Weekly Tip: Rolling Pins and Rolling Pin Rings

“Cooking is like love.  It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” ~ Harriet van Horne

Help for Rolling out Pie Dough and Cookie Dough

Those cylinders that we use to flatten dough come in many varieties. They are made of glass, wood, marble or silicone to name a few.  They come with handles or not; and they may have a smooth or textured surface.

My grandmother’s rolling pin is wooden with red handles that show years of loving use.  I own a marble pin, a wooden pin with ball bearings and a French pin with tapered ends. However, a few years ago, I purchased a silicone rolling pin without handles (rod type). I like it because it can be used for every situation, thereby eliminating the need for multiple rolling pins.

When researching for this post, I found a Consumer Search article that rated rolling pins. The silicone (Sil-pin) barrel was top rated; and it has the following advantages.

• It requires less flour to keep dough from sticking.
• Silicone is smooth, therefore it doesn’t trap bacteria.
• It can be washed with soap, unlike wood, which aids in the removal of bacteria.

For all related information, check out the complete article.

The other advantage to the pin that I use is that the circumference is smaller.  This allows rings to be easily slipped onto the rolling pin. These rings insure that the thickness of rolled dough is uniform thus providing even browning and a better finished product. For all those pie crusts, cookies, pastries and biscuits, these rings are a terrific baking aide.

 Note: Notice how the crust is an even thickness under the rolling pin.

Finally, for years I used a canvas mat for rolling out dough.  It needed to be seasoned with a lot of flour in order to prevent sticking.  I hate to admit that I rarely washed it because it took several uses to return to a good rolling surface. When I discovered the silicone rolling mat, I questioned if I would like it.  The mat is great for the following reasons:

• For most dough, you don’t need any flour to prevent sticking.
• There are measurements on the mat, inches along the edge and varying circle diameters, that help when rolling dough.
• They can be washed with soap and water for sanitary clean up.

Happy Baking!!