Mixer

For most people, kneading by hand is part of the fun and therapy of bread making. Still, if you have a powerful mixer, there’s no reason you shouldn’t break out its dough hook – it’ll be particularly handy for high-hydration doughs like focaccia and ciabatta. With a few exceptions who feel that “made by hand” should include mixing and kneading, almost all professional bakers use a dough mixer. A word of warning, many domestic food mixers aren’t suitable for bread making and you risk burning out the motor.