Bread – Must bread dough clear the side of the mixer using the hook

breadstand-mixer

I can get it to clear just fine with the paddle, but I can't reliably do so with the hook attachment, even after ten minutes at the fastest setting. My flour is fairly strong, autolysed, and the hydration is ~70%. I find myself adding way too much flour to have it clear the bowl.

Best Answer

Often, higher hydration doughs don't need to be mixed in a mixer at all. However, when using a mixer, it is more important to get the hydration correct, than to have all of the dough come away from the side of the bowl. I would say to use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients, and don't worry about whether or not the dough comes away from the side of the mixing bowl.