How to care for your magical dough
Your dough is all natural! The salt is a preservative, and the dough lasts a very long time if cared for properly. We've seen dough last over a year but we recommend switching out your dough about every 6 months for the best sensory experience.
Play often:
Dough that's played with often will last much longer because all of the ingredients are being mixed around, which helps keep the important ingredients working together to keep the right consistency. Dough that's neglected might "settle" where heavier ingredients eventually make their way down and oils make their way up. Once kneaded, it should be back to normal, but it's better to play often.
Clean Hands:
Wash and thoroughly dry your hands before playing. This helps keep bacteria out of the dough so it doesn't got bad. If you forget to wash your hands before playing, that's ok! Clean hands is just an extra precaution. Do not play while eating, we don't want food particles to get in the dough and cause mold or bacteria. Did you know you can put sanitizer in your dough? Knead in a squirt or 2 if you are worried about getting germs in your dough.
What if I leave my dough out and it gets super crusty?
If you accidentally leave your dough out for a few hours (or overnight) you may come back to a crusty looking piece of dough. There's nothing wrong with your dough, its just the salt crystallizing on the surface where the water in the recipe has evaporated. Leave it as is (don't try to knead it), get a wet paper towel, wrap the crusty dough in the paper towel and put it back in the jar (or in a sealed baggie) and leave it overnight. When you come back to it the next day, the paper towel should be dry and the crust should be softened. If there's still crust, repeat the process. Once you have softened the crust, you can knead your dough and bring it back to life. There might be a few crusty pieces left, which you can just pick out or leave as is and allow time for it to dissolve back in. See the Dough Care highlight in our Instagram stories for a video: @thedoughhouse_brentwood