Working with dough can be challenging.
There’s the process of mixing and kneading the dough, and then you’ll need to cut and shape the dough for the recipe.
Having the right tools makes a difference.
While a simple spatula and a sharp chef’s knife can go a long way, you’ll have an easier time with a dedicated dough spatula/scraper.
A dough spatula is used for shaping, rolling, and cutting dough.
Here are the accessories that every home baker should have.
A Simple Dough Spatula for Mixing
If you’re mixing dough by hand, a lot of the work will be easier if you have a non-stick spatula.
You can use this in the early stages of mixing to help combine all the ingredients.
Because bread and pastry dough are typically quite sticky, you’ll be best off with a utensil that is made from silicone.
Silicone is flexible and non-stick, so it’s great for bread dough.
The material is also durable and easy to clean.
Even better, a non-stick spatula is affordable, so you can get something of high quality without spending a lot of money.
This Set of 4 Silicone Spatulas can aid with mixing your dough.
You can also use this set for other tasks in the kitchen like mixing cake batter, frosting, and sauces.
You can use these for all kinds of recipes, so they’re great to have around even if you aren’t baking.
Dough Scrapers for Serious Home Bakers
The traditional spatula shape is great for mixing and turning, but sometimes you need something that you can easily work with on a countertop.
When you make bread dough, you’ll need to pat, flip, turn, and cut it into portions.
No matter your working style, it’s much easier to do this with a scraper than it is with your hands and a knife.
Silicone is one of the best materials for this.
As we described above, dough can be sticky and it can be difficult to work with a stainless-steel knife, especially if it doesn’t have a large and flat blade.
A dough spatula/bowl scraper is a large flat utensil that can help you with a range of recipes.
You can use a scraper to cut dough into portions, roll it out, and shape it.
A scraper is also great for getting the last bits of dough out of a bowl so that you don’t need to waste any ingredients.
KitchenAid makes the best mixers for mixing dough.
The company also makes some of the most reliable bowl scrapers.
You can use both for shaping and cutting.
With two different sizes, you’ll be able to choose the one that is most comfortable and best suited to the recipe that you’re working on.
A Heavy-Duty Stainless Steel Dough Spatula
If you work with large quantities of dough and want a tool that is harder and more durable, you could choose a stainless steel scraper.
Usually used in commercial kitchens, a stainless steel scraper will retain its shape for longer than any other dough spatula.
You won’t be able to use a stainless steel pastry spatula for scraping a bowl, but it will be perfect whenever you work with dough on a chopping block or directly on your countertop.
This Pro Dough Pastry Scraper is perfect for all types of dough and even includes a measuring scale for technical recipes where you need exact measurements before the dough goes into the oven.
Get the Best Results with the Best Baking Utensils
Elevate your baking experience with the right utensils, and watch as it becomes not only easier but also immensely more enjoyable.
In your home kitchen, a dough spatula/scraper stands as one of the most indispensable tools you can possess.
It’s the key to seamlessly handling dough and ensuring that your creations are nothing short of perfection.
