I just unboxed, cleaned and setup my new Ankarsrum Assistent, I’m loving the build quality and this gorgeous orange we picked. I can’t wait to try it out. I plan to bake two Hokkaido milk breads tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll have a glowing review and I hope I can learn to use this quickly with tomorrow’s bake. From everything I’ve read, there is a bit of a learning curve if one is used to using a KA mixer which I am. In the meantime here are the photos.
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It finally came, hooray! Such a fresh, vibrant color. Have fun!
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Thank you AG. I’ve already learned that the base of the metal bowl is really solid and doesn’t work well as a Bain Marie for making my tangzhong. I’ll have to go back to just making it a saucepan instead, it’ll mean one more thing to wash.
Benny
The word gorgeous only fits one mixer, an Ankarsrum, a combination of function and artistry. Congratulations, Benny. I’m eager to hear about your experiences as you learn to use it, as well as see your next creations.
Richard
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Thank you Richard, I agree it is pretty easy on the eyes and fortunately doesn’t take up too much counter space (Bosch) and fits under my upper cabinets (KA 600 Pro). I can’t wait to use it today.
I mixed and developed the dough today for the milk breads. It took much longer than I expected, I’m guessing this is that learning curve that they talk about. I tried both the hook and the roller and overall I think the roller is better for this type of bread that isn’t super low hydration. I was able to bassinage some extra milk into the dough since it seemed a bit dry. Adding the butter was slower than the KA mixer with the spiral hook. The butter was definitely room temperature and I added one pat at a time. Perhaps someone who has done this with the Ankarsrum Assistent will offer some advice. I do have to say that adding the stiff sweet starter to all the liquids was much easier than with the KA.
Benny
We had never owned a stand mixer, and I purchased a Bosch as it seemed there was less of a learning curve for a novice at using one. Ian from the other forum owned a Bosch for 10 years until it died, and now has an Ankarsrum. I asked him a couple of questions about using it to mix very wet doughs, etc., and he was very helpful and eager to respond, and is a great guy. Since he’s now used his Ankarsrum for a couple of years, I’d not hesitate to send him a message with any questions. Thanks for sharing your experiences so far.
Richard
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Thanks Richard, Ian has mentioned that I should message him with any questions. I’m going to keep playing with it, I tend to enjoy self teaching through trial and error and then ask questions if I can’t figure it out LOL. I find I learn better this way although it can take longer to learn this way.
Benny
I’m excited to hear about your new mixer journey. It is quite beautiful 
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Thank you Melissa, it should be “interesting” trying to figure out how to make the most of this mixer’s abilities. The first loaves I made, I made two which is rare, turned out well, but the mixing time was crazy long. Now I was switching between the roller and the dough hook so wasted quite a bit of time with that. Then when adding butter, it basically became smeared all over the inside of the bowl so the dough couldn’t grip anything and just stayed on the roller/hook. Next time I add butter to the dough I’ll try what AG suggested and lift a flap of dough and put the butter inside of it.
One of the criteria for the mixer was that it had to be handsome otherwise my husband wouldn’t have given me the go ahead on it LOL. It being available in orange helped seal the deal.
I looked at a few videos and am curious about the roller. They said that the dough hook was only introduced when they made a model for the US, and primarily recommended the roller. Since I’ve only used a dough hook, I’m curious to learn if the roller provides a different tecture of dough.
This probably wouldn’t help, but I tend to dust pats of butter with a little four before introducing them into the bowl so that the dough has something to grab a hold of. I find this helps the butter be incorporated into the dough, but then I use a dough hook rather than a roller.
I have to keep my Bosch out of site as my wife doesn’t want to see it on the counter. Perhaps I should have purchased an Ankarsrum in her favorite color.
Richard
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Interestingly, I’ve only ever used the Ank’s dough hook to make one bread and it was not a low hydration dough. Carol Field’s Ciabatta Polesana, at 97.5% hydration, is more batter than dough. I just couldn’t imagine it coming together with the roller and didn’t even try. I also have trouble imagining something as stiff as, say, a bagel dough wrapping itself around that monstrous dough hook. Never tried, though, so what do I know?
@evnpar it will be interesting to try to figure out. It seems to me most bakers gravitate to either the hook or the roller while fewer use both. I’ve read some suggesting that the hook was better for stiff doughs while other saying that it is best for high hydration doughs. You’ll have to show your wife photos of the Ankarsrum Assistent in a colour that she likes and see what she thinks.
@anothergirl well you know more than I do that’s for sure!
The mixer is gorgeous and is one that I hope to get one day. In the mean time, I just entered the Bosch mixer contest here and perhaps I will be luckily enough to win that one. I am new to bread making but excited to try it all, especially sour dough.
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I hope you get a mixer soon that you’ll enjoy using. I’m away from home and missing my mixer.
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Benny,
I love my Ankarsrum- it has its own little song and dance- literally! I opted for silver and upon arrival immediately wished I’d been more adventurous with color. But I love her and she is amazing!
I like the roller because the dough does not get ‘torn’ - I’ve never even used the hook and Ank only sends the hook in the US kits. Apparently you can get a higher wattage in Europe - similar to our 240V! Electrolux originally developed the machine- and the motor has not changed in all those years- back when ‘made to last’ meant something!
On the butter- I usually am adding butter towards the end of the kneading. I use a triangle shaped cheese slicer similar to this one:
And shave in the butter straight from the fridge. It works quite well.
If you like oats I highly recommend buying the Flaker attachment. I rinse my oats the night before, and leave them in the fridge in a jar overnight. This makes them a bit plump and you ‘help’ them through the attachment but they are beautiful and far superior to the dead ones in the cardboard tubes!
Happy Ank to You! Cheers!
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What a fine idea to shave the butter cold, it will warm up so quickly then and be easy to add to the dough! Glad you also love your Ankarsrum Assistent. I’m still loving mine as well. Silver is also a handsome colour, nothing wrong with that.
Benny
I stand over the mixer and shave it right in. This is just refrigerated butter on the top shelf of the door (warmest spot in fridge). The paper gives you a nice handle and the paper is your ‘measurement’.
Did you decide if you liked the roller?
I was told it mimics the hand. I constantly adjust it as I add flour. I was taught this trick:
Start with the roller at the side
As you add ingredients the dough will begin to rise up the side as the volume increases
Adjust the roller a bit closer to the middle
Repeat until all the ingredients are in
I also will hold the scraper against the wall in higher hydration doughs and use a rubber spatula to quickly separate what is behind or on the side of the scraper back into the dough (with the machine running).
I have found that a brand new rubber spatula is easier for me to use to clean the roller than the white scraper included with the Ank. Here is the one I like:
Vollrath 10" High Heat SoftSpoon
If it gets any nicks in the sides I switch it out for a new one- but as long as it is always placed back in my bread drawers (not regular kitchen drawers and used to scrape down a food processor while blades are inside…) they stay in new condition. I think Amazon sells them at a higher price point.
I use my Ank with the lid as my first rest period. I know this may not be ideal because you cannot measure the height on your container by doing this. But it works for me.
I also use the roller to know when the dough has kneaded enough:
Pull the roller to the center- a point between the scraper on L and wall of Ank on R
As dough is getting ready it will first pull off the wall and scraper and encircle the roller
When it is pulling itself off the roller in the middle as well (so there is a small hollow between roller and dough in addition to the space above) then it is likely ready
This isn’t foolproof but is handy as a gauge. Basically the dough is forming surface tension with itself and this is what you are observing.
I use all freshly milled berries so nearly always require more liquids. I have found the Ank quite capable of taking on small amounts of liquid directly (while running) later into the kneading time. I have found this to be very handy.
And being able to set a timer and walk away to begin clean-up is a super nice feature. As this is my only mixer experience (I never made bread in my KA) I don’t know if this is a feature of the Bosch or other models.
Oh- one last pearl- when tightening or unscrewing the tension on the arm, pull the arm towards you, set the tension, then release the arm to check for position. Repeat to readjust as necessary. This protects the threads from stress and lengthens their life- although the Ank is a tank and could probably do just fine without this precaution, I like to baby my baby!
Happy Baking!
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Those are great tips. I settled early on to using the roller. I tried the hook but didn’t like it. I so the same with a silicone spatula to occasionally clear the bit of dough behind the scraper.
I don’t use the bowl and lid for dough fermentation because it is too tall to fit inside my proofing box. Also releasing a fully fermented dough from such a large bowl I fear would greatly degas the dough.
Overall I couldn’t be happier with my Ankarsrum Assistent.
Benny
Benny, you can’t know true and fulfilling happiness until you give your Ankarsrum Assistent away, especially if it’s orange. I’ll PM you my address.
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