If dough keeps sticking to your hands and the counter, the fix is to let it rest for short spells and knead in only a little flour at a time, rather than dumping in extra flour, which can toughen the texture.
Why does dough turn out too sticky?
The most common reason is using more liquid than the recipe calls for, or flour whose moisture content varies with the season; in humid weather flour holds more water, so the same recipe can behave differently. If kneading has not gone on long enough, the gluten network has not fully developed yet, which also leaves dough sticky to the touch, since gluten needs both time and steady kneading to form.
Dough left too long in a warm spot can also soften and turn sticky, as the gas produced by the yeast loosens it while the warmth softens any fat in the mix.
How do you fix sticky dough?
The first thing to try is covering the dough with clingfilm and letting it rest for fifteen minutes; in that time the flour fully absorbs the liquid and the stickiness eases on its own. If it is still sticky afterwards, dusting the counter and your hands with about a tablespoon of flour and continuing to knead is safer than working in a large amount all at once, since it lets you control the texture gradually.
An oiled-hands technique is another option: rubbing a few drops of oil on the counter and your hands instead of using flour keeps the dough's moisture intact while stopping it from sticking, and it leaves a softer result. This works especially well for enriched doughs such as brioche, better than adding flour.
Does the type of flour change how sticky dough is?
Bread flour, with its higher protein content, builds a stronger gluten network and gives a less sticky dough than all-purpose flour; with the same amount of liquid, all-purpose flour usually stays softer and stickier. Wholemeal or whole wheat flour has more fibre and absorbs water more slowly, so dough that looks sticky during the first knead can firm up on its own after a few minutes.
A quick way to check if dough is at the right stage is to press it gently with a fingertip; if the dent springs back quickly, the dough is ready, and if the dent stays and the surface still clings to your hand, it needs a few more minutes of rest or a little more flour.
If you are using a stand mixer and the dough keeps clinging to the sides of the bowl instead of pulling away from it, that usually means it simply needs more kneading; give it a few more minutes before reaching for extra flour.
Bread machines can show the same problem; since it is hard to see whether dough is sticking to the pan while the machine mixes, opening the lid to check within the first five minutes and adding a spoon of flour if needed is worth doing. In a cold winter kitchen, dough can look less sticky right after kneading, but it can soften and turn sticky again as the room warms and fermentation continues — that is normal and nothing to worry about.