Best Playdough Recipe Ever
“Don’t reinvent the wheel, just realign it.”
I was a teacher for 3 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom and learned a few tricks along the way. A sure-fire hit in my classroom was homemade playdough, which I now make for my daughters preschool class every week. Believe me when I say I have tried a plethora of playdough recipes. Everything from cooked, to no cook, to some combination of the two. I've done the research so you don't have to! The following recipe is hands down the best I have ever tried. I have had teachers from other classrooms call to ask for this recipe because it is that good. It creates a moist but not sticky dough that lasts a long time. Perfect for creative play as well as educational activities!
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp alum powder
- 1/3 cup salt
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- Food colouring (optional)
- Sparkles (optional)
- Scent/Essential Oil (optional)
How To:
Note: I always double the recipe.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk them together.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add your combined dry ingredients to the pan.
- Add the water immediately to the dry ingredients.
- If you plan on adding food colouring, add it to the water now. This makes the incorporation process much easier.
- Cook the ingredients on a medium heat, mixing continuously.
- Mix until a dough forms.
- Do not overcook the dough or it will dry out and will not last as long.
- Do not undercook the dough or it will be too sticky.
- The dough should just form and have all of the visible water evaporated out.
- Cook times will vary depending on stoves, humidity, and ratios used so don't go by timing but rather by look and feel.
- Turn dough out onto waxed paper.
- Add any sparkles or scents now.
- Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes to activate the gluten.
- This gives your playdough the elastic feel and is essential to creating good dough.
- Store in an airtight container or Ziplock baggy.
