Dough whisk. What size should I get?

the long handle is the same on both my small and large wisk.  You can grip it down low or up higher, which ever is more comfortable for your hand.  I don't hold it like a spoon, but with my hand in a fist and thumb facing up.  I use both but mostly the large one.  I hardly ever use the small one.  the size is based on the bottom wisking part, small is a smaller circle wisk and large is a larger circle wisk.  I like the large because it reaches into the dough better and you are pressing it on the bottom of the bowl usually while mixing.  the smaller one tends to have the dough come over it and gets dough on the wooden handle.  if you are making one very small batch of dough in a small bowl then the smaller one comes in handy.

I hope this helps..I use mine a lot and like them very much.  They really mix things up quickly and are easily cleaned.  I would say get the large wisk.

Both handles are different in length but the same size where you will be gripping it.

Sylvia

I bought the larger dough whisk through Amazon.com and it works well when I've got the hydration levels right and the morning caffeine is lighting up my brain cells. The whisk itself was shipped through Breadtopia's store and is identical to the whisk in the King Arthur catalog, minus the branding mark.

You might also look at Fantes(http://www.fantes.com The whisks are on http://www.fantes.com/whisks.html).

Their large dough wisk is $6.99 and the small one is $4.99. I don't know if they ship to Canada.

Like SylviaH, I rarely use the small one.

for whipping up english muffins, pancakes, muffins and such.  I almost ordered from KA but read a post here in time to save enough to order both from Breadtopia.  I can't imagine being without them.

Carol

I have ordered a couple of times from Eric at Breadtopia - his prices are good and you can't beat the shipping. I just ordered an oval banneton and a dough scraper from him last week. I ordered it Dec 10 and *may* get by Christmas..but I doubt it. Over the past I've ordered a few items up from the states and they seem to get stuck at customs...I have visions of the customs employees sitting around reading our magazines and trying out or dough whisks before shipping them on to us :)

Let me know how you like that dough whisk - I tossed it around whether to get one or not - I use dollar store silicone spatula - but that dough whisk is supposed to be amazing.

I picked mine up at Sur La Table for $6.99 (still can't believe that price--there) and it is so handy.  I think I have the large one. 

I particularly like it for mixing up no knead doughs like AB in 5.  It's easy to clean and works great.  Wonderful, low tech toy and I think it looks pretty cool, too. 

But only when refreshing my levain.  It's an excellent tool for whipping the water into a froth when adding it to the refreshment, as well as mixing in the flour until the culture is ready for light kneading.

I personally find it's a pain to clean because often I have to use a small brush on the dough that gets caught in between the wires of the smallest loop, and if I miss a speck and it dries, then I have to rummage around for a pointy, sharp object to poke out the tiny blob.

It's also handy for mixing dry ingredients.  I don't use it to mix bread dough because you've got to get your hands in the dough anyway to get to the flour on the bottom, and hands are much easier to wash than that whisk.

I work outside the home nearly 60 hours a week and have two kids at home.  There are simply not enough hours in the day to make bread via "orthodox" methods during the week, though I greatly enjoy it on weekends when there's time!).  So my bread making methods have to be fast and easy during the week, and they may not be the ideal that you are picturing. 

I make a lot of ABin5 type doughs during the week.  These are sticky, icky, gooey puddles of dough when you first mix them.  They are a mess to mix up with a wooden spoon or scraper, half of this highly hydrated dough would end up on my hands if I mixed it with my hands.  A dough whisk cuts through this type of dough "like butter", mixes it quickly and is very easy to clean as almost nothing sticks to it. 

I certainly don't "need" the dough whisk, but I'm sure glad I have it!  I don't "need" my KA mixer for my weekend baking, but I'm sure glad I have that, too!  I love the hands on aspect of bread baking very much, but often have to adapt due to time constraints.  Little gems like a dough whisk make that possible.