Thick, sticky dough means that the consistency of the dough will resemble cooked oatmeal or porridge, and it will be sticky. A spatula or wooden spoon will stand straight up when inserted into the center of the mixture. The dough will hold its shape when dropped from a spoon, and is even moldable once transferred to a baking sheet. This description applies to many of the recipes for breads, cookies, hush puppies, and crackers. In some instances, we will say very thick and sticky, which means it’s even thicker and almost, but not quite, stiff.
In these recipes, our description of stiff dough is often punctuated with the words “playdough-like,” because not only will a spatula or spoon stand straight up when inserted into the center of the dough, but also the dough will hold its shape when formed into scones, biscuits, breadsticks, pretzels, piecrusts, and cookies. It won’t stick to your fingers the way a thick batter does, and peels off much like playdough does.
Smooth, sticky dough (which is aerated or made fluffy in some recipes, and also pourable in some instances), such as pizza or focaccia dough, as well as some bread and cake doughs, requires a pan to help it hold its shape. These smooth doughs are often poured or spread into the pans rather than formed into freestanding shapes. When working with these doughs, use wet hands and tools (dipped into some water or rubbed with oil) to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
Loose, pourable dough, used in our recipes for pancakes and waffles, is slightly thicker than a milkshake and is the loosest of the doughs.