How to Make Playdough Harden
Your play dough creation can be kept for years if hardened properly. But most of the Doh brand cracks down when it hardens up. Well, that’s the unfortunate part of playing with the dough. Don’t worry; we won’t let your beautiful creation be wasted. We have got some tricks with which you can harden your creation without cracking it a bit. So, let’s see how to make playdough harden with some simple methods.
Summary: Harden playdough by combining equal parts flour and water. Mix until the dough is a smooth, slightly sticky ball. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the dough into small pieces and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow the playdough to cool before using it.
Things You Will Need
- Aluminum foil
- Baking Sheet
- Waterproof varnish
- Paintbrush
Step by Step Guide: How to Make Playdough Harden
Step 1: Oven-dry Your Playdough
First of all, you will have to oven-dry your playdough. So, set the temperature of your oven to 200 F and let it preheat. Once it becomes preheated, cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set the playdough in a single layer on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake it for about 30 minutes.
If your playdough is thicker than 1 inch, you might have to keep it in the oven for an hour. The goal of this part is to dry out all of the moisture of the playdough so that it can later absorb some more moisture and become hard.
Step 2: Place It in the Middle of the Sheet
First, you need to make sure your play dough is in the middle of the baking sheet. Then, you need to put the baking sheet inside the oven and let the play dough harden for 2-3 hours.
You can experiment with different temperature settings and times if you do not like this duration; these are just guidelines. If you see your playdough getting too dried out or browning, then remove it from the oven as soon as possible.
Step 3: Pull Out the Moisture
After you finish making your playdough, you need to let it bake for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help make your playdough harder. You can check the texture of your playdough to see if it is hard enough after it has baked for the specified amount of time.
Step 4: Cool It in the Oven
Make sure to turn your oven off when the timer goes off. Do not open the door or remove the baking sheet from the oven. Even if the playdough seems done, keep it in the oven overnight. This will make sure that the playdough is completely dried out.
Step 5: Remove it from the Baking Sheet
Remove the sheet and carefully peel off your plastic play dough. This part can be tricky because you do not want to crack or damage your playdough while trying to remove it, so make sure to take the baking sheet away from your playdough slowly.
Step 6: Add Color or Scent to Your Play Dough
Now, you can add color to the play dough if desired. You can also add scents if it is being stored in an airtight container. This will prevent it from drying out and becoming hard again.
Step 7: Use Brush to Clean Dry Dough
Ensure that you do not put the baking sheet in the sink because it will crack. Instead, use a brush to clean all dry dough off of your baking sheet and into a trash bin. This part can be tricky, too, so make sure to hold on tight to your playdough throughout this entire process.
Step 8: Set Your Playdough to Dry
Last, set your playdough aside and allow it to rest for at least 24 hours. You can then use it as you please after this period has passed. This will give the dryness time to dissipate, and your playdough will be ready again to play with.
That’s it! You now know how to make playdough harder and be able to store it for much longer.
Some Helpful Tips and Suggestions:
1. Adding too much cornstarch will make the dough dry and cracked after it is played with. We recommend that you add about 1 cup (150g) while mixing to avoid this problem.
2. If you are making large batches, we suggest you start adding the cornstarch halfway through the mixing process to best distribute the amount in the entire batch.
3. You can use another flour instead of cornstarch, but it will change its texture and smell. For example, Take 2 cups (260g) of all-purpose flour instead of 1 cup (150g) of cornstarch.
4. The dough needs to be kneaded for at least 10 minutes, so the dough’s chemicals can fully interact to make it firmer. So try not to get lazy about that!
5. You can store your playdough in an airtight container for four months without changing its texture or smell. Just make sure you store it in a cool place away from heat sources.
6. We suggest that you make large batches (3-5 cups) simultaneously, so it’s ready to be played with when your children are itching to play!
Things You Should Consider When Making Playdough Harden:
1. If you plan to store the playdough for a while, use less water in your recipe. It will dry out faster that way.
2. You can add more air to playdough by mixing it longer after all ingredients have been added together. However, this will result in little bumps being formed on the playdough’s surface, which looks like it has spiderwebs.
3. You can add more flour to playdough when you discover that the playdough is getting sticky and moist again after a few hours or so of being left alone without children playing with it. However, this will result in a harder type of playdough which is not as good as the original.
4. Once you have made playdough from this recipe, it is impossible to revert to the original playdough recipe without losing the properties of this modified playdough. You may not be able to re-activate yeast if you have added an excessive amount of flour after making this playdough with yeast as an ingredient.
5. The longer you mix the ingredients, the harder your dough will become over time.
6. If you use too much flour, your playdough will become harder after being left overnight or for longer. This is because excess flour tends to absorb moisture from the air if it has been exposed inside an enclosed space for a long time, resulting in tougher play dough.
How Long Does It Take For Playdough To Harden?
It takes about 24 hours for playdough to become hard or more firm after you have made it. A good way of testing if the texture is right is by making a ball out of the dough using your hands and leaving it on the table overnight without touching it. If the playdough cracks after being left alone for a few hours, it has sufficiently dried out, giving it enough time to be stored for future use.
If you touch the playdough and discover that it is still slightly moist or sticky, you will need to wait longer to dry out before storing it. Remember not to leave the dough for too long as the moisture may evaporate entirely and the chemicals will not be able to interact with each other to form a polymer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Bake Play Doh to Harden It?
Yes, you can bake Play-Doh to harden it. You can also use other substances like cornstarch or flour to make the dough harder as well.
First, make a batch of Play-Doh and add one tablespoon of cornstarch to it. Stir in the cornstarch until it is fully mixed in with the Play-Doh and then put it into an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. After that time has passed, turn off the oven and let the Play-Doh cool down inside before taking it out.
Can You Put Playdough in the Microwave to Harden?
No, you cannot put playdough in the microwave to harden. There are many reasons why this is not possible:
1. Playdough is made of flour and water, which are both liquids that will turn into steam when heated in a microwave oven.
2. The temperature of a microwave oven does not go high enough to harden the playdough (microwaves operate at a frequency that allows water molecules to rotate freely).
3. If you were able to cook playdough in the microwave, it would likely be cooked unevenly, which could cause damage or make it unsafe for children who eat it.
What Happens When You Put Playdough in the Freezer?
When you put Playdough in the freezer, it becomes a different texture. It is not as squishy and firm. It can be a bit more difficult to knead the dough when it has been frozen because of this change in texture.
Can You Reheat Play Doh?
No, you cannot reheat Play-Doh. This is because it will harden and lose its shape. Play-Doh should be kept in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
Can Homemade Playdough Be Frozen?
Yes, homemade playdough can be frozen. It is always best to store homemade playdough in an airtight container or bag so that it does not dry out and become sticky. You can also freeze individual batches of the dough for future use as well.
Final Thoughts:
The following ingredients should be mixed in a bowl before adding it to the playdough mixture. Be sure not to add too much flour or salt because this will make the dough tough and dry instead of soft and pliable. Finally, knead your mixture for at least five minutes until thoroughly combined.
This may take some time, but you’ll know when it’s done because the playdough will become smooth like clay! You can also use any online tool that helps determine if your batch of playdough has been made correctly by using simple items. We hope this blog post on how to make playdough harden has been helpful. If you have any questions or want to know more, then feel free to comment below!
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