How Do you Roll Out Dough to a Specific Thickness?

I had a hard time this season with a dough that was tacky & difficult to roll. The resulting shortbread cookie was too beautiful to say forget it. Now I'm just trying to figure out what techniques you use to make your dough, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 inch, etc. thick?

I really don't want to buy one more piece of equipment or tool if I don't have to do so.

Thanks in advance,

I have the same issue of determining dough thickness, and have even resorted to using a tape measure to check! But, I found a solution that is beyond perfect for me, though it did cost a small sum -- $5 maybe? it's a combo silicone dough-rolling mat "for dummies"/baking pan liner. It has ruler markings down each side, and concentric circles for different pie-round sizes in the middle, from 6" to 15". Now, my pecan pie dough is not only the proper thickness, it's also round instead of oblong or ovoid!

This particular mat is 17"x14". I'm looking for a brand marking, but haven't found one yet. I actually have a second one, different unmarked brand, but it is not as wide and I don't like it for rolling out dough, but I do use it as a baking-pan liner for cookies.

There was one other gadget I fell for but don't recommend: Rubberized rings that you place on the ends of your rolling pin. They are different sizes/colors for different dough thicknesses. I never could figure out how they were supposed to work. And, since I am still using my mother's 1950s-era wood pin with the red handles, I had a hard time even getting the rings on the wide barrel.

With my new philosophy of "if it doesn't work, get rid of it" (and don't foist it off on unsuspecting friends), I'm pretty sure I threw the rings out, since I couldn't figure out an alternative use for them.

Aside from the rubber bands, the other suggestion I've seen comes from Alton Brown (of course): Buy wooden dowels of the correct thickness, and place them to either side of your dough.

Square cross-section pieces of wood will be easier to work with, as they won't skitter away. You should be able to find such items, if not at the hardware store, then at a hobby shop, especially those that serve the model railroad community, but I've seen this sort of thing at Michael's and similar stores.

I had a hard time this season with a dough that was tacky & difficult to roll. The resulting shortbread cookie was too beautiful to say forget it. Now I'm just trying to figure out what techniques you use to make your dough, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 inch, etc. thick?

forgive me if i'm stating the obvious here, but one way to know if your dough is the right thickness is to see if the recipe tells you the other dimensions. ie; if you're supposed to end up with a 9"x9" square, then the dough will automatically be the right thickness if you roll the dough out to the correct size. does that make sense? this doesn't work, obviously, if the recipe doesn't provide that info. if that info isn't provided, but the recipe does say how many cookies you should end up with, that can also provide a clue as to how thick to roll out the dough. roll it out as best you can and then mark it with your cookie cutter, w/o actually cutting out the cookies. you'll get an idea if your dough needs to be thinner (bigger) or if you're potentially getting more cookies than you're supposed to (then re-roll it smaller). also, as you and i recently discussed, you might try shaping your unmanageable dough into a log, chilling it, and then slicing it instead of rolling it out. hope this helps....

With certain very thin doughs, like pie doughs, I just know how thick I want them from experience. With other doughs I haven't worked with before, I'll use a ruler or tape measure. But as Joan notes, knowing what the dough should measure can help, unless the recipe is f'd up, which I have seen before.

justjoan wrote: this doesn't work, obviously, if the recipe doesn't provide that info. if that info isn't provided, but the recipe does say how many cookies you should end up with, that can also provide a clue as to how thick to roll out the dough. ...

Good idea!

BR wrote:But as Joan notes, knowing what the dough should measure can help, unless the recipe is f'd up, which I have seen before.

Bingo!

The resulting cookie is a new favorite so I'm trying to make sure I get it right.

I've also done it as a roll, but I swear I'm trying to do things with as few changes( for once) as possible to the original as possible. Yes, I've already considered re-working the dough using a CI sable base instead, but before I get that far...

A lot of recipes call for dividing the dough and/or re-rolling scraps, which makes estimating from the number of cookies or area difficult.

I tend to guesstimate, or if I'm concerned, I cut a test cookie and measure against a ruler.

This won't be practical for many folks but when my wife was elbow deep in baking for hire she found the rolls of floral "tape" were perfectly sized to slide onto her rolling pin. We simply used nearly empty rolls, unspooling to say 1/4" on this one, 1/8" on another and so on. then taped the ends to prevent them from unraveling.

When a recipe specified a rolling to a specific thickness it was only a matter of selecting the correct "gauge" and slipping one over each end of the pin. Pesto...

Though I haven't looked, I'd be shocked if someone hasn't produced these commercially but as she was a floral designer at the time, her version was priced much nicer.

I've had rolling pin 'rings' for years. Like heavy-duty rubber bands, only pre-measured to specific thicknesses, like 1/16 up to 1/4 inch and so forth. They slip on either end of the rolling pin and essentially prevent the pin from rolling the dough too thin. Here's one place to get them. Scroll down almost too the bottom or search for "rolling pin rings.' Lifesavers!

Gypsy Boy wrote:I've had rolling pin 'rings' for years. Like heavy-duty rubber bands, only pre-measured to specific thicknesses, like 1/16 up to 1/4 inch and so forth. They slip on either end of the rolling pin and essentially prevent the pin from rolling the dough too thin. Here's one place to get them. Scroll down almost too the bottom or search for "rolling pin rings.' Lifesavers!

Well, you are much smarter than me ... I don't get how they are supposed to work. I did find the set I bought in the back of a drawer last night, so I still have them, if you have suggestions.

You take two rings of the same thickness, say 1/4 inch, and put one on each end of the rolling pin cylinder. Now the cylinder is elevated off the surface by 1/4 inch, so the rolled out dough is never thinner than 1/4 inch. So you just roll out the dough. The only issue is that the dough will have to be narrower than the length of the rolling pin cylinder, so that the bands stay on the countertop and not on the dough.

rickster wrote:You take two rings of the same thickness, say 1/4 inch, and put one on each end of the rolling pin cylinder. Now the cylinder is elevated off the surface by 1/4 inch, so the rolled out dough is never thinner than 1/4 inch. So you just roll out the dough. The only issue is that the dough will have to be narrower than the length of the rolling pin cylinder, so that the bands stay on the countertop and not on the dough.

Some of us aren't handy, what kind of rings?

The rings--which I linked to in my post, though other places sell them as well--are just like heavy duty rubber bands, only circular instead of elongated. As rickster wrote, you just place them, like a rubber band, on either end of the rolling pin. Because they are precisely made, they are a specific thickness in "depth" and thus prevent the rolling pin from rolling any closer to the surface than the thickness of the ring. Boy, it's a simple concept but it's hard to explain! Am I helping at all?

Gypsy Boy wrote:The rings--which I linked to in my post, though other places sell them as well--are just like heavy duty rubber bands, only circular instead of elongated. As rickster wrote, you just place them, like a rubber band, on either end of the rolling pin. Because they are precisely made, they are a specific thickness in "depth" and thus prevent the rolling pin from rolling any closer to the surface than the thickness of the ring. Boy, it's a simple concept but it's hard to explain! Am I helping at all?

A picture may be worth about ninety words.

Rene G wrote:

Gypsy Boy wrote:The rings--which I linked to in my post, though other places sell them as well--are just like heavy duty rubber bands, only circular instead of elongated. As rickster wrote, you just place them, like a rubber band, on either end of the rolling pin. Because they are precisely made, they are a specific thickness in "depth" and thus prevent the rolling pin from rolling any closer to the surface than the thickness of the ring. Boy, it's a simple concept but it's hard to explain! Am I helping at all?

A picture may be worth about ninety words.

Got it. Happy New Year! And thanks.

Rene G wrote:

Gypsy Boy wrote:The rings--which I linked to in my post, though other places sell them as well--are just like heavy duty rubber bands, only circular instead of elongated. As rickster wrote, you just place them, like a rubber band, on either end of the rolling pin. Because they are precisely made, they are a specific thickness in "depth" and thus prevent the rolling pin from rolling any closer to the surface than the thickness of the ring. Boy, it's a simple concept but it's hard to explain! Am I helping at all?

A picture may be worth about ninety words.

Oooh! What a wonderful idea! Wish I'd a thunk it! (Thank you, sir.)

I have the rings as well. I also have a large old marble rolling pin. Although I can get the rings onto the pin with some struggle, I a not sure it is worth it. The rings are designed to go on a French style handle-less rolling pin. When they are stretched around a much thicker American style roller, they thin out and are no longer the correct thickness. I do use them occasionally, but usually have to go up a size when using them on my pin. Also, it does make the pin narrower since you can only roll between the bands. The longer French pins probably work better in this regard as well. One of these days I will get a French pin and try it on that.

I won't dispute suef's experience but I will say that I have American style rolling pins and have never had trouble putting the rings on. FWIW. (Have a marble rolling pin, if I didn't get rid of it 'cause I never used it. Never tried the rings on that pin but suef's probably right on that one.)

Will probably have to order rings online. Neither Sur Le Table or William-Sonoma had them.

I have a french rolling pin.

Thanks all.

pairs4life wrote:Will probably have to order rings online. Neither Sur Le Table or William-Sonoma had them.

I have a french rolling pin.

Thanks all.

Check your PMs for a message from me about the rings!

Sharon

sdbond wrote:

pairs4life wrote:Will probably have to order rings online. Neither Sur Le Table or William-Sonoma had them.

I have a french rolling pin.

Thanks all.

Check your PMs for a message from me about the rings!

Sharon

Thanks To Sharon I've got bands coming my way.

Maybe if the olives are finally put of the brine, & she likes olives, I can send her a jar for her kindness.

So, my interest in this topic came from a cookie & I've taken justjoan's advice and decided to make logs & cut the cookies instead but I still have this rolling out the dough issue for pies and other items, hence my question here.

>>Maybe if the olives are finally put of the brine, & she likes olives, I can send her a jar for her kindness.<<

Olives?? Did you say olives?? Oh my, we are huge olive fans in this house!!

sdbond wrote:>>Maybe if the olives are finally put of the brine, & she likes olives, I can send her a jar for her kindness.<<

Olives?? Did you say olives?? Oh my, we are huge olive fans in this house!!

2nd year I've cured, brined,& processed my own. These took forever to cure. Hope to start brining soon.

pairs4life wrote:

sdbond wrote:>>Maybe if the olives are finally put of the brine, & she likes olives, I can send her a jar for her kindness.<<

Olives?? Did you say olives?? Oh my, we are huge olive fans in this house!!

2nd year I've cured, brined,& processed my own. These took forever to cure. Hope to start brining soon.

Where do you buy the raw olives?

Darren72 wrote:

pairs4life wrote:

sdbond wrote:>>Maybe if the olives are finally put of the brine, & she likes olives, I can send her a jar for her kindness.<<

Olives?? Did you say olives?? Oh my, we are huge olive fans in this house!!

2nd year I've cured, brined,& processed my own. These took forever to cure. Hope to start brining soon.

Where do you buy the raw olives?

Chaffin Orchards in CA. The season is over, but if you ask them to put you on the list they will email you when the olives are ready for shipping. But folks also found them earlier in the season at Caputo's and Valli's, & other places locally viewtopic.php?f=16&t=20891&start=30.

Thanks!

I use a 18 inch smooth square tile from Home Depot. My roller is 1 and 1/4 inch internal PVC pipe. I had this size so I used it. I bought end caps and filled the tube with water. When I want to make a pie crust, I put the tube in the freezer, this keeps the dough from getting warm when using it. The end caps make the rolling to 1/4 inch thick because of their thickness. Home Depot will cut the tube to the size you want.