Rolling pin

Not to be confused withroll pin.

Arolling pinis a cylindricalfood preparation utensilused to shape and flattendough.Two styles of rolling pin are found: rollers and rods. Roller types consists of a thick cylinder with small handles at each end; rod type rolling pins are usually thin tapered batons. Rolling pins of different styles and materials offer varying advantages, as they are used for different tasks in cooking and baking.

A wooden "roller" type rolling pin

Attadough being rolled with a rolling pin during the preparation ofchapati

Types of rolling pins

A tapered (top) and straight (bottom) "rod" type rolling pins

• Rod:thin rods typically made of wood around 1–2 inches (2–3 cm) in diameter. They are used by rolling the rod across the dough using one's palm. The pins may be tapered at one or both ends for more pivot control in certain tasks such as making smalljiaoziskins orpieshells. MostEast AsianorFrenchstyle rolling pins, and theTurkishOklavaare rod-style.
• Roller:consists of a thick heavy roller made of a variety of materials around 3–4 inches (7–10 cm) in diameter with thinner handles which extend through the roller. They are used by grasping the handles and pushing the pin across the dough. ManyWesternrolling pins are roller types.
• Textured:some specialized rolling pins have textured surfaces that mark and indents the dough surfaces for special breads and pancakes. They may even be em Boss ed with writing.

A woodenbelanrolling pin is used on a roundchaklato makechapatis.

• Chakla belan:inIndian cuisine,the rolling pin (belan) is used in combination with achakla(flat circular rolling board). The dough forchapatisis rolled on thechaklawith the help of thebelan.Devices likeRotimaticand Rotillicious combine the functions ofchakla,belanand round electric cooking griddle also known astava.

Material

Rolling pins come in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials includingglass,ceramic,acrylic,bakelite,copper,brass,aluminium,silicone,wood,stainless steel,marble,andplastic.Some are hollow and are able to be filled with cold or warm water to better roll a desired food. Marble rolling pins are often cooled in arefrigeratorfor maintaining a cold dough while makingpuff pastry.

• Rolling pins
• 
  Striated rolling pin surface for making NorwegianLefse
• 
  Long rolling pin used for making Japaneseudonnoodles
• 
  A small porcelain rolling pin from Germany
• 
  A wine bottle used as a rolling pin
• 
  Rolling pins

In popular culture

An angryhousewifewielding a rolling pin as a weapon is a commonclichéinhumour,as, for example, in the Englishcomic stripAndy Capp.

See also

• Kneading
• Roller docker