Homemade Play Dough

Ingredients:

• Maida- 1/4 cup (All Purpose Flour)
• Corn flour- 1/4
• Warm water- 1/4 cup or less
• Food color of choice- a few drops
• Oil- 1 tsp
• Vinegar/ Lime juice- 1 tsp
• Flavored essence- any (3-5 drops)

Method:

1. Add maida and corn flour to a bowl. 
2. Add oil, lime juice or vinegar to it. 
3. Mix well. 
4. To warm water, add food color. 
5. Or, you can add the food color directly to the flour mix after adding water. 
6. Do not add water all at a time. 
7. Despite the original recipe suggesting the use of 1 cup water for 1 cup mix of both flours, it required far less. 
8. Add flavored essence of your choice if using vinegar. 
9. I missed this step. Now, my play dough has a pungent vinegar smell.
10. Mix it into a paste. 
11. Preferably use hands to bring it together into a dough.
12. You can see the elasticity of the dough as you mix. 
13. If it is too dry, add little more water. 
14. If it is too sticky sprinkle some flour and lightly knead it.
15. Made it into a thick disc and dry on a plate away from direct sunlight or wind.
16. Turn the disc carefully after 5-7 minutes. 
17. It usually doesn't stick. But, as a precaution, you can brush some oil to the plate before placing the disc for drying.
18. The top layer of the dough will look a bit cracked. 
19. Simply roll it into a ball between your palms. 
20. Or give it to your children. The more we knead it, the smoother and elastic it gets.
21. Store in an airtight box.
22. I am not yet sure how long it will last. I'm assuming a few months (4-7). 

Extra Info:

• I did not take stepwise pictures the first time. Will upload once I try with other colors as well. 
• Our stock of corn flour was over, so my play dough is limited to two colors.
• I mixed and kneaded the pink dough with the blue dough to get a lavender shaded play dough. 
• Half the quantities or double them depending on the amount of play dough you require.