Dough Cutters and Rollers

A rolling pin with handles and ball bearings lets the barrel turn freely while your hands stay still, so the pressure goes straight down into the dough. This one has a 12-inch maple barrel, made in the USA, sized for pie crusts, cookie dough and smaller batches of pastry.Why 12 InchesA shorter barrel is easier to control on a home counter and fits in a standard drawer. It rolls a crust for a 9- or 10-inch pie without difficulty. For sheets of laminated dough wider than the barrel, a longer pin saves passes.For bakery-size work, see the Ateco 18325. Bakers who prefer to feel the dough directly through their palms often choose the French tapered pin. Learn More

A fluted edge turns a plain circle of dough into something more finished. These 11 cutters cut scalloped rounds for tartlet shells, vol-au-vent cases in puff pastry, sandwich cookies and biscuits, with sizes stepping evenly from 3/4 inch to 3.5 inches so there is a cutter for nearly any portion.The cutters nest inside one another and store in the tin they come in. One caution from our own experience: the cutters are high-grade stainless steel, but the storage tin is not. We have seen light rust form in the bottom of the tin when cutters went back in wet, so dry them fully first.For plain-edged circles, see the Ateco 5357 Plain Round Cutter Set. The Ateco 5407 adds a twelfth, larger fluted cutter. Learn More

A fluted wheel cuts and crimps at the same time, leaving a zigzag edge. That edge seals ravioli and filled pasta, finishes the strips of a lattice pie and gives crackers and hand pies a decorative border.The 1.375-inch wheel is small enough to steer around curves. Ateco makes it in Japan with a stainless wheel and a wood handle, which should be washed by hand.For straight, plain cuts, see the Ateco 1392 or 1322. Learn More

Petits fours are cut from a layered sheet cake, and the shapes give a tray its variety. This set has nine: round, half circle, oval, ellipse, square, rectangle, diamond, heart and a kidney shape.Each cutter is about 1.25 inches across and 2 inches tall, deep enough to go cleanly through several layers of cake and filling. The same cutters shape tea sandwiches, canapé bases and fondant accents. A small storage box keeps the set together; dry the cutters before putting them away.For graduated rounds, see the Ateco 5357 Plain Round Set. Learn More

Linzer cookies are two rounds sandwiched with jam, the top one cut with a window that shows the filling. This set makes 2-inch cookies, a size that suits a cookie tray or gift tin.The outer cutter takes any of six center shapes, so one set gives six different windows. The centers can also be used on their own to cut small shapes from fondant or dough.For larger, 3.5-inch cookies, see the Ateco 4841 Large Linzer Set. Learn More

This plain round set reaches 4.4 inches, the size for English muffins, large biscuits and the bottom crusts of individual tarts.At the other end, the smallest cutter is under an inch, useful for cutting dough rounds for canapés or fondant dots for a cake. The twelve stainless cutters nest for storage.For a smaller set topping out at about 3.6 inches, see the Ateco 5357. The fluted equivalent is the Ateco 5407. Learn More

Twelve fluted cutters take this set past cookie sizes. The largest, at 4.38 inches, cuts scalloped rounds for hand pies, individual tart crusts and the lids of pot pies, while the smallest handle canapé bases and petits fours.All twelve are stainless steel and nest together in a storage tin. Dry them completely before packing them away.The Ateco 5307 covers the same range up to 3.5 inches with one fewer cutter. For plain edges at this size range, choose the Ateco 5457. Learn More

A graduated set means the right diameter is always at hand. This one holds 11 plain-edged cutters from 3/4 inch to just over 3.5 inches.A clean, sharp edge matters most with laminated dough. Pressing straight down and lifting without twisting cuts through the layers instead of sealing them, so croissant dough and puff pastry rise evenly. The same cutters handle biscuits, sugar cookies and fondant discs, and they nest for storage. Use two cutters together to cut concentric borders, rings for tartlet shells or decorative fondant frames for cakes.Stainless cutters like these hold up longer and cut more cleanly than plastic sets, and unlike tinned carbon steel cutters, they will not rust if left in the sink now and then. The thin gauge that gives a precise cut also means a cutter can bend if it is stepped on or crushed under heavy cookware, so store the set nested to keep each ring round.The Ateco 5457 extends the range to 4.4 inches. For scalloped edges, see the Ateco 5307 Fluted Set. Learn More

A doughnut cutter cuts the ring and the hole in a single press, so every doughnut comes out the same size and fries in the same time. This one makes 2.5-inch doughnuts, a size that suits cake doughnuts and smaller yeast-raised rings.Four supports hold the center cutter steady so the hole stays centered, and the rolled top edge is comfortable to press. Save the cut-out centers to fry as doughnut holes.For full-size doughnuts, see the Ateco 14423 3.5-inch Doughnut Cutter. Learn More