Valerie, so sorry! It sounds to me like you're using too much flour; the drier the dough, the harder it is for it to rise, and the more difficult it is to roll out the strands. If you do try this again, try cutting back the flour a bit; the dough shouldn't be so sticky that it sticks all over your hands, but it should feel soft and supple, not tight. Please watch this video, how to measure flour, for the optimum way to measure your King Arthur Flour for our recipes. And good luck with Bakealong going forward — thanks so much for your willingness to hop on board and try new things! PJH@KAF

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