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wrote:
> What I continue to see is that the dough gets to the "Ball stage" and
> then no matter how much flour I add it reverts to what might be called
> the "Pre-ball-stage"; meaning that about 25% of the dough is clinging
> to the dough hook while the remainder is in a level mass clinging to
> the sides of the bowl. The part clinging to the hook rotates around
> while the remaining mass doesn't move very much.

Why do you feel that you have to add more flour? How about follow the
recipe closely (a different one than you tried this time) to see what
happens without second-guessing it. I suggest trying a very basic white
bread recipe and follow it exactly. No additions, no subtractions.

> Tonight I made my standard recipe ("Honey Whole Wheat from Beth
> Hensperger's 'Bread Made Easy' ") and even though I added 40% more
> flour than the recipe called for the situation described above
> occurred. It reached the "Ball Stage" then reverted back to the
> "pre-ball-stage" within about 90 seconds even though I had given the
> first portion of flour about 20 minutes to hydrate. In other words, I
> added enough flour to the liquids to make a very thick paste then left
> it to hydrate for about 20 mins.

Don't do that. Put the dry ingredients into the work bowl and add
liquids to it. If the recipe gives a range of liquid to add, put the
lower figure in. Then do what it tells you to do.

> I'm assuming that in order to properly knead the bread it's important
> for it to be in the form of a ball which is being crushed or squished
> by the hook as it rotates ...

My bread doughs almost never behave so perfectly. There's almost always
a bit of sticking, particularly with the stickier doughs. Read more
about bread doughs. Anything by Maggie Glezer. Carol Field's baking
books. "Bread" by Bernard Dupaigne.

> otherwise there's a danger of a tearing
> action developing if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl while
> the hook is rotating with a small partial doughball clinging to it.

That's not a danger, it's a stage. It sounds like you're getting
"creative" with the recipes. It also sounds like your dough is way too
dry - too much flour.

> I just can't believe that this isn't happening to anyone else. What do
> you do about it?

Has never happened to me. I use a Kitchenaid mixer with dough hook.

> I even tried to add flour to the sides of the bowl in
> an attempt to keep it at the ball stage but when it gets to 40% over
> the recipe I figured I didn't want to go any further.

Try a different recipe from an authoritative source and stick to it.

Pastorio