A rolling pin cover can be a useful kitchen accoutrement if you roll out lots of pastry or cookie dough. Such covers are inexpensive, and are usually made of stretchy cotton so that they will fit over most rolling pins. Some people simply use the cover as protection for their rolling pin when they store it. Others swear by the rolling pin cover as a great way to prevent dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
Most rolling pins, even those made from marble and glass, can create some problems because they will cause the dough to slightly stick to the pin. You can flour the pin, but this tends to work for a short time. The flour usually begins to fall off the rolling pin onto the dough within the first couple of rolls.
Without a rolling pin cover, you can help minimize sticking by using chilled dough that has not been overworked. Typically, the more gluten activated in your dough, the more it will stick. If your pastry crust or cookie dough feels stretchy, allow it to rest in the fridge for an hour or more before you roll it out to retard some of the stretch.
This is good advice whether you use a rolling pin cover or not. Chilled, less glutinous dough won’t stick as much, and will give you lighter pastry or cookies. Yet even the best prepared dough sometimes sticks.
Adding a rolling pin cover can help minimize, though it won’t completely end this sticking process. You can flour the cover, as you would the rolling pin, and flour will better adhere to cloth, instead of making your dough or pastry more floury. Note the cover will minimize but not entirely prevent dough from sticking; it helps but is imperfect in its assistance.
Another type of cover is handmade for each occasion. Roll plastic wrap tightly around the rolling pin. Alternately, cover the dough with plastic wrap before you roll it out. The handmade rolling pin cover won’t work quite as well, and it can slip. Placing a cover over the dough can also cause slips and slides as you work, and you do have to be concern if your dough is glutinous and sticks to the plastic wrap.
You may receive a rolling pin cover when you buy a pastry cloth. Alternately, you might get one when you purchase a new pin. You can also find covers for sale at numerous kitchen supply stores and in abundance on the Internet, where they cost approximately $6-10 US Dollars (USD). Don’t forget to wash the cover between uses. Most cover washing instructions recommend handwashing with gentle soap and air-drying.