Dealing with Sticky Dough

Stop fighting your dough. Learn to work with high hydration like a pro.

4 min2/16/2026
Dealing with Sticky Dough

Key Principles

  • ✕ Wet hands, not flour – flour changes hydration and creates tough spots
  • ✕ Oil your work surface for shaping
  • ✕ Work quickly and confidently
  • ✕ Let gluten develop through folds, not kneading

The Stretch and Fold Method

Instead of traditional kneading, use stretch and fold technique. Wet your hands, stretch one side up and fold to center. Rotate and repeat. Do 3-4 sets with 30 min rest between.


Try It Yourself

Use the calculator below to see how hydration affects your dough:

Hydration Calculator
g
%
40% low65% medium95% high

Water needed

325g

Total dough

825g

Water = Flour × Hydration %

Related

Tools You'll Use

Make Neapolitan Dough

Make Neapolitan Dough · 1d

Make Neapolitan Dough

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