Savory hearth bread
In the home baker’s kitchen, the stand mixer is the undisputed workhorse, whipping egg whites to perfect peaks, kneading bread effortlessly and turning out cookie dough in a pinch.
But even then, it has its limits. Its motor can burn hot with too stiff a dough. Or its bowl might be too small. Froth up too many egg whites and they can get perilously close to the rim. And want to make a triple batch of cookies all at once? Forget it.
Until recently, short of buying an expensive and gargantuan commercial model, home bakers didn’t have much choice but to work around such shortcomings.
But the latest generation of stand mixers is changing that. Imagine a home machine that can knead 7 pounds of flour for 10 loaves of bread, or whip up 20 egg whites or make 13 dozen cookies. With bowls that hold 6 to 8 quarts (compared with the standard 4 1/2 ), these mixers also have horsepower to spare.
We selected six high-capacity mixers to test, considering power, functionality, design and price. They ranged from $350 for the KitchenAid Professional 6 to a $770 for the Matfer Bourgeat Alphamix. The other four cost between $400 and $500. We included the Bosch and Electrolux, two mixers that are popular in Europe and radically different in design from Kitchen Aid-type mixers.
Most stand mixers come with three attachments -- a whisk, a paddle and a dough hook. Which to use when?
In general, the whisk, often the shape of a wire balloon, is designed to incorporate air into whatever you’re beating. So it’s especially good for meringues, whipped cream and sponge cakes. The flat paddle is perfect for creaming butter and works well for cookies and frostings. And the dough hook is the most specialized of the three; it’s made for kneading yeast breads.
Whichever attachment you use, keep an eye on your bowl no matter what a recipe says. You need to watch against overworking the contents, especially with one of these powerful mixers.
Speeds for the stand mixers we tested varied widely. What would be considered a medium setting for the Bosch (which has four speed settings) would be a 6 on the 12-speed Viking. A good rule: Always start at the lowest setting and adjust accordingly. If flour is flying everywhere, decrease the speed. When in doubt, check the manual; many have recommended settings.
Four of the mixers (the KitchenAid, DeLonghi, Bosch and Matfer Bourgeat) have automatic shut-off protection, which prevents motor burnout. It’s also worth noting that the mixers aren’t limited to making doubled recipes but can handle smaller quantities equally as well. Just as their manuals promise, both the Viking and KitchenAid (with some height adjustment) can whip a single egg white.
To test the mixers, we gave each attachment a task: For the whisk, we tested how long it took to whip four egg whites to a stiff peak at the highest speed setting. For the paddle, we gave it a creaming challenge: a 4-ounce cube of cold butter, cut into four equal pieces. To test the dough hook, we made a rustic hearth bread, enough for two loaves.
All the mixers passed the whipping and kneading tests. But it was the creaming test that separated those that could from those that could not.
Our least favorite was the Electrolux Assistent DLX 2000. Despite some nice features, the assembly and disassembly of the various components took some getting used to, and it failed the creaming test.
The clear winner was the DeLonghi DSM7, which performed each of the tests brilliantly and was a joy to use. The more powerful (and more pricey) Viking came in a close second.
It’s gratifying to see the stand mixer catching up with the rest of the kitchen. Recently, when I made a three-tiered anniversary cake for some friends -- enough for 70 guests -- it quickly became apparent that although my large oven could easily handle the cake pans, my mixer was woefully inadequate. I had to make several batches of batter and buttercream, which took a lot longer than I would have liked.
Next time, it’ll be a breeze. I’ll be ready -- and so will my new mixer.
Dough starter (sponge)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, whole-wheat flour and yeast. Stir together the honey and water and add to the flour mixture. Whisk until very smooth, about 2 minutes, until the sponge is the consistency of a thick batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap.
Bread
In a bowl, stir together the bread flour and the yeast. Gently scoop it onto the sponge to cover it completely. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a warm place. (The sponge will bubble through the flour mixture.)
Place the bowl on the mixer and, using the dough hook, mix at low speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture forms a rough dough. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle in the salt and, using the dough hook, knead the dough at medium for about 7 minutes, until it is very elastic, smooth and slightly sticky. If it is too sticky, knead in a little flour. If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it in.
Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into an oiled large bowl and turn the dough to lightly coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm (75- to 80-degree) place until doubled in bulk, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Punch the dough down and knead several times. Shape it into a ball. Add a little oil to the bowl. Return the dough to the bowl and turn it to coat with oil. Cover and allow it to rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press it down to flatten slightly.
To make two free-form round loaves, cut the dough in half. Cover one half with plastic wrap. Knead the other half by hand for about 7 minutes, working one-half cup each of the ham and cheese into the dough throughout the kneading process. Shape into a ball and set it on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, ham and cheese.
Cover the shaped dough with a large container or oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise until almost doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Place an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone on it. Place a sheet pan on the floor of the oven. An hour before you plan to bake, heat the oven to 475 degrees, allowing the stone to get very hot.
With a sharp knife, make several half-inch-deep slashes in the top of the dough to make a cross-hatch pattern. Mist the dough with water and quickly set the dough, on its baking sheet, on the hot stone. Toss one-half cup of ice cubes onto the pan on the floor of the oven and immediately shut the oven door.
Bake the bread, one loaf at a time if necessary, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 425 and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes. Bake until the bread is brown and a skewer comes out clean; an instant thermometer will register 200 degrees.
For an extra-crisp crust, transfer the bread from the baking sheet to the stone and leave it in the oven for an extra 5 to 10 minutes with the door ajar. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
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