Rolling Dough Perfectly
The difference between a tough, shrunken pastry and a tender, flaky one is how you handle it before it hits the oven. By maintaining consistent pressure and keeping your workspace cool, you gain control over the thickness and shape of the dough.
Temperature is your primary tool
If the dough feels soft or sticky, stop and put it back in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes. Cold dough is pliable; warm dough is an unworkable mess.
- Heavy wooden rolling pin
- Bench scraper
- Large marble or wooden pastry board
- Pastry brush
What goes in.
- 1/4 cupAll-purpose flour for dusting
Rotate and Release
After every two or three strokes, lift the edge of the dough and give it a quarter turn. This ensures the dough isn't sticking to the board and helps you maintain a circular shape.
The method.
Prepare your surface
Dust your board with a very light layer of flour. Use your palm to spread it thin; excess flour will incorporate into the dough and dry out your final bake.
Start at the center
Place your rolling pin in the middle of the disk. Roll away from you with firm, steady pressure, stopping just before you reach the edge.
Control the thickness
Roll back toward the center, then repeat in the opposite direction. If you feel resistance, rotate the dough before continuing.
Check the underside
Use your bench scraper to slide under the dough periodically. If it catches, add a tiny pinch of flour, but only where it sticks.
Final smoothing
Once you hit your target thickness, use a pastry brush to sweep away any visible flour from the top surface before folding or cutting.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use your rolling pin to 'tap' the dough into a circle before you begin rolling to prevent jagged edges.
If your dough keeps snapping back into a ball, the gluten is too tight; let it rest in the fridge for ten minutes to relax.
Keep a dedicated pastry brush handy to remove excess flour between rolls so it doesn't get baked into the pastry.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my dough keep shrinking back when I roll it?
The gluten has been overworked or needs to relax. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it; the fats will firm up and the gluten strands will lose their elasticity.
How much flour is too much?
You only need enough to prevent sticking. If you have a white coating left on the dough, you have used too much, which will result in a dry, crumbly texture.
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