Drying methods for salt dough, the pros and cons of each

If the craft has to be dried for the first time, it will be useful to learn some subtleties. First of all, it is necessary to clarify the difference between drying and baking. It is mistakenly believed that the oven - electric or gas - is suitable only for baking. It is possible to dry the dough in it. It is important to know how and how much time.

There are several ways to dry salted dough:

in the sun;
at room temperature;
on battery;
in the oven;
in the microwave;
in a combined way.

Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Type of drying	pros	Minuses
In the sun	Does not require energy	Craft dries for a long time
At room temperature	Profitability	It dries for a long time. On the product in contact with any surface, there will be recesses
On battery	Convenient to use in winter when the batteries are warm	The area does not allow to dry voluminous figures
In the oven	Fastest way	Hard to calculate temperature
In the microwave		Do not use the microwave!
Combined method	Suitable for drying large crafts	Labour intensive

How long will it take to dry the craft?

Let us consider in more detail how long the dough product will dry in one way or another.

In the sun or in a room. The most economical way, since it does not require gas or electricity consumption. But with this method, every millimeter of crafts will dry for a day. Much faster this will happen in the sun. The option is not suitable for large figures.
In an electric oven. Time is calculated by the formula - 1 hour for every half a centimeter of the thickness of the product at a temperature of 75 degrees. Put the figure in a cold oven. The temperature is increased every hour by 25 degrees.
In a gas oven. Here, dough products dry twice as fast. Dry on the smallest fire, opening the door. The first hour is half opened, the second hour is a quarter, the third is the door is closed.
Combined method. For two days, the craft is kept in the air, then sent for an hour to the oven, heated to 50 degrees, gradually raising the temperature to a maximum of 150. This method is good for large products.
On battery (radiator). Pre-cover the radiator with foil or cloth. It is better to put a board or plywood so that the ribbed surface of the battery does not deform the molding. Keep until completely dry.
Drying the salt dough in the microwave is not recommended, since it takes a very long time to dry, not provided for in the software.
Grill drying. An effective method, since everything will be dried evenly. Power consumption is relatively small.

Tip
Drying will be more effective if you produce it in several stages. Dry in the oven an hour on the one hand, a day at room temperature, the next day, dry on the other hand in the oven for an hour and a half.

What to do to prevent the product from swelling and cracking?

Bloating, cracks, brittleness. The figurine, carefully fashioned, is easy to spoil. Therefore, it is important to know a few secrets.

Dry the salty dough either on a light baking sheet, or take into account the stronger heating of the dark baking sheet. In this case, the temperature must be reduced by 25 degrees.
Hot items are very brittle. They should either be cooled on a baking sheet, or removed with a spatula very carefully.
Figures should not be raw. Readiness is checked in the old-fashioned way - you need to carefully tap the product with your finger. If the sound is clear, the craft is ready, if it is deaf, you need to dry it.
An unfinished craft will soon begin to collapse, change color and crack.
To avoid bubbles, it is advisable to start drying with the oven door open.
Before starting to dry, the oven is minimally heated, it begins to dry on the upper shelf, after the product is browned, it is placed on the middle.
The appearance of bubbles and bloating is a sign that the temperature should be immediately reduced, otherwise cracks will appear.
Bubbles cannot be removed from the figure, but cracks can be carefully covered with PVA glue.
Figures from the painted dough should be dried at a temperature of no higher than 125 degrees so that the color does not change.
The oven must not be heated to more than 125 degrees, if the craft should be white. For the effect of browning, the oven is heated up to 200 degrees.
Finished crafts after drying and coloring are varnished, this is moisture protection.

Tip
The cause of cracking may be the wrong flour. There should be no additives. You can add rye or 2 tbsp to wheat flour. tablespoons of starch. The plasticity of the dough for modeling is given by PVA glue (art. Spoon on a glass of flour).

Salt dough products are one of the most affordable types of creativity. Sculpt with the children, dry correctly, and most importantly, as much as necessary. Have fun with the process!