How To Roll Out Baked Goods Without A Rolling Pin

There are so many tools and gadgets to buy when stocking your first kitchen. From pots and pans to utensils to mixing bowls, procuring everything you'll need is an expensive endeavor. For most new cooks, it's easiest to purchase the bare essentials and gradually build their collection as needed, especially if they don't have much money starting out. Reading through a recipe and realizing you don't have a tool you need is therefore a common conundrum, leading to an abundance of kitchen hacks and substitutions on the internet.

Most people who don't bake more than a few times per year wouldn't think to buy a rolling pin. However, if you suddenly find yourself making a pie crust or other baked dessert, there's no need to run to the store to buy one. In fact, you may not even need to own one at all. There's a simple trick for rolling out baked goods when you don't have a rolling pin — just use a wine bottle.

If you don't have a rolling pin but need to roll out a baked good, chef Ed Brown told "Today" he recommends using a wine bottle. You could either use a full bottle or an empty one, depending on what you have on hand. A full bottle will provide more weight when rolling out the dough, while an empty one may be easier to control. However, don't use an opened wine bottle with a stopper or a cap screwed back on, as this may result in leaks or spills.

Choose a wine bottle with a relatively even shape, rather than one with sides that get wider as they go down. Once you've selected the bottle you intend to use, be sure to clean the exterior thoroughly to avoid contamination, especially if it will come in direct contact with the dough. After using it, wash it again and place it back in the fridge or wine rack if it's unopened, or in the recycling if it's empty.

If you only find yourself in a situation where you'd need a rolling pin once or twice a year, you likely don't even need to own one at all. By reusing wine bottles, you can save money and increase convenience, especially if you're likely to have some on hand. You could even keep an empty wine bottle in your kitchen specifically for this purpose. This would reduce waste and save you from buying an unnecessary product.

If you don't have a rolling pin or a wine bottle on hand, it may be more cost-effective to buy a wine bottle, or a non-alcoholic wine bottle, rather than a rolling pin. This would make sense if you would hardly use a rolling pin but know you'd eventually drink the wine. For this reason, it may not even be worth purchasing a rolling pin at all.

The next time you're baking and need to roll out the dough in a pinch, raid your fridge or wine rack for this hack. It will save you money and still result in a dessert that will please your guests.