Hello

I really want to make the rosemary focaccia bread in the bb, but I don’t have a stand mixer. I do have a hand-held mixer with beaters or dough hooks(this is what I use for all my breads), but I don’t think that either are a good substitute for a paddle attachment on a stand mixer. So, any advise on how I can make this bread without the mixer? Am I crazy to think I can do this by hand? I have husband that can take turns at mixing

tia
jen

Jen, I’ve never tried this with a hand mixer, the risk is that it takes so long that it burns out your motor (or your stamina).  I think that many things take longer with a hand mixer, so that the 20 minute-plus mixing time may be even longer.  If you do decide to try it, I would use the beaters and not the dough hooks.  And I always use parchment or a silpat, as the first time I made it it stuck to the pan despite liberal oiling.

On the bright side, though, the dough is fairly wet and soupy, so at least it isn’t a firm bread dough.

The focaccia that follows that one, with the herbs folded under the top crust, is delicious and is made entirely by hand- no mixer.  So that would definitely work.

Good luck and report back on your results.

Well, it hasn’t worked out, but not for the reason you would think. There I was beating my dough with my hand-held mixer about 10min into the mixing time when I caught sight of a speck in my dough. My 1 year old often plays with my bowls, so I figured a little dirt never hurt anyone until I realized the speck I was seeing was blue, as in the blue plastic from the bowl. And he wasn’t alone. The beaters were nicking the side of the bowl and chipping away at it. Well, that is just wrong. The dough has to go, along with the bowl  

I have decided to make the grilled focaccia later today. I should have just made this choice from the beginning since the bread is for a bbq later today.

Thanks anyway for the advise Julie!

Jen

I tried this every which way without a stand mixer, and the highest I could go was 100% hydration. It will probably be the first thing I try if/when I ever get a stand mixer. I think this bread really does require the power of the stand mixer to work.

I’d have to agree that a stand mixer is the best option…I’ve never tried it w/o but when I did make it, the dough did not come together until the final minutes of beating (as Rose indicates).  It is amazing to watch the gluten strands at work!  I admire those of you who do things without a stand mixer…but I wouldn’t do half of the baking I do if I didn’t own one!