KitchenAid vs Ankarsrum Mixer for Kneading Bread Dough | Whole Wheat

[@silnieves]

Hi about 10 years ago I bought the ankarsrum used it once for bagel dough and then sat in my pantry for about 7yrs because I was pretty much intimidated by it. The kitchenaid pretty much dominated my kitchen for over 20 years until 2 years ago that I decided to try the ank one more time before selling it and to my amazement fell in love with it. I have to tell you there was a bit of a learning curve and patience with it but well worth it. Enjoy have fun with it don’t forget to use the other bowl I did for a while.. I use it to make small batches of cookies, muffins, quick breads and frosting

[@venkitac]

Hi, do you have tips for using the Ank for small batches? Thanks.

[@kathsetto9724]

I have the Ank and I LOVE it! There is a bit of a learning curve but it is worth learning because it is a wonderful mixer!!!

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I agree

[@candylyman6429]

I just bought my ank this year. It took me a little bit to understand the bread dough using this mixer and watched all the videos I could find. I absolutely love it! I came from the Bosch mixer where I never liked the middle section. I’ve never used the kitchen aid since I always used whole wheat but just this last year made 100% whole wheat.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I’ve had the Bosch as well and didn’t like the middle section either.

[@Gcolorina]

Purchased mine in May 2018. I usually use it for most of my bread. I also have a 6 quart kitchen aid. The ankarsrum is something to learn to use, but I prefer it for my bread

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Thanks for sharing!

[@8080purple]

Thank you so much for this. I wasn’t getting the windowpane in my Ank so I kept going longer but I was so afraid I was going to over knead it. I didn’t get as good of a windowpane as you did so I took it out sooner. I will keep going a little longer next time. Cooking it now to see how it turns out. 😊

[@beckystahl5830]

I've been baking with FMF for the past 2 years and found a slightly used Ank about 6 months in. I usually make 3-4 loaf batches and have better results using less flour to have a very wet dough. My loaves are dense if I use too much flour. I love your channel! Blessings to you and your family!

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Yes, I think the Ank does better with more wet doughs

[@TheCurrierKitchenCollab]

Thank you for the comparison. I usually do small batch dough. For me, the KA Artisan has been fine. When I first started milling, I heard the KA would not work for FMF, so I bought a Nutrimill Artiste, however, it’s still in the box almost 3 years later and I have no issues with my KA. I really think it depends on the quantity of dough that you have. Thank you again 😊.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I do agree.

[@dflor50]

I don’t have an ankarscrum, and I have the same Kitchenaid you have. However, I have a Bosch mixer that I bought in 1998. That’s what I use to knead my dough. It’s still running strong. I don’t desire an ank at all. I love your channel and your bread recipe. It is by far my favorite recipe and I have tried MANY.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Thank you!

[@barb7014]

Thanks for the demo; I would love to see more comparisons. The Ankarsrum is my dream mixer; I love the open bowl. I have a WonderMix I use for my bread dough (got a package deal when ordering my WonderMill). It works very well for our needs. I generally use my KitchenAid for everything else and find it to be a PAIN in the neck to add ingredients while using.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I agree. It is a pain to add ingredients into the kitchenaid while mixing.

[@FoldintheFlour]

I have both Kitchen Aid Heavy Duty 7qt (UK version - not sure what the US equivalent is) and last year I added an Ank to my kitchen. I really like both, but the Ank I have only used for bread so far and it definitely takes getting used to. I make sourdough and tend to do two loaves at a time (1000g flour in total, 400g starter, 650g water). The way I understand it should be used is to put wet ingredients in first (so starter and water) then the flour on top - but all in one go rather than a spoon at a time. I then start it up, using the roller and blade. I do a sort mix to bring it together and normally need to bring the roller into the centre and back a few times to help mix it. Once it looks like a shaggy dough, I stop for it to autolyse for 45 mins, then start to mix properly for 10 minutes - add salt and anything else, like seeds, then give it 5 mins more. I found the best speed is right between the third and fourth setting. I’ve found this method by trial and error, but it seems to work really well for me. I’m just starting my home ground flour journey though and have only tried this once using freshly ground flour - it worked ok but the dough seemed wetter to me. Not sure if this will help you, but I do like the Ank for bread over the kitchenaid 😊

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Thank you for taking the time to help me ☺️. I’ll keep this in mind as I’m still struggling with it 😅

[@Heterotopia1]

So there was some user error with the dough mixing in the Ankarsrum. Once the ingredients all came together, you'll want to set the dough kneading attachment maybe about an inch away from the side of the bowl (or more if you make a bigger batch). At this point, most people mistakenly leave the arm with the kneader attachment loose or set it too close to the side of the bowl. You may also want to set the speed at 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock for bread doughs--it does not need a high speed and it will mix better. Too fast and you end up with the dough balling up and rolling in the bowl but not mixing. It's a learning curve, but once one gets it down, it's a cinch to use. Great video!

[@LizaCogg]

I think for me the commercial kitchen aid will be best, small family and I want to leave it out on the counter so I think kitchen commercial it will be. Thank you so much for doing this!

[@Lovelybellbakes]

My pleasure! Please use my link if you decide to purchase from Amazon! Thank you!

[@nccgolden3626]

Very interesting comparison. Although KA is commercial model I only do small batches. Ank can handle quadruple recipe with no problem I’ve heard. Ankarsrum is gentler on dough And I’ve also heard that often you may not need to use all the flour. Once dough is coming together Ank arm should be adjusted about an inch away from side. Also speed should be 3 o’clock position.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Ok. This is good to know. Thank you!

[@nccgolden3626]

@@Lovelybellbakes I would be interested in results if you use Ank to knead your usual pasta dough if you still need to stop n knead by hand like when you use KA

[@Adrian-ww2jj]

I choose the Ankarsrum because it's very gentle to the dough and because it develops less heat then the hook mixers. My main goal was to make panettone, a very demanding dough, and it succeeded very well. I also experienced that soup like doughs become consistent when I set the speed on 6:00. I also made cookie dough and they were perfect.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Very nice. Thank you for sharing.

[@KatMa664]

It definitely takes longer in the ANK to reach a window pane. Because it’s a very gentle process like hand kneading. But I just walk away and let it go. I set the timer and come back and check it.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I do love the timer feature!

[@lindapeckett4476]

Watching the videos on the ankarsrum you tube channel really helps.

[@b00k_geek]

When I first started making bread I burned out my kitchenaid and that was before I started milling my flour. I now have an ank and there is definitely a learning curve and it won't make dough like a kitchenaid. I have gotten faster results using the dough hook on my ank. But I just kept trying different settings with the roller and depending on the dough I can reach a window pane in 8 to 12 mins. You might want to check out grains in small places, she uses her ank with fresh milled flour.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Yes, thank you. I have seen her review. I did upgrade and got a newer Ank and it’s much better.

[@RookandRabbit]

Helpful comparison. Thanks!

[@troysurrett7317]

I'm about 4:30 into the video, and I think for the kneading at this point you should have removed the scraper and just let the roller do its thing. That would have prevented it from getting stuck. I've found that when you change the dough or the volume, you have to change which tools you're using in it. Yesterday I made a large pullman and 6 hotdog buns all from the same dough. Started with the scraper and the dough hook, but I noticed it was just rotating around the dough hook and not really being effective without prodding. I switched to just the roller alone and I was able to walk away and let it do its thing. Sometimes the best thing is to lock the roller off at the arm's maximum travel and let the dough form a donut around the edge of the bowl.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I’ve considered trying without the scraper. I’ll have to give that a try. Thank you.

[@MikeTrottman]

@@Lovelybellbakes I was wondering the same thing. Have you tried the same size dough without the scraper yet? Also, does the dough hook help?

[@KatMa664]

I had a 600 pro KitchenAid and it was awful with small batches but great with big batches. You can turn your mixer on faster on the.ANK to speed up the time

[@dairbatandon8632]

I have both looks like you may have a bit too much flour. I have done single recipes as well as huge. I found that too much flour is a problem. You said there is a learning curve. But now that I’ve past that I’m not using my KA professional. The anks attachments i have found to be far superior! Be patient i also do an autolyse after the initial mixing for 30 minutes. Seems to make a difference! Don’t give up, it really is a fine machine but very different

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Thank you!

[@Isaiah41_10]

I might be alone here, but I prefer using the dough hook and scraper with my Ank, then I take the scraper off and tighten the hook in the middle of the bowl .

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I’m going to try that!

[@ladyjean2809]

I have the ankarsrum which is fabulous for large batches of dough, its not design for a single batch.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Does your dough get warm with large batches in the Ank?

[@underbaked8689]

Oh yes it is you just don't know how to use it!

[@judystennett6020]

What speed did you knead with the Ankarshrum? I use just past 3 o'clock and usually get windowpane in 6 to 8 minutes.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I had it on 3

[@suemerritt1679]

Great video! Thank you for this...🥰

[@Lovelybellbakes]

My pleasure!

[@KatMa664]

Just leave the ANK alone it will eventually need that dough. Let it spin it’ll eventually push it through. It’s great with small batches.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Ok thank you!

[@underbaked8689]

At last someone with a brain! I agree with you the Ank is just as good with small batches!

[@McMaxW]

You may want to try the Ankarsrum dough hook for small batches.

[@David-gn3vu]

I just killed my kitchenaid artisan with bagel dough. I went beyond the recommended speed 2 and it stripped the worm gear. I'm fixing that myself but hadn't read the manual. After watching all the videos comparing mixers i think I'll get the ingredients incorporated then knead by hand, it's how bread was made before we had outlets on the wall.

[@Inc.Co.]

I think you should've added all the flour earlier in the ankarsrum, when you added that small amount at the end you basically removed all of the friction at the bottom of the bowl. Also, you can lock the kneading roll about 1-3 cm from the edge of the bowl while it's kneading the dough like you did around 10:40.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Ok. Thank you!

[@Ro.Wis.7]

I second this comment!

[@EduardoBaeza-x6t]

The roller in the ANK should be positioned more to the center and tighten. It should bounce so much, that should help it.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Yes ive realized that with this old model i had, the roller arm would not stay in place and would move towards the bowl on its own. I got a new Ank and it does not do that.

[@MsJoannk]

When can I add my cake yeast to the dough? Do I need to proof my cake yeast before adding it to the dough? With yeast breads, I need to proof the yeast prior to adding it to the dough.

[@Lovelybellbakes]

I’m not familiar with cake yeast.

[@CarolynMcKinney]

You usually don't need as much flour in an Ank as you might use otherwise. That last bit of flour that you added wasn't really necessary because the dough was already pulling away from the bowl. This is the best video demonstration on the Ank: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sH6lZXaMfJqZgtU

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Ok. Thank you!

[@speakingconstitution]

I have both mixers also and have yet to try mixing a single batch of bread dough in the Ank. I am also a 99.9% sourdough bread baker & I always rest/autolyse the dough for at least 60 min before adding the levain & salt, mix until fully incorporated, then rest for 15 min before setting the kneading timer to 8 min. Rarely does it need to knead longer than that in the Ank.

[@coletteburgess1942]

Great video!

[@Lovelybellbakes]

Thanks!

[@pjfuscoonthenews1693]

You should really use the Ankarsrum dough hook.

[@Zursen]

I bought this mixer and personally I think it's really bad compared to a spiral mixer or even a kitchen aid. It requires much more work / effort just to achieve the same results as other mixers. It has a powerful motor and it's really durable/looks great. But damn, it really hasn't met my expectations. How do you find it 3 months since you posted this video?

[@Lovelybellbakes]

It certainly doesn’t handle dough as well as a spiral mixer. I find that it needs a lot of babysitting and takes longer to develop gluten. It is a strong mixer and I love the look and the durability but I can’t expect to dump the ingredients in and walk away for a few minutes like I can with other mixers.

[@Zursen]

@@Lovelybellbakes What is it's benefit other than looking good? If another machine requires less attention for the same results at a faster time period with less of a learning curve, I really just feel like I wasted my money on the Ank ;(

[@sandyrichmond2570]

The ankarsrum is expensive but appears to need a lot of attention compared to like the Bosch or the kitchen aid commercial. For me the Ankarsrum is a no go for me.

[@speakingconstitution]

Once you learn where to set the roller in the Ank you can walk away until it’s done. The roller is not supposed to rock back & forth aggressively as it is in this video. Think of the gentle action of hand kneading. The dough should not sling out from the roller but be gently guided by the ‘fingers’ of the roller.

[@MrKakuaa]

Love the knockout competition from Sweden, direct. Kitchen aid becomes sloppy and arrogant in every way. Best example of rabbit and turtle race. Rabbit ( KA ) fall a deep sleep and here we go…. The winner is …😂😂😂 Made in China ( polished way assembled in USA with foreign component ) is costing us in every direction.