posted by Lisa on April 13, 2016
Cookie Crack anyone? I know! I know! We aren’t supposed to re-roll cookie dough over and over again but I can’t help it. I don’t like to waist the dough so I re-roll it until I get very misshaped cookies or Cookie Crack!
Actually, I don’t re-roll more than three times. My Sugar Cookie Recipe will allow me to re-roll the dough three times before the cookie texture and softness of the cookie become affected. If the dough is re-rolled too much it will become cracked and tough. No one wants to eat a tough cookie. Now cookie crack? Thats a different story! Just kidding! Well, maybe not!
How Many Times Can You Re-roll Cookie Dough?
So here is the big question, how many times can you re-roll your cookie dough? It depends. Different sugar cookie doughs behave differently and how you roll and chill the dough can also make a difference.
When you work with dough you can activate the gluten which will make your cookies tougher. Chilling the dough can help it relax a little but your cookies could still could mess with the texture of your cookies.
Even though I have a rule about re-rolling the dough three times I still don’t get the exact same results with the cookies. The measurements are weighed, the dough is chilled and somehow the results can be different. This dough was re-rolled three times.
See how the surface of the cookies looks a bit cracked? When you add flour to the dough each time you re-roll it the dough will dry out a little.Placingit on a mat and covering it with a piece of plastic wrapwill reduce the need for the extra flour which won’t dry out the cookies.Once the dough is rolled out don’t cut the cookie shapes yet. Instead, place the dough in the freezer for about 10-15 minutesto help the gluten relax before you cut the shapes and bake the dough. I have heard people say the dough needs to relax a day before you re-roll it but who has that kind of time? Not me.
Also, remember to place the cookies on a cookie sheet that is cool or room temperature. If you place it on a warm baking sheet the dough will immediately begin to bake so it will cause the cookie to spread even if you place it in the freezer. The heat isn’t your friend until the cookies go into the oven. Cool is good!
Look what happens when the dough is re-rolled 5 times. It’s Cookie Crack! My dough doesn’t always look like this after rolling it out 5 times but it did this time.Handling the dough a lot and adding extra flour every time we re-roll it can cause this to happen.If you watch the video, you will see some of the cookies spread a lot after re-rolling several times.
For my sugar cookie recipe three times seems to be the magic number for a good shape and soft cookie. After that, the scraps are added to the next batch of fresh dough, a little tip I learned from Gail over atOne Tough Cookie. If the baking is done for the day then the scrapes are baked and crushed to sprinkle on top of ice cream or used in one ofAnita’s amazing Cookie Butter Recipes. YUM! No waste around here!
I am not an expert on how to re-roll cookie dough but I do know what works for me. I suggest you practice rolling and re-rolling your dough to see what kind of results you get from your recipe. Once you get to the cookie crack, think of me!
Bear hugs,
posted in Bearfoot Basics, Decorating Tips, The Bearfoot Baker, Tips, Tutorials, Videos
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19 comments 
My last batch I had TERRIBLE cookie crack, I just never had the name, or knew why! Thanks Lisa!
First, I roll my dough on parchment paper with underneath and plastic wrap on top and I don’t use any flour to roll out. Second, I use an even combination of flour and powdered sugar to keep my dough from drying out. I use all of my dough and I don’t have cracking. My sugar cookies have a huge following for the broken or problem cookies. One person said they were like crack.
I roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment paper ( also use this method for shortcrust pastry as I have warm hands )
The other relevant point to remember , a broken cookie has no calories ..
calories all leak out of the broken part !
Australian dietary “fact ” 🙂
When I first started making sugar cookies I didn’t use flour to roll the dough. Somewhere along the way I have started using a little. I have found either way works for me as long as I measure the flour.
Don’t you just love all the little helpers that sacrifice to eat your mistakes! Such dedication! lol
Janis —Reply
Hi Lisa,
I don’t use flour when rolling out my dough at all. I roll between two pieces of Saran Wrap and haven’t really noticed an issue with this. I know when I used to roll with flour I would sometimes get lumps in my dough (not a flat top of the cookie), which I easily smoothed out with a fondant smoother, but it was still a pain. I roll my dough between sheets and chill it that way, so it’s ready to cut and place on my parchment lined baking sheets. I love hearing how everyone does things, though. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Janis (met you at CookieCon-I’m from Indiana)
Hi Janis! I remember you from Cookie Con! How are you?
I just looked at your site and your FB page and fell in love with the woodland set with the bear and the camper! How CUTE!!
I am glad to hear you flatten your cookies with a fondant smoother. I do that even if the cookies look flat because it guarantees a smooth work surface.
I followed you on FB, IG and Pinterest so I am now stalking you! 😉
Lisa
Janis Saylor —Reply
Cookie Crack! YOU crack me up! But that it the PERFECT name for those pesky lines. I never really thought of them as a problem as long as the cookies were covered in icing. For the times icing didn’t do the trick, neighbors got to enjoy them.
Hi Lisa,
So now I know why I used to have those ugly cracks and lumps! It was due to the flour when re-rolling the cookies. My latest cookie recipe has worked better with using parchment paper. Thanks for the post.
Hello Friend,
You must be reading my mind… again! While baking just this weekend I was wondering “does everyone keep re-rolling?”. I hate to do it, but I don’t want to waste it either. My dough never cracks on the surface like you picture but re-rolling gives me trouble with air pockets that give humps to my otherwise flat surface. Ugh! I usually go 3 times and the tiny bit left become cookie blobs that I bake. Delaney (9) always hopes there will be cookie blobs at the end of my baking since she’s the one who claims them all! I consider that a win! 🙂
Love and miss you!
Johnna
Hey Girl! It’s so good to hear from you. Let’s get together soon and do something really fun! Let me know when you’re free!
My cookies don’t always crack but after several rolls I can tell I need to do something different with the dough. Adding it to new do works great. As far as those crazy air bubbles, I have to smash those little suckers as soon as I take the cookies out of the oven. I use a fondant smoother to rub the tops so I will have a nice smooth surface to decorate. http://thebearfootbaker.com/2012/03/flatten-my-cookies-and-not-my-hair/
Now I feel bad! I shouldn’t have shared that with you because I feel like I’ve burst Delaney’s bubble taking her cookie blobs away. Tell her I’m sorry! LOL
Love ya and miss you like crazy,
Lisa
I use the Dough-EZ mat always and have gotten cookie crack on three different recipes and on the first roll and cut! I thought my butter might be too soft, I creamed it too long or my oven isn’t’ baking evenly! This is driving my crazy! Are you still having problems with this?
Hi Dee!
UGH! Cookie cracks drive me crazy! I do a few things to help prevent this.
1. I make my dough and roll it out on one of those amazing flex mats, cover it with plastic wrap, place it in the freezer for at least ten minutes. Then, I remove it from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and lay it back on the surface of the dough, turn the mat over and carefully remove it from the back of the dough and flip it back over. Here is a video that will show you what I’m talking about,
https://thebearfootbaker.com/2013/12/how-to-roll-out-sugar-cookie-dough/.
When I cut out the cookies I place them on a baking sheet with a Silpat or (I’m totally LOVING this new product from The Cookie Countess) Mesh Non-Stick Baking
https://www.thecookiecountess.com/products/basket-weave-texture-baking-mat?_pos=2&_sid=09c70364d&_ss=r. and then I place the cookie sheet with the cutout cookies back in the freezer for a few minutes. Then I bake them. It helps my cookies bake perfectly without cracks or spreading.
Also, I leave my butter on the counter for one hour. No more or no less. It helps my dough hold it’s shape as the cookie bake. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Bear hugs!
Leave a Reply
My last batch I had TERRIBLE cookie crack, I just never had the name, or knew why! Thanks Lisa!
First, I roll my dough on parchment paper with underneath and plastic wrap on top and I don’t use any flour to roll out. Second, I use an even combination of flour and powdered sugar to keep my dough from drying out. I use all of my dough and I don’t have cracking. My sugar cookies have a huge following for the broken or problem cookies. One person said they were like crack.
I roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment paper ( also use this method for shortcrust pastry as I have warm hands )
The other relevant point to remember , a broken cookie has no calories ..
calories all leak out of the broken part !
Australian dietary “fact ” 🙂When I first started making sugar cookies I didn’t use flour to roll the dough. Somewhere along the way I have started using a little. I have found either way works for me as long as I measure the flour.
Don’t you just love all the little helpers that sacrifice to eat your mistakes! Such dedication! lol
Janis —Reply
Hi Lisa,
I don’t use flour when rolling out my dough at all. I roll between two pieces of Saran Wrap and haven’t really noticed an issue with this. I know when I used to roll with flour I would sometimes get lumps in my dough (not a flat top of the cookie), which I easily smoothed out with a fondant smoother, but it was still a pain. I roll my dough between sheets and chill it that way, so it’s ready to cut and place on my parchment lined baking sheets. I love hearing how everyone does things, though. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Janis (met you at CookieCon-I’m from Indiana)
Hi Janis! I remember you from Cookie Con! How are you?
I just looked at your site and your FB page and fell in love with the woodland set with the bear and the camper! How CUTE!!
I am glad to hear you flatten your cookies with a fondant smoother. I do that even if the cookies look flat because it guarantees a smooth work surface.
I followed you on FB, IG and Pinterest so I am now stalking you! 😉
Lisa
Janis Saylor —Reply
Cookie Crack! YOU crack me up! But that it the PERFECT name for those pesky lines. I never really thought of them as a problem as long as the cookies were covered in icing. For the times icing didn’t do the trick, neighbors got to enjoy them.
Hi Lisa,
So now I know why I used to have those ugly cracks and lumps! It was due to the flour when re-rolling the cookies. My latest cookie recipe has worked better with using parchment paper. Thanks for the post.
Hello Friend,
You must be reading my mind… again! While baking just this weekend I was wondering “does everyone keep re-rolling?”. I hate to do it, but I don’t want to waste it either. My dough never cracks on the surface like you picture but re-rolling gives me trouble with air pockets that give humps to my otherwise flat surface. Ugh! I usually go 3 times and the tiny bit left become cookie blobs that I bake. Delaney (9) always hopes there will be cookie blobs at the end of my baking since she’s the one who claims them all! I consider that a win! 🙂
Love and miss you!
Johnna
Hey Girl! It’s so good to hear from you. Let’s get together soon and do something really fun! Let me know when you’re free!
My cookies don’t always crack but after several rolls I can tell I need to do something different with the dough. Adding it to new do works great. As far as those crazy air bubbles, I have to smash those little suckers as soon as I take the cookies out of the oven. I use a fondant smoother to rub the tops so I will have a nice smooth surface to decorate. http://thebearfootbaker.com/2012/03/flatten-my-cookies-and-not-my-hair/
Now I feel bad! I shouldn’t have shared that with you because I feel like I’ve burst Delaney’s bubble taking her cookie blobs away. Tell her I’m sorry! LOL
Love ya and miss you like crazy,
Lisa
I use the Dough-EZ mat always and have gotten cookie crack on three different recipes and on the first roll and cut! I thought my butter might be too soft, I creamed it too long or my oven isn’t’ baking evenly! This is driving my crazy! Are you still having problems with this?
Hi Dee!
UGH! Cookie cracks drive me crazy! I do a few things to help prevent this.
1. I make my dough and roll it out on one of those amazing flex mats, cover it with plastic wrap, place it in the freezer for at least ten minutes. Then, I remove it from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and lay it back on the surface of the dough, turn the mat over and carefully remove it from the back of the dough and flip it back over. Here is a video that will show you what I’m talking about,
https://thebearfootbaker.com/2013/12/how-to-roll-out-sugar-cookie-dough/.When I cut out the cookies I place them on a baking sheet with a Silpat or (I’m totally LOVING this new product from The Cookie Countess) Mesh Non-Stick Baking
https://www.thecookiecountess.com/products/basket-weave-texture-baking-mat?_pos=2&_sid=09c70364d&_ss=r. and then I place the cookie sheet with the cutout cookies back in the freezer for a few minutes. Then I bake them. It helps my cookies bake perfectly without cracks or spreading.Also, I leave my butter on the counter for one hour. No more or no less. It helps my dough hold it’s shape as the cookie bake. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Bear hugs!
