Are you looking for a super quick salt dough recipe for the microwave? You need to try this easy 3-minute microwave salt dough recipe that only requires 2-ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry!
If you’ve never made or played with salt dough before, you’re missing out big time! Salt dough is a super versatile crafting material that can be used to make all sorts of things. Whether you want to make ornaments, jewelry, sculptures, or anything else your imagination can come up with, salt dough is the way to go.
A lot of people hesitate to make salt dough crafts because they think it’s too difficult or time-consuming. But what if I were to tell you that you could get it done in under 5 minutes and that you can actually make salt dough without oven or baking of any sorts? Don’t believe me?
In this post, I’ll show you how to easily make salt dough crafts using only your microwave and three other ingredients – salt, flour, and water. Let’s go!
Can you cook salt dough in the microwave?
Yes! You can definitely cook salt dough in the microwave. It greatly cuts down on the drying time that you’d otherwise need if you were to air-dry or bake your salt dough crafts. While air-drying takes around 3 days and baking in the oven can take up to an hour, you can cook salt dough in the microwave in as little as three minutes! Now isn’t that neat?
How long does salt dough take to dry in the microwave?
If you follow the method I give down below, it will take 3 minutes to dry the salt dough in the microwave. It may take a few extra minutes if your ornament is extra thick though.
Making Salt Dough in the Microwave
Materials You’ll Need:
- Bowl
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutters
- Microwave-safe plate
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup plain flour – don’t use self-raising, all-purpose is best so it doesn’t bubble up when you microwave.
- 1/4 cup plain table salt – for salt dough, you want to use plain table salt. Rock salt with larger crystals will not make good salt dough.
- 1/4 cup water
Tip: Need to increase/decrease the quantity? You can easily double or triple this recipe, just make sure you keep a 2:1 flour to salt ratio.
How to Microwave Salt Dough
- Combine the flour, salt, and water in a bowl and mix well until it forms a dough.
- Knead the dough for a minute or two to form a smooth, pliable ball.
- With a rolling pin, roll out the dough so that it’s flat and about 1/2 a centimeter thick.
- Cut out your favorite shapes with cookie cutters and place them on a microwave-safe plate. Stars, hearts, flowers, and animals are all great choices!
- Microwave in short 10-second bursts until the dough is firm and cooked through. Let cool before handling. Your microwave salt dough crafts are now ready to be proudly displayed!
Check out this post on 10 Salt Dough Crafts for Adults to get more inspiration on what to make out of salt dough!
Tips and Tricks:
- To add some color to your salt dough crafts, knead in a few drops of liquid food coloring before microwaving.
- Want to make salt dough ornaments? Poke a hole near the top of each shape with a toothpick before microwaving. This will allow you to thread a string through later on.
- Store your salt dough crafts in a cool, dry place, and they’ll last indefinitely!
- Make sure your salt dough shapes aren’t too thick when cutting them out. Otherwise, they might not cook through properly in the microwave!
- If you don’t have a rolling pin, just use a bottle to roll out the salt dough. I used a wine bottle.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How to tell when salt dough is dry?
Your salt dough is fully dry when you can no longer press it and it has a consistent color. If it looks slightly greasy or oily, pop it in the microwave for a little longer.
Is salt dough sticky?
Salt dough is not meant to be sticky if you follow the instructions of this recipe correctly. If you find your salt dough sticking to your hands, try adding a bit more all-purpose flour.
Why does my salt dough bubble up in the microwave?
You may be heating your dough too quickly. What you want to do is heat it in the microwave in short 10-second bursts instead of forgetting it in there for the full 3 minutes.
If you find the salt dough rising in the microwave, you may also have accidentally used self-raising flour instead of regular, all-purpose flour!
Can you eat salt dough?
It is not edible and not healthy and tastes absolutely gross (just imagine the mix of plain salt and flour).
It is, however non-toxic, meaning it is safe to eat in small quantities if your kids accidentally swallow some but I certainly wouldn’t recommend eating it!
Best Microwave Salt Dough Recipe (2-Ingredients Only!)
Do you need a super quick salt dough recipe for the microwave? Then you need to try this easy 3-minute microwave salt dough recipe that only requires 2-ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry!
Materials
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1/4 cup plain table salt
- 1/4 cup water
Tools
- Bowl
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutters
- Microwave-safe plate
Instructions
- Combine the flour, salt, and water in a bowl and mix well until it forms a dough.
- Knead the dough for a minute or two to form a smooth, pliable ball.
With a rolling pin, roll out the dough so that it's flat and about 1/2 a centimeter thick. - Cut out your favorite shapes with cookie cutters and place them on a microwave-safe plate.
- Microwave in short 10-second bursts until the dough is firm and cooked through.
- Let cool before handling. Your microwave salt dough crafts are now ready to be proudly displayed!
Notes
- If you want to increase/decrease the quantity, make sure you keep a 2:1 flour to salt ratio.
- If you want to add some color to your salt dough crafts, knead in a few drops of liquid food coloring before microwaving.
- If you want to make salt dough ornaments, poke a hole near the top of each shape with a toothpick before microwaving. This will allow you to thread a string through later on.
- Store your salt dough crafts in a cool, dry place, and they'll last indefinitely!
- Make sure your salt dough shapes aren't too thick when cutting them out. Otherwise, they might not cook through properly in the microwave!
- If you don't have a rolling pin, just use a bottle to roll out the salt dough. I used a wine bottle.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to make microwave salt dough, go forth and create! Have fun and be creative – there are no wrong answers when it comes to crafting with salt dough. Some people give them as gifts, others use them as decorations, and some even frame them as works of art!
No matter what you choose to do with your microwave salt dough crafts, I’m sure you’ll enjoy making them just as much as I do! Happy crafting!
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