How to Fix Sticky Dough? - The Ultimate Guide

Making a perfect dough is more difficult than you think. Not only is it a precise science, but it also requires a great deal of skill. Following the recipe doesn’t have to result in a perfect dough every time.

One of the most frustrating results is that the dough comes out wet and sticky.

So how do you fix sticky dough?

The easiest solution to sticky dough is to add more flour when you knead it. This can be done by dusting the surface with flour or the ball of dough itself. Use small amounts of flour and cover your hands to prevent it from sticking.

In today’s article, we’ll take a look at all the reasons why your dough might be sticky, from incorrect recipe proportions to environmental factors.

This way, you will be able to determine precisely how to fix it. We’ll also talk about the different ways to fix dough, including bread dough, pizza dough, and cookie dough for the best results.

So if your dough has been too sticky lately and you don’t like it that much, read on.

The perfect dough

If you like to make dishes from scratch, be it pizza, pasta, bread or pastries, it is likely that you have already worked with your good dose of dough.

Dough comes in many forms, but they are all made up of three main ingredients: flour, water, and salt.

What makes the different doughs differ greatly from each other is the proportion in which these three main ingredients are used.

For example, a pasta dough requires more flour than a pizza dough, because pasta has to be able to hold its shape during the rolling and cooling process, while pizza dough has to be able to stretch into shape. .

Many doughs also contain yeast or some other type of leavening agent, such as baking powder and baking soda. When working with yeast, it is often necessary to add a small amount of sugar to activate it.

Other additional ingredients that play important roles in doughs are oil, eggs, and milk. These ingredients help enrich the dough and add flavor and color.

When it comes to making the perfect dough, regardless of the type, there are a series of rules that must be followed.

The two crucial rules that apply are the proportions of the ingredients and the method of mixing. These have a direct effect on the resulting dough consistency and ultimately what you have to do to save it.

Why does the dough stick to me?

There are a few reasons why your dough might be sticky, and we’ll cover all of them to help you figure out which one applies to your problem.

This is what may have gone wrong:

• Incorrect ratio of wet and dry ingredients
• Type of flour used
• Environmental factors such as humidity
• insufficient mixing

We’ll go over each of these situations below so that you can not only fix your dough this time, but also avoid the problem next time.

1. Recipe proportions

Baking is a science, and therefore freehand measurements are not going to do the trick.

Today, many dough recipes contain too much liquid, be it in the form of water, milk, eggs, or oil. Too much water will prevent the flour from absorbing all of it, resulting in a soggy dough.

A perfect way to know if the proportions in your recipe are correct is to see what the ratio is between the dry and wet ingredients.

Typically, ratios will be around 1 part wet to 3 parts dry. Some recipes differ and contain a lot of water, but very specific methods and strict steps help ensure that the dough comes out soft, not wet.

Great examples of this type of “wet dough” are ciabattas and sourdoughs, but more on their specific consistencies later.

If you’re not baking these moister doughs and your recipe continues to include a lot more liquid, this may be a clue that your dough is headed for a sad, sticky end.

2. Type of flour

Certain types of flour have a higher percentage absorption than others. This is a fancy term that basically means that some flours can absorb and retain more water than others.

They are usually flours with high protein content. High protein flours are flours with higher gluten content and can form stronger bonds.

Bread flour is the quintessential example of a flour rich in protein and gluten. It has the ability to absorb much more water compared to a low protein flour like pastry flour.

Because the dough can absorb more water, it can be worked for longer, becomes more flexible, and ultimately results in a smooth, workable dough.

Stone-ground flour absorbs less water than mechanically-ground types, because stone-ground flour has a much coarser texture and therefore less surface area.

The wrong flour can end up not absorbing as much of your wet ingredients, leaving you with the consequences.

3. Environmental factors

Another common reason for the dough to be sticky can be in the recipe itself. Don’t get us wrong; We’re not calling your grandmother a terrible baker. We are sure that her dough recipe is downright delicious.

What we’re saying is that people who write recipes don’t usually take into account that everyone’s kitchen is different, and that your oven may be a few degrees away from your grandmother’s, your air may be more humid, etc. .

Believe it or not, different geographic locations make it much more difficult to make certain recipes, especially ones that call for precise proportions and conditions.

Macarons are the perfect example of this. Macarons are made with a dough, not a paste, but this principle still applies to them.

To make macarons, extremely specific ratios of wet and dry ingredients are needed to achieve the perfect internal and external structure. This proportion is usually altered by humidity (air humidity).

The higher the humidity, the more moisture the almond flour absorbs from the air. This is why you often hear people complain that they have followed the recipe precisely and still failed.

Although the dough doesn’t have to fail completely, when compared to a perfect loaf, there will be quite significant differences in consistency.

When making a dough in an area with high humidity, your flour may already absorb some water before you’ve added your own. This means that it will “fill up” much faster, and excess water will not be absorbed.

4. Mix little

This one may seem ridiculous, but we come across it all too often. We constantly hear, “I’ve been kneading for a whole 5 minutes and my dough is still too wet!”

Well, that’s because the dough doesn’t have a specific amount of kneading time. Sure, many recipes have ballpark estimates, but every time you make the dough, the conditions differ.

The dough must be kneaded until it has a smooth surface that springs back to the touch. This can be checked by shaping the dough into a circle and making a shallow indentation with your finger. The slit should return to its original shape.

Don’t worry if the dough is still too moist; just knead it until it reaches that smooth, pliable consistency.

How to fix sticky bread dough

Moist bread dough is one of the most difficult to work with. This is because bread often requires some form of shaping, which is incredibly difficult if you don’t have something that’s easily shapeable.

There are different stages in which a moist bread dough can be fixed.

The first is during the initial mixing period. Do not add all the liquid at once. Instead, add about 60% of the total water content, mix, then slowly add more if needed.

This is an especially useful method to compensate for places with high humidity.

If your dough is still too wet, you can try incorporating flour during the first kneading. When you start to knead, be sure to dust the entire kneading surface with flour.

You should also dust your hands, and if you work with a very wet dough, sprinkle more on the dough itself.

Start kneading, gradually adding more flour until the dough has reached a nice, workable consistency.

Once she undergoes her first test, it may only be then that you realize that she is still too wet. Simply pat (gently push the dough with your fingertips instead of kneading) the dough and slowly fold in some flour.

After the second proof, there isn’t much that can be done to make the dough less wet. It is best to simply shape the dough and bake it.

But luckily, in the case of bread, a moist dough isn’t necessarily a bad dough, but you can still have bread that tastes fantastic and has a wonderfully moist texture.

How to fix wet sourdough

Sourdough is one of the few breads that require a very high moisture content, but sometimes the dough still comes out too wet.

The best solution is to experiment and take notes. Sourdough is not an easy and simple bread to make, and many experts continue to struggle to always achieve the perfect results.

Try retaining a little water (about ¼ cup) to start. Try the recipe this way and record the results.

It’s very hard to tell if your sourdough is too wet until you’ve gone through almost every step, and by then it’s too late to fix it.

How to fix sticky pizza dough

Pizza dough is very similar to bread dough and follows many of the same rules. Pizza dough should also generally have a very smooth, even consistency that bounces to the touch.

Pizza dough is generally a bit moister and more pliable than most bread doughs. Before you panic over soggy pizza dough, knead it for 10-15 minutes depending on the size.

If your dough hasn’t formed a smooth ball yet, or if it’s still excessively wet, you can try adding more flour during the kneading process.

A big risk in adding flour after you’ve kneaded for a long time is overworking the dough. That’s why it’s important to have a recipe from a reliable source or at least make notes for next time.

How to fix sticky cookie dough

Cookie dough is an extremely frustrating dough to fix. The consistency changes as you work with it, and sometimes you don’t notice excess moisture until after you’ve baked them and they’re flat.

If you clearly see that the dough is too wet, do not add more sugar. We don’t know why, but people always pick dry ingredients that don’t work as binding ingredients.

The sugar is a sweetener, the baking powder is a leavening agent, and the salt is a flavor enhancer; the most important function of these ingredients is not to bind the ingredients together.

Adding these ingredients will only alter the flavor and texture for the worse.

If the cookie dough is too wet, just add more flour, the same as the recipe originally called for, usually all-purpose, bread, or cake flour.

You can also reduce some of the wet ingredients from the beginning, or the next time you make the recipe.

How to roll out sticky dough

Since there are many different types of dough, they require different handling techniques.

If you have a very sticky dough that needs to be rolled out, like a pizza dough, for example, it is best to cover the surface and the rolling pin with a little flour, the same type that is used to make the dough.

You will see that once you add flour and roll, the dough sticks together again. You will need to constantly lift the dough and add more flour, turning the dough after each lift.

This will ensure that both sides are covered in flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the pin or surface.

Some masses can be placed on a non-stick sheet or wax, baking or parchment paper. Place another non-stick sheet over the dough and roll it out with the rolling pin.

But be careful with this method, as some batters, especially very wet ones, will still stick to the paper and make an even worse mess when you try to peel them off.

You can try spraying the surface of the paper with non-stick cooking spray, or lightly brushing the surface with oil, however these can end up seeping into the batter and making matters worse.

How to handle sticky dough

We’ve already covered how to roll out sticky dough, but let’s also look at how to manipulate sticky dough: picking it up, moving it, or shaping it to fit the desired mold.

It is highly recommended to use flour to facilitate handling, especially if the dough is moist.

Coat all surfaces in flour, including any equipment you need to use - this also means coating your hands.

When you lift the dough, make sure you do it with quick, smooth, and safe movements. This means that when you stretch the dough, do it intentionally and without hesitation, but without damaging it.

Sometimes you only realize that the dough is too wet when it has already gone through its first proof.

The best way to save the dough is to re-knead it. This basically means that instead of kneading it again, you gently push the dough down with your fingertips.

As you press, slowly incorporate a little flour into the process so the dough can absorb it.