the fact that this model looks quite nice.
You can actually pick from an entire array of colors so, you can make sure that it fits the overall design of your kitchen.
It weighs less than 5 pounds, it’s clearly a kitchen appliance that’s on the small side. It’s very easy to carry around and maybe place in a cupboard if you don’t want to permanently keep it on the countertop.
Size
It’s not a big model. It’s actually the smallest model here. That can be nice if you aren’t baking for a large family. If you’re just baking for a smaller family, it can definitely fit in.
It has a 3-quart stainless steel mixing bowl. There’s no handle but it looks solid.
Attachments
This is another part where this mixer differs a lot from all the others on the market.
When I see the attachments, I’m not even sure about calling it a proper stand mixer but that’s what it is so, I’m going to categorize it as such.
The idea is that the attachments look identical to the attachments that come with a hand mixer. They don’t look like the ones that all the other models come with.
It comes with: 2 large beaters and 2 large dough hooks. Without the dough hooks, I wouldn’t have even included the Dash in this list for the best stand mixer for bread.
However, as you might clearly observe, there’s no whisk attachment. I find that odd because most hand mixers include this attachment, too.
What it can do
It’s capable of doing everything a stand mixer can do. You have nothing to worry about in that respect, it’s just that it has a small 3-quart bowl.
There are 6 speeds that can serve you in anything you want to do from doughs to desserts.
The 250 watts motor is just slightly more powerful compared to what a hand mixer packs.
Cons
If you check out reviews for this Dash, you’ll easily notice that a lot of people love it and are very satisfied with what it can do. Now, let’s see which are the complaints.
One users is disappointed with its mixing capabilities, noticing that it leaves most of the ingredients on the sides of the bowl. My advice would be to use a spatula to make sure that all the ingredients end up in the path of the attachments. Some people are already used to using it like that.
Others state what I already observed: it’s not much more impressive than a hand mixer, whether in terms of attachments or power. However, at least it’s stationary. But you still have to use a spatula to make sure that all the ingredients are incorporated and not left out on the sided of the bowl.
This is one of those cases when we definitely get what we pay for. It’s not bad at all, otherwise I wouldn’t have recommended it. But it’s not something to wow us, either.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
Best Stand Mixer for Bread Dough Buying Guide
There are a few features to keep in mind when getting a best stand mixer for bread.
Price
Even if you’re going for more affordable prices, and I’ve selected a few affordable stand mixers that are great at making dough, a stand mixer is still going to be one of the most expensive kitchen appliances that you’ll get.
The prices vary a lot, there are stand mixers that cost a bit under $100, while there are others that sell for more than $400. That’s a huge gap so, take your time when picking a best stand mixer for your kitchen.
Some are incredibly expensive so you might have to save quite a bit if you want an extraordinary model.
Mixing action
There are two mixing actions for stand mixers, two motions that set them apart:
- planetary action – the mixing attachment (whip, dough hook) rotates around the entire bowl, it makes contact with the entire bowl and its sides, which means that all the ingredients are perfectly incorporated and mixed – the movement is similar to the planets rotating around the sun, hence the name
- 2-beater stand mixers (they come with 2 dough hooks) – these are the old-fashioned ones that we all grew up with, where the bowl rotates in the opposite direction of the stationary beaters, if you’ve used one you know that you might need to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure that all ingredients are incorporated thoroughly
Bowl size
- if you plan on baking for a large family, it goes without saying that a larger bowl is what you should be looking for
- a 4-quart bowl is not a good choice if you plan on making more batches of bread at a time but it’s still good enough for a small family and they can be ideal for single persons
- a wide shallow bowl is also better because you can scrape down the sides of the bowl more easily, ingredients can also be added more easily but tall bowls are the most common
High wattage
A high wattage indicates a stand mixer that can handle anything, even thicker heavier dough. A wider variety of speeds means that you can make everything with it.
Handle with care
If you’re getting a tilt-head stand mixer, handle it with care until you make sure of its sturdiness. A tilt head mixer also comes with the risk that the latch can stop working after some years of use.
KitchenAid has a bowl lift series that ensure that nothing can go wrong with the body of the mixer but this manufacturer is not only famous for its excellence but also for its very expensive prices. They also make tilt-head stand mixers so you can rest assured: tilt-head models are still very good.
Read the user manual
You also have to read the instructions that come with the mixer because they might have a different recommended time needed for dough kneading than the 5-8-10 minutes that I’ve mentioned. It will differ from model to model so, make sure to read those instructions and see how it goes.
How to Knead Dough in a Stand Mixer
This will be a very short how to, which is why using a stand mixer to make bread sounds so appealing even though the prices are not exactly the most inviting.
- use the dough hook attachment
- measure the ingredients properly – for a better accuracy, use a kitchen scale for the flour
- add them all to the mixer’s bowl
- the proper speed is medium-low or on the lowest setting – you should read the instructions that come with your best stand mixer for bread, it will properly indicate which speed should be used and for how long
- in the first few minutes the dough will stick to the sides of the bowl without taking a definite form but just after 5 to 8 minutes the dough will be pulled away completely from the sides of the bowl and it will have a compact form, at which point the stand mixer is all done
- when the sides of the bowl are all cleared and the dough is elastic, the kneading is done – stop the mixer to avoid overkneading
- if the dough is too sticky and it’s looking rather liquidy, gradually add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it thickens
- remove the dough, you can use a plastic dough scraper for that or just your hands sprinkled with a bit of flour
- shape the dough in a ball by kneading it for about 30 seconds
- and that’s it, that’s the whole kneading process with a stand mixer, where you pretty much didn’t have to do anything
Why Use One for Bread Dough Making
In short:
It makes everything so much easier – fast and effortless are the two words that come to mind when discussing the advantages of using a best stand mixer for bread dough making.
Proper kneading is essential in the process of making yeast breads.
It’s the step of the process where the ingredients get mixed, air is incorporated, and the gluten develops. The gluten network developed during the kneading process will allow the dough to expand during the proofing part, the final rise that takes the longest.
Some people love using their hands to mix the ingredients and knead the dough for up to 25 minutes.
10-12 minutes is the standard kneading time that we pretty much all know about but the up to 25 minutes kneading by hand is the optimal time for obtaining a smooth and elastic ball of dough. It requires some strong muscles and a good technique plus you really have to love doing this because for most people it doesn’t sound that appealing.
How long does it take to knead dough in a stand mixer?
Which is where stand mixers come in. These helpful kitchen appliances will get all the kneading done without fault in just 8 to 10 minutes or maybe even less, it depends from model to model.
Furthermore,
The essential part of using a stand mixer for bread is that the texture will be similar as if you were kneading it by hand for much longer. That’s an incredible aspect.
You get the desired texture without having to worry if the dough is kneaded properly and you don’t have to do any work. Well, the price of a stand mixer shouldn’t definitely guarantee that you don’t have to do any work.
Stand mixers also work for making gluten-free breads. Yeast breads of all kinds can be made. They can serve everyone’s needs.
Once the mixing and kneading is done, you take out the dough from the mixer’s bowl and let it go through fermentation and proofing on your kitchen counter or in your fridge. You can also use a proofing basket for this stage.
For a perfect baking experience, I recommend giving a thought to using a baking stone or a Dutch oven. But that’s a whole different subject so, let’s get back to our discussion on how to use a stand mixer to knead dough.
How to Make Bread Without a Stand Mixer
No knead recipes are definitely a first solution if you want to know how to make bread without a mixer but you still don’t want to go through all the trouble of kneading the dough for 15 to 25 minutes.
There are quite a few on the Internet to experiment with. The dough will look different, it will be a lot more soft and not have that smooth put-together shape that we’re used to but you can sprinkle extra flour after it has risen when you need to shape it for the baking stage.
Even so, the result will be delicious, especially if a Dutch oven or a baking stone or a cloche is used, no knead recipes definitely deserve recognition.
The other obvious alternative is to knead it by hand. It’s a pretty lengthy process but there are quite a few people who enjoy putting in the work. It can be fun as long as you have the strength to do it.
The easiest way to research the technique is by watching some YouTube videos. Then you can give it a go and see how your hands like it. If you’re satisfied with the process, you definitely won’t feel the need to get a best stand mixer for bread.
Use a hand mixer
If you decide that the best stand mixer for bread isn’t the right kitchen appliance for you because you don’t have the space for it, there’s the alternative in the form of a hand mixer that comes with dough hooks. That’s the main feature you have to look for when making your pick.
The cheapest model is the Black+Decher MX600B. It’s absolutely cheap. I’m not saying that it’s bad. It’s just that it has a few cons. But if that’s within your budget, you can take a risk on it.
Next, it’s the Cuisinart Hm-90. I think this is the best choice, in terms of how much it costs and what it offers.
Bread makers as an alternative
There’s one last alternative that I discuss more in length in my bread machine vs stand mixer debate.
A bread machine has a kneading blade that mixes the ingredients and kneads the dough perfectly. You can use a bread maker just for the kneading phase or you can let it do its work until the rising phase is completed, at which point you can remove the risen dough and bake it in an oven or you can let it do the whole work and also bake the bread.
However, it is my opinion that buying a bread machine just for dough making isn’t worth it. It’s best to get a stand mixer and use it to make bread as well as other delicious desserts. That’s definitely worth it, if you have a passion for baking it’s a good investment that will help you create wonderful baked goods.
All in all, I hope you can find the best stand mixer for bread that will also match your budget and needs.
FAQs
Last but not least, let’s answer some questions. Maybe they will help you figure out if a stand mixer for bread is the right kitchen appliance for you.
1. Can you use a stand mixer to knead bread?
You can use a stand mixer to knead bread if it comes with a dough hook. However, there are also hand mixer that come with dough hooks so, if you have one of those, you can definitely use it. Another option is to use a bread machine for pizza/pasta/bread dough. Last but not least, you can knead by hand if you want to do it for free.
2. How long should you knead bread dough in a mixer?
Each model comes with a user manual. The user manual instructs you which speed should be used for kneading dough and how long it should take. The time needed for kneading can be 8 to 10 minutes or maybe even less, it depends from model to model. You can also overknead so pay attention to the texture, too. The texture will be similar as if you were kneading by hand.
3. Which stand mixer is good for dough?
There are plenty of stand mixers that are good for kneading dough. In general, these big kitchen appliances come with a dough hook. That’s the first clue that it’s good for making dough for breads, pasta, pizza, etc. To give you a couple of examples, I consider that the Hamilton Beach Electric 7 Speeds Stand Mixer and the Cuisinart SM-50BC are very good options if you are on a budget. But the KitchenAid Classic Series, 4.5 Quart is the best stand mixer for bread dough.
