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Why is the dough climbing up the dough hook?

Frustrated by dough climing up the dough hook in your mixer? If you are experiencing this baking problem, then take a look at our troubleshooting tips...

When you're kneading bread dough, you may sometimes find that the dough seems to 'climb up' the hook accessory. If you are encountering this problem, here are some ideas:

Are you kneading for too long?

Kneading bread in a KitchenAid mixer for just 2 minutes is equivalent to kneading by hand for 10-12 minutes — thanks to the highly effective planetary action of the mixer. This means that you may need to reduce your favourite recipe's mixing and kneading times.

When the dough climbs up the hook, this is typically an indication that the kneading process is complete. A sticky dough will tend to climb the dough hook, and may even climb over the collar of the dough hook. Note that dough that contains eggs tends to be stickier and so climb the hook more easily. Most specialty grains, especially rye flour, form a sticky dough and will climb the hook more than white flour dough.

Are you using the right speed?

Speed 2 is the only speed that should be used for kneading.

Extra tips for kneading dough:

  • Adding a little more flour (1 tablespoon at a time) will help the dough not to climb the hook as much.

  • It's important to realise, however, that some dough will have a stickier consistency, so don't try to overcompensate with additional flour because it will make the bread too dry.

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