Found a cheap trick for keeping dough from sticking without extra flour

I was sick of my dough turning into a gluey mess every time I added more flour to my board. Last week I tried dampening a cloth and wiping the counter with a thin layer of water instead. It worked like a charm on my sourdough batch at 75% hydration. Has anyone else messed around with water vs flour for sticky dough?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sage12d ago

My 78% hydration rye batch was basically cement until I tried this. Wiped the counter with a wet paper towel, just enough to leave a sheen. Dough slid around like it was on ice. No sticking at all, and way less cleanup than flour bombing the board. Been doing it ever since for anything above 70%.

grant56911d ago

the_sage is onto something here, but I'd add a note of caution for folks new to this technique. A wet paper towel works great for most countertops, but the key is getting the amount of water right too much and you'll end up with a slippery mess that won't hold any shape. For my 75% hydration sourdough, I find a single quick wipe with a damp cloth leaves just enough moisture to keep the dough from grabbing while still letting it form a decent boule.