Is a stand mixer a good choice for mixing bread dough?

A stand mixer can take a lot of the hard work out of making bread. I make bread almost every week and use my stand mixer for the initial mixing/kneading step. After the first rise, I knead by hand, but that's the easy part. Yes, you can pretty much dump things in and let the mixer do the work. You may have to scrape the top edge of the dough into the rest of the mixture, but not much. I start with the yeast/sugar/water mixture since I'm not using instant yeast, add about 2/3 of the flour mixture, turn the mixer on and add any other ingredients as the dough mixes--I use melted butter, yogurt, lemon juice--and then add the rest of the flour mixture and let the mixer go until the dough is at the right stage for the first rise. Only takes about 6 minutes from the time I add the first batch of flour.

You can use the same procedure for anything you mix such as cake or cookie batter. Get all the ingredients ready and dump them in the mixer at the right stages. You can add a whole egg and it get mixed in quite quickly. I find it's a lot less fuss than using a hand mixer, where you have to put down the mixer, get drips all over, put the next ingredient in and pick up the mixer again.

I have a Kitchen Aid Classic mixer. It can handle about 8 cups of dry ingredients plus the accompanying liquids, which gives two loaves of my bread. The bowl isn't big enough to do more. It has an adjustment for if you find that the beater isn't reaching close enough to the edges of the bowl. I haven't had to use that yet.

I'd advise spending a little more and getting a Kitchen Aid instead of a cheaper one. They really are sturdy, can last many many years, and have an excellent track record. Look for a sale. I got mine for about $200 and I'm in Canada where prices are usually higher. It's the most expensive kitchen gadget I've ever bought, but I wish I had bought one long ago.

Kitchen Aid is by far the best stand mixer on the market. A little pricey but well worth the money. It is above and beyond any other brand. Instead of buying a lesser brand save your money until you can afford a Kitchen Aid. You will be glad you waited.

Good luck and Happy New Year

A bread machine can only do one thing. You can get a Kitchen Aide for that price.

Becca, my wife has the Kitchen Aide Pro, has had it for a number of years, and uses it extensively, and hasn't missed a beat. Came with all the attachments.

Get a bread maker, they are cheaper and do all the mixing and baking in one device.