As a baker who specialized in cakes and other sweet desserts, I have a lot of admiration for bread makers since it is a huge commitment.

I recall being somewhat scared by the prospect of cooking bread. With just one error, you might wind up with dough that looks nothing like the recipes.

If your bread dough is sticking more than normal, just sprinkle it with additional flour, moisten your hands, use a scraper, and continue kneading until it reaches an usable consistency. These tactics have spared far too many of my brain cells from death as a result of anxiety.

My name is Angie. I’ve been baking for over a decade. In this post, I’ll teach you how to treat bread dough that has become too sticky after rising, so you can rescue your dough instead of being terrified by it!

Bready, get ready to go!

Things to Consider

A few things to consider before attempting to handle your sticky dough.

What kind of bread are you making?

Before you worry and seek up how to make your dough less sticky, I recommend that you check up how this particular sort of dough should appear. This is also why I prefer recipes with video instructions, since I can see precisely what to look for after each step.

A high hydration dough is used to make breads such as baguettes, ciabattas, focaccias, and sourdoughs. With a water content of roughly 80%, the dough is supposed to be moist. If this is the case, you may chillax and work with the dough without adding any further ingredients.

Have you given your dough enough time to knead?

It is vital to knead your dough once it has risen, regardless of its texture. All dough starts off looking a little rough, with pores all over it. It will take some kneading to smooth out and properly include all of the components in your dough.

Only if your dough is so moist that it can’t be handled, or if it’s taking a long time to acquire the proper firmness, should you consider the following approaches.

When in doubt, consult photographs and rely on your baker’s sense.

How to Handle Sticky Bread Dough?

Here are four suggestions for dealing with sticky bread dough.

Tip #1: Dust of flour

Set aside a little amount of flour on the perimeter of the kneading surface for convenient access. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough. For a more equal coating, use a sieve or a flour sifter to disburse your flour. Begin kneading the dough and sprinkle flour on the area you’re working on to keep it from sticking.

As your dough gets sticky again, add additional flour gradually to absorb the excess moisture. Try to go carefully and not to add too much flour all at once. I suggest taking it one teaspoon at a time. Before adding extra flour, make sure it’s properly combined.

Tip #2: Wet your hands

Doesn’t it seem a little counterintuitive? But, just soaking our hands may help to keep the dough from adhering to our hands, making it simpler to form and knead. We’re effectively putting a barrier between our hands and the dough.

Some people advocate adding oil, but I would only do so if you’re dealing with enriched dough. Since lean dough has little to no fat, adding oil might change the texture.

You only have to be careful not to add too much water since it will seep into your dough and making it more wetter.

Tip #3: Use a scraper 

Try using a dough scraper if your dough is so sticky that you can’t even remove it off your desk without it breaking and leaving residue on your fingertips.

Dough scrapers are available in a variety of materials. I use a plastic one since it can also serve as an icing smoother for my cakes.

You can quickly scrape your dough off using a dough scraper, leaving no residue behind, and it will also make cleaning up much faster. You may also use your scraper to shape, spin, flip, and fold the dough.

Tip #4: Just keep kneading

You may combine this with any of the ways mentioned above. As I already said, it’s dough, and it’ll require kneading regardless, so just keep going. I know it may be a workout! Nonetheless, the initial moisture will be equally dispersed throughout the dough and absorbed by the flour throughout the kneading phase.

As you continue to knead the dough, the gluten that forms in it will expand, making the dough smoother in appearance. Kneading is required for most breads, regardless of how moist the dough is, so get those biceps ready and knead away.

Just a little remark before I depart, in case you got a bit too enthusiastic there. Do not overwork your dough!

It should just take five to six minutes to smooth up the dough. Kneading your dough for far longer than that can result in it ripping easily and becoming excessively thick and stiff.

Conclusion

Making bread is full of surprises. Learning to adapt to the surprises and spontaneity of bread is an important part of being a competent baker. Understanding how to work with sticky dough is a terrific place to start.

I hope this post was helpful, and do let me know if you have any questions about working with sticky bread dough.

Angie’s Bio