The rolling pin has been a treasured item in homes since the Etruscans in ancient Italy. The Etruscans had advanced farming abilities and was one of the first civilizations to create sophisticated recipes. They developed a wide range of cooking tools such as the rolling pin to prepare their foods. The Etruscans documented their food preparation in murals which displayed rolling pins in various tasks. They passed on this knowledge to invading Romans, Greeks and Western Europeans. Over the centuries, rolling pins have been made from different materials. In Europe, wood from local forests were harvested, cut and finished for rolling pins. In France, they have created tapered solid hardwood rolling pins that allow pastry to have a thick middle. For buttery dough, they created marble rolling pins. In Italy, they have used chilled full wine bottles as rolling pins because they are heavy and are ideal for cooling the dough. In countries that are known for their ceramics, they make porcelain rolling pins with hollow centers and intricate decorations. They can be filled with cold water to cool the dough. In the U.S., wood has been the material of choice for rolling pins. In the mid-1800s, pin was popular until the forests became depleted. Then hardwoods such as cherry and maple were used. In the late 19th century, J.W. Reed invented the rolling pin with handles. This allowed users to roll dough without touching the rolling surface. Even though the rolling pin faces the threat of elimination due to the development of new and improved devices, they still remain popular.
The Limoges Rolling Pin Box has the inscription “Bon appetite” painted on it with white speckles to imitate flour. This item would complement your baking boxes collection!
