Cookbook:Rolling Pin

A rolling pin is a long cylinder-shaped tool, often with handles on either end, used to roll out dough. Rolling pins can be made from wood, plastic, ceramic or marble.

In choosing a rolling pin, consider that:

Handle connections may be impossible to properly clean.
When refrigerated before use, ceramic and marble rolling pins help keep cold cookie dough from getting warm and sticky.
Ceramic and marble rolling pins are heavy, expensive, and fragile.
Similar to wooden cutting boards, wood surfaces never really get clean.
A wooden central rod, or wooden handles, may snap during use.
Some people prefer fixed handles, and others prefer handles that spin inside the rolling pin.

Alternatives

Alternative approach

If a rolling pin isn't available, then a clean bottle with straight, smooth sides, such as some wine bottles and some resuable water bottles, and be turned on its side and used like a rolling pin. An aluminum soda can, if it's still unopened, can also be used. A tortilla press or a flat-bottomed dinner plate could be used to flatten small amounts of dough.

Like a regular rolling pin, whatever you use should be clean. You can also cover the dough with plastic wrap or parchment paper.