The Big Dough Clear-up

[bigbrowncow]

Like many others on the forum I am having a wonderful time learning about and experimenting with sourdough.

I think its time we talked about how to clean up our bready experiments. I'm making another batch this weekend. I'm slowly learning not to put the mixing bowls in the dishwasher as the dough bakes on and can only be slowly chipped off with a knife later on. I've tried soaking dirty bowls and spoons in cold water and that's just made a bigger wet doughy mess which I'm sure is sitting in the drain and plotting its revenge.

My hands are covered in bits of scaly dry dough. All the cloths are dirty. The sink is full. I've tried using paper towels, rubber spatulas, metal spoons, cold water, hot water.

Please give me your dough cleaning tips before the sticky glutenous mess takes over the kitchen and then the house!

Steve

[rooftop1000]

Forget it your beat. It takes over mind, body, and kitchen.

Whatever you do ....dont bag some starter up in the trash can where your new dog might tip it over and smear it into the carpets across three rooms.

tracey

[jackal10]

Its a real problem.

Things I've found help:

- lots of hot water and a high pressure jet. Dough gets stiffer cold

- Hands, if you dont suffer from dermatitis, otherwise gloves or a rubber spatula. Balled up clingfilm also works for some, or keep a dishcloth or a green scratchy just for dough, and throw it when it gets too bad

- Wash up immediately rather than letting the dough harden

- Check the drain traps

[SethG]

I find soaking bowls in hot soapy water gets the stuff off-- and the sooner you soak, the better.

Do not ruin your towels and sponges by using them to clean bits of dough off your work surfaces. Instead use a bench scraper to just scrape the bits off.

[andiesenji]

If the stuff is really sticky, I toss in some more flour and scrape with a stiff plastic scraper, one end flat, the other end curved so it will fit a bowl. The flour keeps the dough from re-sticking to the sides and bottom of the bowl. I scrape out as much as I can then put the bowl under running cold water, scrape the final bits out with a plastic mesh scrubber.

I often use a wooden dough trough for very slack doughs, including sourdough. Again, I use the plastic scraper to remove as much of the sticky dough as possible, then just let the remainder dry.

Because the dough trough has been treated with oil for so many years, the remaining stuff simply flakes off after it is completely dry. Occasionally I may have to hit a spot or two with a dry scrubber, scrape it again, then I wipe the trough out, re-oil it and hang it up.

Before I use it the next time, I always wipe it vigorously with a wad of paper towels.

I have this type.

And these, the top two plus the one at the bottom.

I also have several of the metal ones with the wood handles, but mine are all very old Dexters.

Edited October 29, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[bigbrowncow]

Thankyou for your tips - life is so much better already!

Hot soapy water definitely makes a big difference - soaking everything for a few minutes before clearing up. I'll invest in a dough scraper soon too.

I've also experimented with oiling the worktop, bowls and my hands before I start handling any dough and this really helps with not making the mess unmanagable in the first place.

Steve

[devlin]

Thankyou for your tips - life is so much better already!

Hot soapy water definitely makes a big difference - soaking everything for a few minutes before clearing up. I'll invest in a dough scraper soon too.

I've also experimented with oiling the worktop, bowls and my hands before I start handling any dough and this really helps with not making the mess unmanagable in the first place.

Steve

←

My own methods are very like Andiesenji's just above. Because I'm working with several great big batches in pretty big tubs all at once, I often only wash the first one I work with right off the bat, and I do that by scraping it as thoroughly as I'm able as I'm dumping the dough, and then immediately spraying with hot water.

I often end up with a couple of plastic tubs unwashed though, and I discovered later that they're often easier to clean than the others. So I leave them sometimes even a day til the dough dries completely and then I simply scrape it out with a plastic dough scraper. Comes right off. Like magic.

[andiesenji]

Yep, when I make large batches, I use the big Cambro tubs, the largest 22 quart, and if any stuff klings, I just let it dry and the edges usually curl up and swatting the outside with knock off 90% of it with a plastic scraper removing the remainder.

I always spray the inside and outside, and the lid, with bleach solution (10%) then wash with soapy water.

This is to prevent cross-contamination with different sourdough cultures. The spores can hide in a scratch so small you can't feel it with a fingertip.