The best rolling pin for tortillas is by Bulut. Bulut creates a extra long wooden rolling pin for rolling foods that need be very thin.
35″ long – can roll large tortillas with ease
3/4″ thickness – narrow thickness – allows for quicker rolling of large items
solid wood – will last a lifetime
cylindrical – even rolling
Tortillas require their dough to be rolled very thin.
Tortillas that are rolled out using a thin and long rolling pin will take less time to roll out than a regular rolling pin, and give you a thinner dough.
When you hold up the tortilla dough after it has been rolled out, it should be thin enough that you can see through it a bit.
If your tortillas are rolled too thick, they will be more difficult to shape and wrap them when you’re ready to use them for your meals. They can also be too chewy when you bite into them, since they will be much thicker.
If your tortillas are not keeping their shape once you roll them out, the dough may need to rest for 30 min longer before rolling them out again.
Tortillas have quite a lot of gluten, and even though they are not kneaded for very long, the dough can be tough to roll out if it hasn’t rested long enough.
Make sure the tortillas have an even thickness throughout before frying the dough in the frying pan.
When you’re shaping and rolling your tortilla dough, keep in mind that the dough should only be rolled out right before frying. As your tortilla is in the frying pan cooking, roll out your next tortilla. This will prevent the dough from drying out too much.
Tortillas can only be made as big as the pan they are cooking in. Keep this in mind when thinking about how large you want your tortillas to be. You may need a larger pan to cook a big tortilla.
Glass rolling pins are a vintage collectable item typically from the 18th or 19th century.
Vintage glass rolling pins are shaped with 2 handles on each side. One of the handles has a metal cap or cork on the end of it. This is to fill the glass rolling pin with weight.
In ancient times, bakers used to fill the glass rolling pin with ice or cold water and then use it roll out their dough. However, this causes condensation on the glass rolling pin which transfers the water onto the dough.
How to Use a Glass Rolling Pin to Roll out Dough
Clean the rolling pin thoroughly and let it completely dry before using. Vintage items can collect dust, and you don’t want this to be rolled into your dough. Inspect the glass to make sure there aren’t any chips in the glass before using.
Fill a glass measuring cup of water. Microwave it for 10-15 seconds until it’s room temperature.
Open the glass rolling pin and pour the room temperature water into it.
Place the lid on the glass rolling pin.
Dry the glass rolling pin with a kitchen towel to remove any excess water that may have dripped on the outside of the pin.
Place your dough on a floured flat surface.
Flour your dough well. The flour will not stick to the glass rolling pin very well, so put a bit of extra flour on your dough to roll out.
Begin gently rolling forward and backwards. You don’t want to use too much force with a glass rolling pin or it has the potential to shatter.
Once you’re happy with the thickness of your dough, place the glass rolling pin in your sink so it doesn’t roll away from you.
How to clean a glass rolling pin
To clean a glass rolling pin, remove the cork or metal lid and drain the liquid from the rolling pin into your sink. Gently put soapy water into the rolling pin to clean the inside. Using a cloth with soap and water, gently wipe down the sides of the glass rolling pin to clean any excess dough off of it. Rinse the glass rolling pin with water and set it to dry with the open side down. This will make the water completely drain out of the pin.
Roll your dough into a ball. Place the ball on a flat surface.
Ideally, the dough should be put on a silicone mat. This way, the silicone mat does not need to be floured to be rolled out.
If you’re using your countertop only to roll out your dough, grab a handful of flour and sprinkle the flour in a large area. The flour should cover an area larger than the length of your rolling pin.
Place the dough on top of the floured countertop or on the silicone mat.
Grab a smaller handful of flour cover your rolling pin in flour. Use your hands to run the flour up and down the rolling pin to give it a good coating.
Grab a small handful of flour and sprinkle the flour onto your dough. Your dough will need less flour if it’s a dry dough. If the dough is quite sticky, you’ll need to put a lot of flour on the dough.
Placing flour on your rolling pin and dough will prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
It’s a pain to remove dough from the rolling pin. If you do end up getting dough on your rolling pin, clean it off with a cloth.
If clumps of dough accumulate on the rolling pin, this will create a pit in the dough when you roll the clump into the dough.
If your rolling has handles, grab the handles and put it in the center of the dough.
Use a bit of pressure to push the dough with the rolling pin to flatten it out a bit.
If you’re wanting to roll out a rectangle, continue rolling in the same direction. This will create a rectangular dough.
If you’re wanting to roll out a circle, roll the dough diagonally and vertically to make the dough into a circle.
Roll the dough from the center to the edges. This will make the center of the dough become more uniform in width as you continue rolling the dough to the required thickeness.
You can roll the dough towards you, and forwards. Try to make the entire dough as even as possible. If you’re wanting a more accurate measurement for your dough, you can try using a rolling pin with thickness rings.
When you’re finished rolling out your dough, you can use it right away, or place it in the fridge if you’re not quite ready to use it yet.
What can you use a rolling pin for
There are many uses for a rolling pin, including:
rolling out pastry dough
rolling out cookie dough
rolling out a butter layer for croissant dough
rolling out croissants
rolling out tart dough
rolling out pizza dough
rolling out dumplings
rolling out tortillas
rolling out pita
Other Uses for rolling pins:
smash candy, caramel, etc.
place food items in a resealable bag. Roll the bag until it’s flattened. Place the bag in the freezer to save space. This works well for meat storage or meat tenderizing.
To clean a rolling pin, gently wipe the rolling pin with a wet cloth until it’s clean. Let it air dry.
Do not soak the rolling pin in the sink, as this will cause the wood to warp and will not rolling your dough straight.
How to store a rolling pin
Store a rolling pin in a drawer or cabinet. This will prevent dust buildup on your rolling pin. Store it in an area that is dry so it will remain in good condition for years to come.
This is one of the classic Turkish Oklava rolling pins.
Baklava (phyllo pastry dough), dumplings, and tortillas are rolled into very thin doughs ~2 mm or less before baking.
To create these thin doughs, having an extra long rolling pin will make it much easier to roll out. The larger the rolling pin, the more surface area the dough has to expand.
These types of dough are light, and will move freely as you press your rolling pin into the dough.
One dough in particular, phyllo pastry dough is especially difficult to make. Phyllo pastry takes a long time to master because the dough becomes substantially large and paper thin.
Phyllo pastry is created by rolling out the dough to it’s final dough thickness – as thin as you can make it. Phyllo pastry requires you to add flour/corn flour to your dough as you continuously roll it out thinner and thinner. The phyllo dough will become as long as your rolling pin.
If you’re working with a rolling pin half the size, it will take you twice as long to roll out your dough. You might not get your dough to the required thinness needed for phyllo using a short rolling pin.
The sheets of phyllo dough are then stacked together to make layers of fat and dough.
Phyllo pastry is used to bake many delicate pastries by manipulating it into different shapes and adding fillings in the center of the dough before baking.
Pasta dough can also be rolled out using an extra long wooden rolling pin. Pasta dough requires the dough to be thinner than paper, which is easily achieved using a pasta maker. A pasta maker squishes the dough together, making it thinner and thinner, working the dough until it’s a uniform thickness.
In a pinch, an extra long rolling pin will help you roll out your pasta dough into thin sheets. You will not get it as thin as a pasta maker, but you can use a rolling pin if necessary.
Lavash Armenian Flatbread becomes quite large and thin when it’s rolled out to ~35 inches long. By using an extra long rolling pin it will save you time rolling out your dough to the suggested length.
Ateco creates highly specialized professional quality baking accessories for pastry chefs and has done so for over 100 years.
Ateco’s rolling pins are made of solid maple wood. Their solid wooden rolling pin is heavier than your average rolling pin weighing in at 1.5 lbs for their 18″ rolling pin.
Having a heavier rolling pin is helpful when you’re trying to roll out cold laminated dough like puff pastry or croissant dough.
There will be a lot of resistance when you’re trying to roll out these doughs. Heavier rolling pins help with forcing the dough down for you, so you don’t have to use as much pushing motion.
The surface of the Ateco rolling pin is very smooth, so you don’t need to add too much flour to your dough or rolling pin to effectively roll out your dough.
If your rolling pin has more of a rough surface then you have to add quite a bit of flour to the rolling pin to smooth it out first. If you don’t add enough flour to the rough surface, your dough will stick to the rolling pin.
Ateco’s rolling pin has an exceptionally smooth surface, so you will only need to dust the rolling pin lightly with flour before rolling out your dough.
Ateco’s solid wood rolling pin comes in a few different sizes – 12″, 15″ or 18″ plus the length of the handles.
How to use a French rolling pin
To use your French rolling pin, you’re going to be putting pressure on the center of the rolling pin.
Place your dough on a floured surface.
Flour the top of your dough, and flour your French rolling pin.
Place your French rolling pin on top of your dough and begin rolling out your dough by pressing down with the base of your hand and pushing it away from you.
Press the dough with the base of your hands and roll the pin back towards you.
Repeat this motion until you have rolled out your dough with your French rolling pin to your exact thickness needed. Be sure to add flour to your dough and your French rolling pin as needed.
French rolling pin vs Regular rolling pin
French Rolling Pin vs Regular Rolling Pin
Tapered
Cylindrical
Direct Pressure
Indirect Pressure through using handles
More control
Less Control
Gentle on dough
More forceful on dough
Unable to use thickness rings
Able to use thickness rings
A regular rolling pin is cylindrical shaped whereas a French rolling pin is tapered.
A French rolling pin is tapered, therefore you need to put pressure on the center because it doesn’t have any handles.
With a French rolling pin you have more control with it because you are applying direct pressure with your hands in the center of the rolling pin.
A regular rolling pin has handles, which is where you will be putting pressure. You’re sandwiching the dough with a regular rolling pin to force it to roll out.
A French rolling pin is more gentle on the dough because it has direct pressure, versus indirect pressure.
Should you wash a rolling pin?
You should wash your rolling pin with a damp cloth to gently wipe away the excess flour on your rolling pin.
Do not soak the rolling pin in water as this will warp the wood and cause it not to be even. Water will penetrate the wood and potentially crack the rolling pin as well.
Use a soft cloth with a bit of water to wash your rolling pin.
Do you need to oil a rolling pin?
If your rolling pin becomes too dry over the years of use, you can use mineral oil to oil your rolling pin.
Mineral oil acts as a barrier between water and other foods. This will keep your rolling pin from drying out when you wash it.
Putting mineral oil on your rolling pin will keep food and bacteria out of your rolling pin, resisting mold and bacterial growth.
Typically you should oil your rolling pin every 2-3 years depending on usage.
The Chefmade marble rolling pin weighs over 2 lbs, making rolling out stiff, cold, laminated dough much easier than a light wooden rolling pin.
Ergonomic wooden handle design
Smooth marble surface for rolling
Wooden holder for marble rolling pin to rest in when not in use
Always keep your marble rolling pin resting in the holder when not in use. Marble rolling pins are prone to chipping, so keeping it in it’s holder should make it last you for a long time.
Marble vs Wood Rolling Pin
Marble rolling pins are best used for butter lamination dough recipes, like puff pastry, or croissant dough.
Marble is able to sustain its temperature. Pastry chefs can place their marble rolling pin in the fridge, along with their pastry dough. When they’re ready to laminate their pastry, the marble rolling pin is able to keep its cold temperature. This is ideal for laminating dough. Laminating cold dough is critical for puff pastry and croissant dough because the butter inside needs to be kept cold, otherwise it will break through the dough.
Marble is particularly heavy, making it much easier to roll out cold laminated dough than a light wooden rolling pin.
Wooden rolling pins are best used for cookie dough, pizza dough, bread, and buns.
Wooden rolling pins are not as heavy as marble rolling pins. Therefore, you need to use more force to roll out dough using a wooden rolling pin.
Wooden rolling pins are ideal for recipes that need flour to adhere to the rolling pin as you roll out the dough. Flour clings to wooden edges easily. Your dough will roll out nicely without having it stick to the rolling pin.
How do you keep dough from sticking to marble rolling pins
Marble rolling pins have a particularly smooth surface, making it difficult for flour to stick to the marble rolling pin. Add a dusting of flour to your dough instead, and then use your marble rolling pin to roll out your dough. The dough will not stick to your marble rolling pin as long as your dough is floured enough for it to be rolled out. Add more flour as needed.
If adding more flour to your dough isn’t working very well, you can place a sheet of parchment paper on top of your dough and then roll it out. The parchment paper will act as a barrier in between and will not stick to your rolling pin, or your dough. Peel the parchment paper from your dough when you’ve finished rolling it out.
How to clean a marble rolling pin
Clean a marble rolling pin by using a cloth and bit of water to rub it clean.
Only if necessary, use a bit of dish soap to clean off residue that will not clean off with water.
Marble rolling pins are the best rolling pins for making croissants and pastry dough. They are able to keep their cold temperature throughout the rolling and laminating process, unlike wooden rolling pins. Pastry dough and croissant dough are very temperature sensitive. Marble rolling pins are able to keep that consistent temperature and smoothness needed to create these delicious pastries.
5 sizes of measurement rings (2mm, 4mm, 6mm, 10mm and 13mm)
Extended handle design - ergonomic and easy to use
14" dough maximum width
unlimited dough length
Measure width of dough by using the graduated measures located on the rolling pin.
Rings are dishwasher safe
The Geesta Adjustable Rolling Pin is heavy duty and durable weighing almost 3/4 of a kilogram. You won’t need to use much pressure to roll out your dough, since the rolling pin is already weighted.
The Geesta Adjustable Rolling Pin is a rolling pin with measuring rings that are placed on the handle and then the handle is screwed in to securely fasten the rings on either end of the rolling pin. You can easily roll out your dough to the precise measurement needed for your recipe using their 5 different rolling pin measuring rings in sizes 2mm, 4mm, 6mm, 10mm and 13mm.
What are rolling pin rings?
Rolling pin rings are used to roll out dough to specific measurements.
Rolling pin rings are made to sit on either end of the rolling pin, elevating the rolling pin to the exact measurement.
The rolling pin is then used to roll out the dough until it’s the exact measurement, and no further, creating an evenly rolled dough for your recipe.
Rolling pin rings will work best on an even, cylindrical rolling pin.
Do not use them on a French rolling pin that is tapered.
You can also find silicone rolling pin rings that will stretch to fit over your rolling pin.
The inside diameter of the rings is 1.6” so be sure to measure the width of your rolling pin to see if they will fit over.
How do rolling pin rings work?
Rolling pin rings work by elevating the rolling pin to an exact measurement.
The rolling pin rolls the dough out to the specific measurement, not any less than the rolling pin ring because the rubber holds the rolling pin up from squishing it any more.
Place your rolling pin rings on either end of your rolling pin.
Put your dough on your floured countertop and roll the dough with it being centered under the rolling pin.
Roll out the dough until it matches the exact height of your rolling pin. You’ll know it’s ready if it doesn’t seem to be stretching any further as you roll.
Your dough is ready to use!
How do you roll dough evenly?
To roll dough evenly, place your rolling pin rings on either side of your rolling pin. Place your dough on a floured surface and begin rolling out your dough. Roll your dough until it won’t spread any further. Your dough is even throughout because the rolling pin ring holds the rolling pin to the precise measurement of the ring.
You might need to roll your dough out more lengthwise, because the rings will make the width of your dough no more than the length of your rolling pin. Keep this in mind if you’re making a recipe that needs an exact measurement for both width and length.
Rolling pins with measurement rings make it easy to roll out your dough evenly to an exact measurement. Use your measurement rings on your rolling pin when making dough for sugar cookies, pastry crust, shortbread, and gingerbread.
If you’re looking for a rolling pin for puff pastry dough or croissant dough, check out our recommendation for the best marble rolling pin.
