Rolling pin

A wooden "roller" type rolling pin
Atta dough being rolled with a rolling pin during the preparation of chapati

A rolling pin is a cylindrical food preparation utensil used to shape and flatten dough. Two styles of rolling pins are found; roller and rods. Roller types consists of a thick cylindrical roller with small handles at each end; rod type rolling pins are usually thin tapered batons. Rolling pins of different styles and materials offer advantages over another, as they are used for different tasks in cooking and baking.

Types of rolling pins

A tapered (top) and straight (bottom) "rod" type rolling pins
A wooden belan rolling pin is used on a round chakla to make chapatis

In South Asia, the rolling pin (belan) is used in combination with a chakla (flat circular rolling board). The dough for chapatis is rolled on the chakla with the help of the belan.[1] A modern electronic device, a small kitchen appliance called a Roti Maker (or Tortilla maker) combines the function of chakla, belan and round electric tava cooking griddle.

Material

Rolling pins come in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials including glass, ceramic, acrylic, bakelite, copper, brass, aluminium, silicone, wood, stainless steel, marble, and plastic.[2] 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 a refrigerator for maintaining a cold dough while making puff pastry.[3]

In popular culture

An angry housewife wielding a rolling pin as a weapon is a common cliché in humour, as for example in the English comic strip Andy Capp.

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rolling pins.
  1. Glossary of Kitchen Utensils
  2. Rolling Pins by Reginald King.2010
  3. Heloise's Kitchen Hints by Heloise, Prentice-Hall, 1963
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