I recently started baking my own sourdough bread at home, using a wooden board for kneading and shaping. The problem is, no matter how much flour I sprinkle, the dough stubbornly sticks to the board and tears when I try to lift it. I’ve tried dusting the board with both all-purpose and rice flour, and even let the dough rest longer before shaping to develop the gluten, but it still clings like glue. My kitchen is pretty warm these days, so I wonder if that’s affecting the dough’s stickiness. Also, my wooden board is well-seasoned but quite smooth - could that be part of the problem? I’d love to keep using the board because I find it helps me shape the loaves better than my countertop. Has anyone dealt with stubbornly sticky dough on wooden boards? What flour or surface treatment worked for you? Or should I be tweaking my kneading or hydration levels instead?

On 03/18/2026 at 1:55 AM, bakerwitty said:

I recently started baking my own sourdough bread at home, using a wooden board for kneading and shaping. The problem is, no matter how much flour I sprinkle, the dough stubbornly sticks to the board and tears when I try to lift it. I’ve tried dusting the board with both all-purpose and rice flour, and even let the dough rest longer before shaping to develop the gluten, but it still clings like glue. My kitchen is pretty warm these days, so I wonder if that’s affecting the dough’s stickiness. Also, my wooden board is well-seasoned but quite smooth - could that be part of the problem? I’d love to keep using the board because I find it helps me shape the loaves better than my countertop. Has anyone dealt with stubbornly sticky dough on wooden boards? What flour or surface treatment worked for you? Or should I be tweaking my kneading or hydration levels instead?

That sticky dough on a wooden board is such a pain! Since your board is smooth and well-seasoned, it might actually be a bit too slick, which can make the dough cling more instead of sliding off. I've had better luck with a light dusting of a mix of rice flour and semolina - semolina adds a bit of grit that helps prevent sticking without drying out the dough.

Also, since your kitchen is warm, the dough might be a bit wetter than usual, so maybe try lowering your hydration slightly or chilling the dough for 10-15 minutes before shaping. That can firm it up and make it less sticky. Another trick is to keep your hands and the board just lightly floured rather than heavily dusted, so the dough doesn’t tear from too much dry flour mixing in.