The Fork Mixer

Commonly used in Europe mainly, France and Italy, the Fork Mixer is one of those special equipment most bakers would dream of having in their kitchen for the many advantages and features it has but before I continue about its many features let me properly define the Fork Mixer.

The Fork Mixer is a special type of mixer that is designed to avoid your dough heating up during the mixing process. A Fork Mixer has a free spinning bowl and a two-pronged agitator that can run at both slow, and fast speed. It is gentle on dough as it mixes, but the mix times are longer when compared to a spiral mixer. They have a very gentle form of mixing that produces minimal friction and heat input into the dough. This will result in a higher quality dough that is not heated.

As a result of its design the Fork Mixer simulates the movement of human hands, ensuring a natural leavening process without artificially warming the dough. Again, these very gentle forms of mixing allow for longer mixing times to reach maximum dough development without the risk of over mixing. Fork Mixers have a wider range of acceptable hydration than diving arm mixers, although they are more commonly used with higher-hydration doughs.