How to dry large salt dough products. Drying salt dough crafts

I recently found a good article, unfortunately I do not know the author. Salt dough recipes and tips

What do you need to work
For the test General recipe:
Flour - 2 parts,
salt "Extra" - 2 parts,
water (necessarily cold) - 1 part,
plastic bag for storing dough,
There are different recipes for salt dough. For example, in one of them, vegetable oil is added to the dough. However, the products in this case leave greasy prints. Some recipes suggest adding vinyl glue to the dough. With a dough prepared according to this recipe, you need to be very careful, especially if you are working with young children. After all, glue is toxic, and kids love to try everything “by the tooth”. Our recipe consists of 100% sustainable and therefore safe materials.
It should be noted right away that to work with salt dough, you need a certain temperature regime in the room. The optimum air temperature is 20°C. If the temperature is higher, the dough dries out quickly, it is difficult to process and connect parts.
To work with the test you will need:
a jar of water for wetting fingers and brushes,
stacks,
plastic knife,
modeling board,
dough rolling pin,
brushes,
paints,
toothpicks,
garlic (for decoration "hairstyles")
manicure scissors with rounded ends.
You may also need many other useful things, such as cocktail tubes, food foil, transparent pill boxes, beads, black peppercorns, felt-tip pen caps, and more.
First recipe

Wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt "Extra" - 1 cup
Water -3/4 cup
Second recipe

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt - 2 cups
Dry wallpaper paste - 1 spoon
Water - about 1 cup

Pour salt into a wide bowl, add water, then flour. Mix everything well. Or, mix the salt and flour well, gradually adding cold water until a homogeneous mass is obtained. The prepared dough should not stick to your hands or crumble. The dough should be elastic and fairly cool. Put it in a container or plastic bag so it doesn't dry out.
It is undesirable to store the finished dough for a long time, because in this case its original color is lost: it becomes grayish. Although such stale dough can be used to decorate details of clothing or small jewelry.
Tips
If the dough crumbles while kneading, add a little water. If it sticks to your hands - a little flour.
Salt dough, left open, dries very quickly in the air, so keep the container with the dough closed. Put the rest of the unused dough in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for a day or two.
Advice
Do not rush to buy everything at once, for a start, the bare necessities are enough. Gradually, more and more tools and various devices will appear. The most important and main tools will be your skillful hands!

HOW TO DRY A SALT DOUGH CRAFTS

Outdoors at room temperature
You can dry the craft in the open air in a dry place. The thicker the product, the longer it will take. But this method is the most economical.
Air drying is convenient in the summer, for example in the country. However, keep in mind that when air drying, depressions form on the surface of the product that comes into contact with the table.
In the oven (gas or electric stove)
To dry the finished product, carefully, using a wide knife or spatula, transfer it from the work table to a baking sheet sprinkled with flour, being careful not to damage it during transfer.
Dry the craft for two days, first in the open air, then in the oven at a temperature of 50 ° C, gradually raising the temperature, but not higher than 150 ° C. At too high a temperature, the product may swell, sometimes even cracks appear. Swollen crafts cannot be fixed, and cracks are easy to cover up. To do this, dilute a little flour with water, add PVA glue, mix well and apply this mass to the crack, then rub the mixture into it with a stack or finger.
The product must not remain wet. Its readiness is determined by the sound. By tapping the finished product with your finger, you will hear a ringing sound. If the sound is deaf, the product must be dried.
For large items, you can use combined drying: first for several days in the air, then in the oven.
Drying time in the electric stove oven

1 hour - at t 50°С
1-2 hours - at t 75°С
1 hour - at t 100-125°C
0.5 hours - at t 150°C
Larger pieces will take longer to dry.
The time it takes to dry crafts in the oven is difficult to calculate exactly. All ovens are slightly different from each other. Therefore, in order to reduce the frustration of spoiled work, make several samples, for example, make cakes of different thicknesses and dry them in your oven, changing the temperature.
After drying the salt dough figures in the oven, cool them. While the products are hot, they are very fragile, so handle them very carefully.
On the heating battery
This method is very convenient to use in winter, when the central heating radiators are well heated. Place the craft on foil or cloth and leave it on the battery until it dries completely.
Tips
1. In order for the crafts to be well preserved, after they are dried and painted, cover them with a transparent liquid varnish. This will reliably protect them from moisture. If you do not like the mirror shine, then use a matte varnish.
2. It is not recommended to use a microwave oven for drying.
MODELING PRODUCTS FROM SALT DOUGH
It is convenient to connect the parts with a brush and water. Water in this case plays the role of glue. Apply a small amount of water with a brush to the surfaces of the parts to be joined and gently press them together, being careful not to wrinkle. If there is too much water, the dough may spread.
There are several basic modeling techniques. At the heart of the manufacture of almost all elements are a ball and a sausage.
Many different small elements are used to decorate salt dough products: flowers, ribbons, berries, leaves, pigtails, etc.
To make the leaves, you need to roll out the sausage, cut it into identical parts-cylinders, which should then be rolled into a ball. Flatten the ball into a cake and form a leaf with your thumb and forefinger. Veins can be drawn with a toothpick.
Roses can be made from thinly rolled ribbon, carefully wound around a toothpick. In this case, the desired size and shape of the flower is formed.
In the manufacture of figures of people, the basis is a sausage, which must be given a conical shape. To sculpt the head, use a ball of dough of the required size. More complex planar elements or figures are best cut from rolled dough according to a pre-made template.

Taken from the internet.

Salt dough turned out to be a suitable basis for the production of souvenir decorations, panels and wall paintings. The presence of three simple and affordable components: salt, flour and water, is an unsurpassed composition for unusual creative finds. Bringing to life another masterpiece, it becomes necessary to give the product a finished look. Decorate the room with a beautiful picture, give a souvenir to a friend or place it on a shelf or bedside table.

A natural question arises: what to do so that the product does not fall apart and retains its shape for a long time. This process is called drying. How to dehydrate crafts according to the rules?

In vivo

- Place the item in a dry, sunny place. It is good if there is a constant circulation of fresh air.

The dehumidification method is economical, thermal and electrical energy is not wasted. The disadvantage of this method is that canning does not take place immediately, it can take several days. Dryer in electric stove oven.

The course of dehydration is accelerating.

- Place the product in the oven on a metal tray.

Approximate order:

- heating at 75 degrees will allow the work to dry in 2 hours,

- temperature regime of 100-125 degrees - in one hour,

- heating to 150 degrees - in half an hour.

- There is a need to give the creation a brown tint, increase the heating to 200 degrees, continuously maintaining control over conservation. For large items, the drying time increases.

Perform a control measurement of the time and temperature system for drying products in order to avoid marriage. To fashion pancakes of different sizes and perform the entire technological technique.
Before placing the baking sheet in the dryer, cover with foil material, the dough mass will not stick to the form.
Place the tray on top. Dry until a blush appears on the side surface of the product to avoid deformation when removing. Move the chute to the middle of the oven and continue firing to the required condition.
At the right time, turn the sculptures in the dryer for even heating, baking and tinting.
Deformation of products indicates overheating.
Bulges cannot be corrected, cracks can be eliminated with putty from water, flour and PVA glue.
Cool the item. When hot, the product is fragile and requires gentle handling. Use of a gas stove.

The technological operation of drying is accelerated by 2 times.

- First, dry the creative work for about two days in natural conditions,

- Carefully transfer to a metal tray.

- put into the gas chamber.

- start warming up from 50 C, gradually increase the heating to 150 C.

Attention. The oven door must be slightly opened when drying, the closed organization of heating leads to the formation of blisters on the products of creativity. Sample chart:

hour - heating with the door half open,
hour - the door is open for the fourth part,
hour is closed.

To give the object a chocolate color, add gas and do not bring to combustion.

On the registers of the heating system

The indicated method is convenient in the cool period with the beginning of the heating season. Heating registers in the room keep a high temperature.

- Transfer the craft to the matter or wrapper,

- install on the battery,

- let dry

- a significant drawback - cracks may appear.

Complex drying

The option is suitable for drying large and dimensional items.

- Dry in the air for a number of days,

- continue drying in the oven.

Grill drying

Specific heat is produced by thermal ovens, where
it is possible to simultaneously dry and fire the creation. The procedure is carried out under the influence of hot blowing evenly from all sides. The productivity of the operation increases, as it becomes possible to load more trays with goods due to the saving of electrical energy.

At home, the role of drying ovens will be performed by an ordinary grill. The operation of a household appliance does not require as much heat energy as an electric stove.

microwave oven

A microwave oven is not suitable for the role of a drying unit. A strong radiant stream quickly swells the surface layer of objects from the salty mass.

Determining the end of the dehydration process

- Tap on the dried form from all sides with a finger or a stack,

- a dull sound indicates that the model has not dried out, damp areas remain, prolong drying.

- A ringing echo indicates that the dehydration procedure is completed, the plaque is ready for further processing.

Getting brown shades

Forms are completely dry. It is necessary to give the models a brown color or brown:

- put the little thing in a heating cabinet, set the temperature controller to 200 C, start warming up,

- monitor the progress of the staining,

- the operation provided the desired result, finish heating,

— often the surface warms up unevenly. Cover dark spots with aluminum foil, continue heating to the required condition.

Advice. How the craft will look after “tinting”, and how long to prolong the firing, a simple test will help you find out:

- moisten the brush with water and smear the craft on all sides,

- this action imitates varnishing and will show the need to stop the firing procedure or continue to saturate the tonality under the influence of temperature.

Lacquering gives color juiciness.

After drying and painting the creative work, it is necessary to cover it with varnish. The varnish can be colorless or have a matte tint. Which one to use is up to the taste of the manufacturer. Lacquering will protect the work from damage and moisture.
Make a note! If the dough is colored, then dry it without exceeding 125 ° C, since a change in the color of the paint is possible. When adding cocoa bean powder to the dough, the temperature does not significantly affect the color change of the product.
Dry decorative ornaments made of beads, rhinestones, beads, observing the optimal temperature regulation, not exceeding 120 C.

When plasticine did not yet exist, our ancestors came up with a different way by which it is easy to captivate children at their leisure. Homemade dough (only very salted) was used, from which various objects can be sculpted. With proper drying, crafts became hard and retained their shape for longevity. And today such a children's activity is to the liking of not only kids, but also adults, especially since time for business in a pleasant company flies unnoticed.

First step: dough and molding

The proportions of wheat flour and fine salt should be the same, that is, 1:1. The mixture is diluted with a third of water and everything is mixed well. As a result, the dough should be soft and not stick to your hands, otherwise add flour.

Second step: drying

When the formation of the craft is completed, proceed to the drying stage. Here you can use several effective methods, differing only in drying time.

So, the product can be dried by natural air. Leave it in an open area in a dry room without drafts and wait a day, two, three - it all depends on the thickness of the dough, where about 1 mm square dries out per day.

The second most popular method is the oven. It is difficult to calculate the exact drying time in such conditions, since everyone's ovens are different. It is better to use low power, change the level of the oven grate or sheet, and also create ventilation with an open door. It should also be noted that the salt dough product is placed in a cold oven so that the base heats up at the same time as it. Every hour the figure should be turned over, sometimes once is enough.

In winter, heating batteries are useful for drying salt dough. They emit sufficient heat, and a piece of foil or fabric on which the product is located will warn it from contamination.

You can use the combined drying method, when the base is first heated in the oven, then left on the battery. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated.

How to understand that the base is ready

Most often, it is difficult to calculate the total drying time of salt dough. Fingers and hearing come to the rescue. It is necessary to knock on the finished base, if the sound is sonorous, then you can proceed to painting the product. But a muffled knock indicates the dampness of the craft, it is worth continuing the procedure until completely dry.

Fix the result with a colorless varnish - this will increase the service life of the product and keep it from moisture.

Drying is a very important step in the production of salt dough products. Imagine: you conceived and created something wonderful out of it. And suddenly - as a result of hasty or incorrect firing - the product cracked and everything went down the drain! This is a really big disappointment!

Outdoors at room temperature

You can dry the craft in the open air in a dry place. The thicker the product, the longer it will take. But this method is the most economical.

However, keep in mind that when air drying, depressions form on the surface of the product that comes into contact with the table.

When air drying, moisture evaporates slowly, so drying each millimeter of product thickness requires 1 day of drying.

In summer, use the heat of the sun to dry: place the product ready for drying in a place lit by the sun.

Drying time in the electric stove oven

1 hour - at t 50°С
1-2 hours - at t 75°С
1 hour - at t 100-125°C
0.5 hours - at t 150°С

Larger pieces will take longer to dry.

You can also use another calculation formula: the drying time in the oven of an electric stove on a white baking sheet is 1 hour for every 0.5 cm of thickness at a temperature of 75 ° C. Further, regardless of the thickness:
1/2 hour at 100°C
1/2 hour at 125°C
1 hour at 150°C
Browning - at 200°C strictly under supervision!

Note. The black baking tray heats up more strongly and the temperature is reduced by 25°C during all stages of drying.

The time it takes to dry crafts in the oven is difficult to calculate exactly. All ovens are slightly different from each other. Therefore, in order to reduce the frustration of spoiled work, make several samples, for example, make cakes of different thicknesses and dry them in your oven, changing the temperature.

After drying the salt dough figures in the oven, cool them. While the products are hot, they are very fragile, so handle them very carefully.

Drying in the oven first, turn on only the upper fire and dry the product on it until its surface begins to brown. After that, the product is no longer deformed. Then place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. If you want to give the product a beige tint, use the upper fire a little longer.

If a slight bulge appears on the product or the product swells slightly, then the temperature in the oven is too high, in which case cracks may form on the back of the product.
In the oven (gas or electric stove)

It takes half the time to dry the product in a gas stove than in an electric one.

Example. A wreath in an electric stove is dried to readiness in 6 hours, and it takes only 3 hours to dry the same wreath in a gas stove! By slightly opening the oven door, you can adjust the temperature in the gas stove (on the smallest fire):
1 hour - door half open
1 hour - per quarter
1 hour - door closed

To brown the product until brown, add gas and keep an eye on the product so as not to burn it.

To dry the finished product, carefully, using a wide knife or spatula, transfer it from the work table to a baking sheet sprinkled with flour, being careful not to damage it during transfer.

Dry the craft for two days, first in the open air, then in the oven at a temperature of 50 ° C, gradually raising the temperature, but not higher than 150 ° C. At too high a temperature, the product may swell, sometimes even cracks appear. Swollen crafts cannot be fixed, and cracks are easy to cover up. To do this, dilute a little flour with water, add PVA glue, mix well and apply this mass to the crack, then rub the mixture into it with a stack or finger.

The product must not remain wet. Its readiness is determined by the sound. By tapping the finished product with your finger, you will hear a ringing sound. If the sound is deaf, the product must be dried.

For large items, you can use combined drying: first for several days in the air, then in the oven.

Note. If you start drying the product with the oven door closed, then bubbles form on the surface.
On the heating battery

This method is very convenient to use in winter, when the central heating radiators are well heated. Place the craft on foil or cloth and leave it on the battery until it dries completely.
Combined drying

First, the product is air-dried for several days, and then dried in the oven. This method is especially suitable for bulky products, such as wreaths.
Drying with hot air in the grill

Salt dough products can also be dried and fired with hot air in special ovens. The energy consumption in this case will be insignificant, since several baking sheets can be loaded at the same time. The grill is also suitable for drying dough products, especially since it requires less energy than an electric stove.
Microwave

The microwave oven is not suitable for drying salt dough products.

How to determine if products are completely dry

Tap the product with your index finger. If the sound is muffled, then the inside of the model is damp and it needs to be left in the oven for a while. If the sound is sonorous, then the product is dried. If you have already removed the product from the baking sheet, place it on a kitchen mitt and tap on its inside.

Browning

After you have made sure that all products in the oven are completely dry, the temperature in it can be raised to 200 ° C. Do not move away from the oven and watch until the product acquires the desired shade of brown. After varnishing the product, the brown color will be even more saturated. If certain areas of the product become too dark during browning, cover them with aluminum foil while the entire product continues to brown.

Advice. If you are in doubt about how much more you need to fire the product to get the desired color, smear light and dark places with a brush dipped in water, and you will see how the toasted product will look after varnishing.

Tips

1. In order for the crafts to be well preserved, after they are dried and painted, cover them with a transparent liquid varnish. This will reliably protect them from moisture. If you do not like the mirror shine, then use a matte varnish.

2. ATTENTION! Dyed dough products, other than those to which cocoa powder has been added, should be dried at a temperature not exceeding 125 ° C, otherwise their color may change.

HOW TO DRY A CRAFTS FROM SALT DOUGH :)

Outdoors at room temperature

You can dry the craft in the open air in a dry place. The thicker the product, the longer it will take. But this method is the most economical.

However, keep in mind that when air drying, depressions form on the surface of the product that comes into contact with the table.

When air drying, moisture evaporates slowly, so drying each millimeter of product thickness requires 1 day of drying.

In summer, use the heat of the sun to dry: place the product ready for drying in a place lit by the sun.

Drying time in the electric stove oven

1 hour - at t 50°С
1-2 hours - at t 75°С
1 hour - at t 100-125°C
0.5 hours - at t 150°С

Larger pieces will take longer to dry.

1/2 hour at 100°C
1/2 hour at 125°C
1 hour at 150°C
Browning - at 200°C strictly under supervision!
Note. The black baking tray heats up more strongly and the temperature is reduced by 25°C during all stages of drying.

After drying the salt dough figures in the oven, cool them. While the products are hot, they are very fragile, so handle them very carefully.

When drying in the oven, first turn on only the upper fire and dry the product on it until its surface begins to brown. After that, the product is no longer deformed. Then place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. If you want to give the product a beige tint, use the upper fire a little longer.

If a slight bulge appears on the product or the product swells slightly, then the temperature in the oven is too high, in which case cracks may form on the back of the product.

In the oven (gas or electric stove)

It takes half the time to dry the product in a gas stove than in an electric one.

1 hour - door half open
1 hour - per quarter
1 hour - door closed
To brown the product until brown, add gas and keep an eye on the product so as not to burn it.

To dry the finished product, carefully, using a wide knife or spatula, transfer it from the work table to a baking sheet sprinkled with flour, being careful not to damage it during transfer.

For large items, you can use combined drying: first for several days in the air, then in the oven.

Note. If you start drying the product with the oven door closed, then bubbles form on the surface.

On the heating battery

This method is very convenient to use in winter, when the central heating radiators are well heated. Place the craft on foil or cloth and leave it on the battery until it dries completely.

Combined drying

First, the product is air-dried for several days, and then dried in the oven. This method is especially suitable for bulky products, such as wreaths.

Drying with hot air in the grill

Microwave

The microwave oven is not suitable for drying salt dough products.

How to determine if products are completely dry

Browning

2. ATTENTION! Dyed dough products, other than those to which cocoa powder has been added, should be dried at a temperature not exceeding 125 ° C, otherwise their color may change.