When you need to prepare pastry or roll out dough but don’t know where your rolling pin is, it may be a big pain in the neck. Literally! I mean, who has room in the kitchen for such oddly shaped heavy instruments anymore?

Rolling pins, on the other hand, are one of those items that you’ll need from time to time. I know since I’ve been dealing with this for well over a decade. As a cake decorator, I seldom need to use a rolling pin, and most days I have no idea where I have buried mine.

That is why I am sharing my top five incredibly handy rolling pin alternatives that you can readily locate in your kitchen, as well as how I make them work, with you.

Let’s get started!

1. Wine bottle

Useful for: Rolling out bigger surfaces

This is the traditional substitution, my fellow bakers. Wine bottles are composed of glass, which gives them a strong, smooth surface.

To prepare your wine bottle for rolling, first drink all of the wine in it.

Is it necessary? No. Will it improve your baking abilities? I believe so.

Begin by sanitizing it with alcohol or just rinsing it well. Wipe away any water droplets on the surface since you don’t want moisture to enter the dough and ruin the texture.

Additionally, make sure you’ve removed any labels that came with your bottle and gotten rid of any remaining adhesive, since these might cause ridges and creases in your dough. Also, glue will almost certainly not taste well in your bread or cookie.

An option to accomplishing all of this is to wrap cling foil completely around the bottle, but I don’t enjoy doing so since I can never get a tight enough wrap, which poses the same issue I just discussed.

A little dusting of flour on your bottle will keep it from sticking. A wine bottle can be used to roll out huge and even thick surfaces, break biscuits, and pretty much everything else that a rolling pin can accomplish.

2. Thermos

Ideal for: Heavy-duty rolling and crushing

A wine bottle is nice and all, but what if you’re a highly responsible person with a no wine (fun) policy? Well, this one’s for you.

Thermos comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. I’m just referring to the long cylindrical thermos here. Thermos made of stainless steel, like some of the most popular rolling pins on the market, are inherently cold, smooth, and practically nonstick.

Don’t worry if your thermos bottle lacks a stainless steel exterior. What you actually want is a long cylinder that you can roll with. One thing to keep an eye out for is not rolling with the edge, since this might cause the dough to be uneven.

Prepare your thermos in the same manner you would a wine bottle, and you’re ready to go. This is my personal favorite substitution since a thermos should be just as durable, if not more so, than a wine bottle, so have fun with it!

3. Tall glass

Ideal for: tiny surfaces and minimal quantities of crushing

If you don’t have a thermos, a big glass will suffice. Just make sure your glass is straight and not rounded on the sides.

It may be a bit difficult at first, but the beautiful thing about this approach is that you can rely on your glass not to bend.

For rolling out tiny areas and softer dough, a big glass should suffice. You could probably get away with crushing a few biscuits with it, but doing so would wear out your wrist.

4. Snack container

Used for: Light-duty rolling

I’m sure you don’t hear this suggested much as an alternative, but it worked for me. I’m referring to the cylindrical canisters that are filled with chips, cheeseballs, almonds, or whatever food they put in them. I’m thinking Pringles off the top of my head.

Obviously, the same cleaning recommendations apply now. The entertaining, if not always the most practical, aspect of this is that it may give your baked goods a fascinating embossed look.

It depends on what you’re making, but cookies tend to maintain their form better. It’s deceptive! So don’t anticipate anything too complicated.

Snack containers, in general, are not going to be extremely durable. Therefore this works best with softer dough.

5. Beverage can

Ideal for: very light-duty soft dough rolling and tiny surfaces

If all else fails and you don’t have any of the goods mentioned in your kitchen, you’re plainly separated from civilization. Get a can of Coke or beer at the nearby convenience shop. You’ll need it for the baking and who knows what else.

Seek for a big beverage can with a capacity of 355ml. This should be lengthy and hefty enough to handle some minor rolling. Of course, cleaning is always necessary. You may wipe it or rinse it, but don’t shake it too much.

I also suggest dusting the can surface with flour before rolling so that your dough does not adhere to it. Remember that this is a Coke can, and it may easily explode if you apply too much pressure, so proceed with care.

Conclusion

What I’ve outlined are only five of the various instruments you may employ to conduct rolling pin activities. At the end of the day, you should search for something cylindrically formed with a smooth surface that is durable enough to keep its shape and you should be OK!

Be creative and let me know what your favorite rolling pin substitutions are.

Angie’s Bio