DEAD DOUGH

Dead dough is a edible medium for sculpture or showpiece made from a mixture of flour, sugar and water, basically. Molasses can be used, in case colour is desired for a darker shade.

The art of dead dough making is an ancient one, dating as far back as Egyptian times. Sugar and wheat (flour) were two of the most common foodstuffs available to the Egyptians. Bread was the staple diet of most Egyptians.

Dead dough, an artisan bread (no yeast) are used for decoration only, typically as centrepieces.

In modern day, stencils are also been used for making sculptures. Stencils can be made out of simple paper chart or other materials such as metals like steel or any other medium can be used.

The stencils have to be wrapped with silver foil before use. The dough takes the shape of the stencil or mould being used.

Different sizes and shapes of cutters can be used too. These are usually made of metal such as steel.

The dough is also been made in life size sculptures. While making a sculpture, generally each piece is assembled onto each other using glue gun.

To give it a finish or to decorate, royal icing can be used.

Recipe of Dead dough

Refined flour – 500g

Wheat flour – 500g

Sugar syrup - 640ml

water -285ml

Sugar -295g

Liquid glucose – 105g

Dead dough ingredients

Making of Dead dough:

Dead dough can be made using simple ingredients and is easy to make.

For the dough, mix the dry ingredients together. Then, add a mixture of sugar syrup and liquid glucose to it and knead into a dough.

The dead should be a soft one as it can be easily used for rolling and cutting. Gluten formation is not desired.

Precautions

It’s recommended that the dough is worked directly onto a foil-lined baking tray when building up pieces.

Different flours and salts give different results. For example whole-wheat flour gives a much grainier and browner texture.

Keep your knives and cutters clean, because when dough sticks to their edges it causes them to drag at the mixture instead of creating a clean cut.

A fine grater can be used to give the impression of pitted skin - e.x. Oranges, lemons, and

Mix both the flours

Add the sugar mixture (sugar ,liquid glucose, water.

Allow it to knead until a dough is formed. Use as required.)

Rolling & stencil cutting of the dough

Stencils and cutting

Baking

It can be baked in an oven. However, it is not recommended that the oven is hotter than 140 - 160C as this can cause unsightly bubbles and cracks in your pastry.

The drying time needed for each piece varies according to size and thickness, but an average time for natural drying is 30-48 hours, whilst oven times are generally reduced to 1-2 hours.

These figures are only offered as a rough guide and remember that both sides must be dried out. When done, turn off the oven and leave it inside to cool down.

BAKING of the stencils (dead dough)