wow...nice revived thread!
Couple of questions...
sounds like ya'll are bread people, so I'm sure you can tell me what weight you're using in bread flour...about 30 oz?
boatbum...I was raised an old school bread maker (though rather than for quaint sentimentality, it was more likely that we were just poor), but am trying to use my KA more for bread making...care to post more info on your KA kneading?
I agree that the no knead recipe doen't work so well for sandwiches, but it makes a great bruschetta!
Can't wait to give this recipe a go :)
Sorry for the late reply, I didn't notice the question about the kneading before. I have the tilt head KA with the C shaped dough hook, so I can't comment on the newer spiral hook. Basically, I start off with the paddle and mix the water, sugar, vital wheat gluten and yeast. (the vitamin C in the vital wheat gluten really seems to give the yeast a boost) After it proofs, I mix in the oil, salt and 4 cups of the flour. Mix that on low until it comes together to from a REALLY sticky batter. Then I change out to the dough hook and add one more cup of flour. I'll usually mix this on speed #2 until I see what it's going to do. If the weather is extremely dry, this might be enough. Usually however, it's not, and the dough remains stuck to the side of the bowl. I'll add a quarter cup of flour at a time, kneading a minute or 2 between additions. As soon as it pulls away from the sides/bottom of the bowl, I know I'm there. Then I just let it knead on #2 until it looks satiny, usually around 10-15 minutes. At this point I'll do the "windowpane" or "membrane" test. (tear off a golf ball sized piece of dough and try to make a tiny pizza with it. If it stretches and forms a thin membrane through which you can easily see light, it's done kneading) If it tears too easily, I'll give it another 2 or 3 minutes. Once I get a good membrane I'm done.
On the kneading process. With the C shaped hook, you kinda have to keep an eye on it. Sometimes it will just all climb onto the hook and spin around, accomplishing nothing. When this happens I'll stick a wooden spoon while it's running and ease it off the hook. Or sometimes I'll tilt the head up while it's running and let it fall off the hook into the bowl. Sometimes, like this morning, It actually just kneads itself and I don't need to do anything. Sometimes it'll try to fling globs of dough across the kitchen. Really, it's going to do what it wants and I just need to make sure I'm there to prevent disasters. Kinda like babysitting my niece and nephew.
Long story short, the KA has made me enjoy making bread and improved the final product immeasurably. I was always falling short on the kneading time, ending up with bread flavored bricks. I also can't emphasize enough the importance of bread flour and/or vital wheat gluten or some sort of dough enhancer. They're relatively cheap and will allow the home baker to produce bakery quality bread just about every time.
**One thing I forgot to add, if you live in a city or anywhere that the municipal water treatment uses chlorine,
USE FILTERED OR BOTTLED WATER.
I heard this tip on Alton Brown's show, and the switch made all the difference. Here in DC sometimes the tap water literally smells like pool water, and will kill yeast almost instantly.