I have the large KA mixer with the dough hook. I have had great success using it to knead 2 loaf sized batches of yeast bread. Since the dough is kneaded in the mixing bowl and not on a floured board, the dough does not get as much flour mixed into it as when I add flour from kneading on the board. So I resolve that by adding a little extra flour to the recipe.

By the way, this large model is very heavy. Therefore, you might want to buy or make the cover for it so that you can leave it out on your counter. I store mine on the pantry floor, but it is one heavy sucker to lift up to the kitchen island.

A mixer will make kneading your bread a lot easier, but you might want compare a breadmaker, too. Hand kneading makes a softer loaf than a mixer, I think the breadmaker is somewhere in between. I make my bread in my breadmaker - just on the dough setting, I shape, rise and bake it myself.

My "old" KA mixer, the Artisan, struggled with two loaves, so my son got me a 6qt pro model (and took my Artisan) and it does a great job. It is heavy, so I keep it on the counter with a cover.

Good luck.

I have a Cuisinart stand mixer, which I bought to replace my smaller capacity Kitchen Aid. I make a triple loaf recipe of oatmeal bread 4 cups water, 2.5 cups oatmeal and 6-7 cups flour) about once a week and it handles that recipe no problem. The Cuisinart is just as powerful as my Kitchen Aid, but it weighs about a third, thanks to it's aluminum housing. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Jane

They use a Zojirushi Bread Machine in the King Arthur Test Kitchens for making dough, instead of using stand mixers, or by hand, because it gives the best results.

Stand mixers tend to aerate the dough. In a King Arthur side-by-side test making 100% whole wheat bread dough, the finished loaves told the story. The loaf mixed in the Zo rose at least 1-inch higher than the loaf mixed in a stand mixer.

I make all our breads and use a Zo for mixing the dough, including 100% Whole Wheat, but I form and bake outside the bread machine. My Zo is a real workhorse in the kitchen. I've converted all my old favorite recipes to the Zo, even my English Muffin recipe.

-Grainlady

I'm another Zo owner and love it as well.

Yes you can use a KA mixer to make a dough - I wouldn't buy one just for breadmaking. If you have a food processor, you could divide your original recipe into smaller batches and be done with initial mixing and kneading within minutes. That's how we make pizzas for a crowd, takes us less than ten minutes to make four pizza balls, ready to put them in bowls to rise. AnnT has more info.

Good luck and we'll help you though this. You are always so helpful across the other forums on GW - one of the more interesting members, might I say. Grin. Your mom is lucky to have you!

This is the method I have used for many years when making bread dough in my Kitchenaid stand mixer. The source is Betsy Oppenneer's The Bread Book.

Mixing and Kneading Bread in a Heavy Duty Electric Mixer

1.Put dry yeast and proofing water into mixer bowl; whisk, proof yeast.

2.Fit mixer paddle on.

3.Add rest of liquid ingredients (milk, eggs, butter) to the yeast/water.

4.Add half of the flour amount of the recipe and any other dry ingredients.

5.Turn mixer on medium speed (#4 on KA) and beat 2 minutes.

6.Reduce speed to low (#1) and add rest of flour ü cup at a time.

7.Remove paddle, scrape well. Attach dough hook.

8.Scrape down sides of bowl, turn speed to #2 and add more flour 1 TB at a time (dough will cling to hook then spread back to sides of bowl).

9.Increase speed to #4 and knead 5 minutes. At the end of this kneading time the dough should cling to the hook and clean the sides of the bowl. If not, add flour 1 TB at a time, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

10.Remove the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a towel, let rise per therecipe ��" or ��" turn out dough, knead by hand a few times, form into a ball, drizzle a little oil in the mixing bowl, put dough in, swirl in bowl and turn oiled side up, cover, let rise.

I have a fairly old K.A., also known as 'Big Bertha'.
It's probably close to 20 years old.

It's mixed a lot of bread dough in its time.
And still does.

It handles enough dough for three 9" X 5" loaves.
(At least I think that is the size of my bread pans.)

I do it pretty much like teresa-nc7 describes.
But I don't think I've read the book.
That is just the method that works the best for me.

Rusty

I have a large KA mixer with a dough hook too, but prefer to use my breadmaker to mix dough. It keeps the dough nice and warm and does the first rise for me. I just wait for the end-of-cycle beep, then shape my loaf and let it rise again.

Easy-peazy.

If you are looking at KAs, do your research. The new mixers are not the same as the old. Doesn't mean not to buy one, just read, read, read.

Jessica
(proud owner of two Hobart-era units - one bought by DH with his student loan money waaaaay back when, the other rescued from my folks house)

Here is a link that might be useful: example of concerns with new KA machines

I have a 350 watt KA; it does okay, but it struggles with a full load. I'd get something a little heavier duty, especially if I was baking weekly.

Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads has timings for most of the recipes for kneading with a mixer.

Between here and appliance forum, quite a bit to consider. Getting closer. Thanks, people!