Beautiful and Practical: Tapered French-Style Rolling Pins

You might notice something a little different about these rolling pins. Like a lack of handles? And the oddly tapered ends? But when it comes to French pastry-making, these are a classic.

This style of rolling pin can take some getting used to. Instead of gripping the sides and rolling, you use the palms of your hands to roll the pin while also pressing down on the dough. Many pastry chefs feel that this gives you much more control over how thick you roll the pastry and a more delicate touch with the dough.

In our experience, we also feel that the tapered ends help keep the dough uniformly even. This sounds counter-intuitive, but if more pressure is being exerted on the center of the dough, that means less flattening toward the edges. The dough is pushed outward rather more than it’s being smooshed flat.

You can find this style of rolling pin at almost any kitchen supply store. Here are a few online sources:

• French Rolling Pins, $16 from WoodElements on Etsy (pictured above)
• Tapered Maple Rolling Pin, $14 from Williams-Sonoma
• French Tapered Rolling Pin, $9.95 from Sur la Table

Do you like this style of rolling pin?

Related: How to Make Pie Dough from Scratch

(Image: WoodElements on Etsy)