While most mixers sold today come with several different attachments including dough hooks, it is a mistake to think that means any mixer will work as a dough mixer. Most bread recipes as well as many cookie recipes have a much greater quantity of dry ingredients than wet ingredients which makes the dough very thick and quite difficult to mix unless you have a mixer that has a very powerful motor.

Years ago, bread was always homemade and the process of mixing the ingredients and kneading the dough was all done by hand. Once bread became readily available from grocery stores, bread making became a chore that many women chose to give up. Several years ago bread machines that made the task of baking bread at home much easier became popular. Their popularity created a new interest in bread baking.

Mixing together the ingredients for most recipes requires the use of a mixer and for most recipes almost any stand or even hand held mixer will do the job. When it comes to the task of making bread and mixing dough, only a bread machine or one of the toughest mixers will work.

If you have ever tried to mix bread dough with a mixer that has a small less powerful motor, you know exactly what I am talking about. Trying to use a mixer that is not designed for such a tough job will only lead to a mess, frustration and many times a mixer with a burnt out motor.

A bread machine is designed as an appliance to mix, knead and bake bread. It can however, be used to mix and knead the dough for bread that will be baked in your oven instead of in the bread machine.

The main drawback of using a bread machine as a dough mixer is the limited quantity of dough that can be mixed at one time and bread machines are somewhat more difficult to clean than a standard mixing bowl and dough hooks.

As mentioned earlier not all standard kitchen mixers are suitable for the job of mixing stiff dough. Excess heat damages any type of motor and trying to use a mixer with a less powerful motor for heavy duty mixing will quickly heat up the motor and eventually if not immediately cause it to burn out. Save that mixer for easier mixing jobs and look for a good quality mixer for mixing and kneading bread, pizza or other stiff dough.

In my research I found several brands of home dough mixers that will do the job. The following are three of the most recommended.

KitchenAid Dough Mixers

While many people consider KitchenAid mixers to be top of the line, when using as a dough mixer only the Professional 600 series were recommended. Even with the Pro 600, the owner's of these mixers cautioned that you should cut the KIchenAid "Flour Power" rating in half when using whole wheat flour or risk overheating the motor.

Viking Dough MIxers

The Viking 7 quart stand mixer comes highly recommended by several owner's as tough enough to handle any mixing job you can throw at it.

DLX (Electrolux) Dough Mixers

The Electrolux 8 quart stand mixer was the highest recommended of all the kitchen dough mixers reviewed. This mixer is very different from the other stand mixers in several ways. It uses a unique roller action for mixing that works great for kneading bread dough. There is no mixing head to get in your way as you add ingredients to the mixing bowl. This mixer combines the ease of use of the bread machines along with the ease of cleanup of standard stand mixers.

If a professional dough mixer is what you are looking for you don't have to look any further than the Hobart line of commercial mixers.

Hobart has a seventy five year history of manufacturing quality, reliable professional kitchen equipment and appliances.

Hobart mixers are available in several sizes from a small 5 quart tabletop model to the huge floor mixers with capacities up to 140 quarts.