Arts & Crafts - Play Dough Recipe

Supplies you will need:
1 cup of flour (wheat or rice)
¼ cup of salt
1 teaspoon of Alum or Cream of Tartar
1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid or food coloring
1 Tablespoon of cooking oil
1 cup water from rolling boil (or heat all ingredients slowly in a saucepan)

Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients; add the oil and hot water, and stir. The water must be as hot as possible (measured from a rolling boil) for the mixture to thicken. Mixing is easy in a food processor but hand stirring also works great. Knead until smooth.

Another method:
Heat all ingredients in a saucepan slowly, while stirring until a ball forms. Knead until smooth.

Store in an airtight container.

This dough is fun to make, at least as good as the store variety, and fun to knead when it is warm.

Explanation of the Cooking Chemistry:
Flour and water make a paste. Wheat flour releases gluten from the proteins as it is stirred which makes it sticky. Salt strengthens the gluten bonds. For people who are allergic to glutens, non-gluten flour such as rice flour works well. Rice flour has protein that also forms bonds. Rice play dough is pure white and takes color well.

Alum and Cream of Tartar are found in the spice section of the supermarket. Alum can be ordered from the pharmacist at a third to half the price than found at grocery stores. Alum or Cream of Tartar thicken the mixture and are heat activated. Cream of Tartar seems to make slightly stickier dough. Stickiness can be reduced by adding oil or by adding heat to activate the thickeners as discussed above. Warning: Microwaves causes clumps.

Kool-Aid adds a nice smell as well as color. Optional ingredients to add scent are vanilla, lemon or other extracts, cinnamon or coffee.