Pastry cloth is essential in making lefse (that delicious Scandinavian potato treat), but they stretch it over a round lefse board for rolling, so the cloth doesn't wrinkle or move.

I'm curious to know how normal pastry cloths are used. Do you just lay them on the counter and proceed to roll? Don't they move around?

These are great. A lovely reminder that we don't need all of the fancy new plastic/silicone/nonstick gadgets that will sit in a dump for eons when we can get the same result with a simple classic.

I have a lefse board and pastry cloth. My grandma has used hers for years so I bought the same one from Bethany Housewares. This one:
http://www.amazon.com/Bethany-Pastry-Board-Cloth-Set/dp/B000810A7O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314046036&sr=8-2

I use it for pies, pizzas, and biscuits as well as roll cookies and lefse. My mom just uses an old pastry cloth on the counter. It doesn't slide around too much but I like mine better.

I own a pastry cloth, but prefer to make my pie crusts on the regular ol' butcher block top.

I don't know what I was doing wrong, but even after dusting with flour, the dough tried get all up in the cloth's business and was a sticky mess that broke into a thousand pieces.

It's been stashed in a drawer ever since.

I don't have a "pastry cloth" like the one shown, but for years I have used a big flour sack dishtowel. I stick the front of it inside a drawer so at least one edge is secured. Never thought about keeping it in the freezer though. That's a great idea.

I use a plastic cutting board (large one) and it works wonders when rolling dough... it doesn't stick like it used to when on the counter top. Actually discovered it by accident, but it really works.

Thanks for this info,..I have never used pastry cloth

My husband bought me a pastry cloth a couple months ago and I haven't gone back since.

one question though, has anyone tried just throwing the thing in the washing machine? I hate hand washing cloth(e)s

i use two pieces of parchment to put the dough between and then roll it out. very little extra flour is needed, if at all, the rolled out dough is very easy to transfer wherever you want to put it, and keeps my table and rolling pin clean!

I find that a simple and flexible plastic place mat works great for rolling out pastry dough. I use the side that doesn’t have any printing. I put a dish towel or folded table cloth underneath so it doesn’t move around too much while I use it. The towel catches most of the fly away flour. I can transfer the rolled out dough easily to a pie pan by flipping it over the pan so it peels away nicely. I have also used plastic place mats to stack and freeze pie dough for later use.

I never actually *washed* mine. I heavily dusted it with flour, even rubbing it in, as was mentioned. Before putting it away, I'd take it out and shake it really hard, beating it with a large, wooden spoon, if necessary. No soap or water, except to spot clean it of a grease stain or spilled stuff. Freezer storage is best. I miss mine - it was left behind by mistake, in my divorce. Looking for a new one, now.