Guest Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Hi! I want to make playdough with the children and always follow the same recipie (flour/salt/cream of tartar/water/food colour) but sometimes have sucess but have many times failed and ended up with a sticky mess that wont comes off fingers !! Its nothing to do with how long I'm cooking it for because I can't seem to keep it in the pan for any longer once its come away from the sides. Someone once told me that green food colouring =disaster. Surely this can't be true? As I want the children to see the whole process I'm thinking of doing it in the microwave (its at their level but hob isn't) has any one ever done it like this?? I would really appreciate your help. Thank you in avance (I hope!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 The recipe we use does not need cooking. the hot water is simply added to the other ingredients and mixed together. In this way the children can watch the whole process and participate fully. I will find the recipe and post it here. It always works successfully for us. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Thanks-that'd be great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 I use this recipe all the time to make playdough in the microwave. 2 mugs plain flour 2 mugs salt 4 tsp bicarb soda 3 tsp oil (I have used veg oil or sunflower oil) half a bottle of food colouring 2 mugs water mix all together in large bowl. Put in micro on high for 2 mins - stir. Then in micro for another 2 mins - stir and then a final 2 mins in micro - stir. When you tip it out if it is a bit tacky then put back in micro for a few seconds at a time making sure it isn't sticky. I have also added coca powder (11/2 cups plain flour and half cup cocoa - lovely smell. Other essences can be added before cooking. Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Thanks Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 We've got a recipe in the recipe section here from Catma. It does involve heating it up though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 I always use cream of tartar, does bicarb work? its alot cheaper? and just a few drops of colour! I also have used the microwave to involve the children. I mix all the ingrediants with them before heating and then stir after every minute--takes about 5 mins depending on microwave output! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 The Little Book of Dough has some great recipes too ... (peanut butter dough, custard powder dough, carrot dough and shampoo dough !! ) I have more trouble with blue colouring ending up a bit sticky... will try in the microwave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 You are right, Susan, it's cream of tartar and NOT bicarb of soda I use. Sorry for the 'misinformation' Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 I like bright colours that's why I use half a little bottle of colouring when I want a pale/pastel colour I use less. I hope Zim sees the change of ing. in the recipe. Don't know what will happen if she uses bicarb!! It might make an erupting volcano - now the children might be interested in that!! (K & U) Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Has anyone used baby oil? I always used to, but can't remember why I stopped? Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 having a break from Pudsey, this is the non cooking method we use. 2 cups of flour 1 cup of salt 4 tsps cream of tartar 2 tsps of oil 2 cups of hot water Just mix together and knead until it becomes pliable. We add colourings or smells etc to the basic dough But here's Pudsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 our non cooking method is 2 cups of flour 1 cup of salt colour and water to bind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catma Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 There must be a difference between salt dough, which will set hard and pliable dough which stays soft. Guess it's all those oils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 I use powder paint in mine rather than food colouring. It always gives a really rich colour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 There was an article in EYE a while ago about dough! They suggested using paint as colouring although I think it was ready mixed. I also use tablespoons of oil not teaspoons! Salt dough also lasts a long time if stored in an airtight container and the cooked dough can be cooked to harden too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 sorry, i posted my reply in the wrong area. Could you tell me how to make custard, shampoo and carrot playdough. It sounds interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 Thanks everyone. Gosh it is a good job I read your ammendment to the Cream of Tartar/Soda thing Sue. I usually use CO Tartar but was quite happily going with the CO soda thing (I was quite excited about it too-sad as I am-because its cheaper I think!!) I wonder what would happen....? not sure if I'm willing to volunteer trying!! My problem now is which one to go with....Maybe try a different one each week I've never tried uncooked dough before so that'll be interesting. Do you think my unsucess could have been because I sometimes use SR flour instead of plain ? Would this make a difference? How strange that reen/blue colouring= a sloppy mess, o I'm not the only one who's experiencced that! Love to know the science behind that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 Don't use bicarbonate of soda-it doesn't work!!! I used it once because I didn't have any cream of tartar-the results were very bad!!! And I think that you use SR flour instead of plain could be the reason it doesn't work sometimes Zim-plain flour is needed. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 You're right Linda, whenever I use SR flour the results not the same and when I left out cream of tartar the dough was very sticky. There must be a scientific reason for this but science wasn't my best subject! Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 Nor mine Sue!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 SR flour used in the non cook method given by someone above makes a stretchy dough , can be pulled and stretched very well, we use ink to give colour for really bright colours, or watercolour paints from tubes. we often find this very cheap in packs in poundshops. i have found that yellow paint always left things sticky!! no problem with food colour at any time, even when mixing them to give some wonderful oranges and purples.Is this because when using food colour we always count it as part of the liquid /water we are adding? also using the cheapest flour can cause it to be sticky but that is always a different experience for the children, even if we end up with half of it in the hand washing water. when the children make it measurements are not always as accurate and it never lasts as long... but we do change ours weekly, it gets lots of use. Just be careful with the adding of scents and colours-- chocolate smells wonderful but is very tempting to eat --all that salt not good.. we had one child who always atre it and used clay for a long time instead. (we use clay at least once a week now ) we now always ensure the smell and colour are in no way related to make it less tempting. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 I use powder paint in mine rather than food colouring. It always gives a really rich colour. I presume you mix the powder paint up first do you? Or do you let it mix up by itself with the water added to the ingredients? Sounds a better idea to me than food colouring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Still waiting for someone to tell me how to make carrot, shampoo and custard playdough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Me too, rocket, though I might take myself off into the kitchen to start experimenting in a minute....... Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 we use the chuck-it-all-in-method! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Ah!! You're scientific in your approach, then Mundia, like me Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 We add powder paint to the dry ingredients and mix before adding water - or if you add it later it makes a marbled effect which gets mixed with use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Oh sorry, just to answer rocket then, for carrot dough, you add carrots; for shampo dough you add shampoo; and for custard dough, you add custard powder. does that help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 We make our playdough with the children most weeks. It is about one third salt to flour and as much water as you need. Sometimes the children add more and more water but that is Ok as they get a feel as to how much is too much as time goes on . Also some children do not want playdough they just want a tactile material to play with. At Christmas we add mixed spices to the dough as well as other seasonal things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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