What The Heck Is A Pastry Wheel And What Is It Used For?

There are some tools that just make you feel like a real baker by virtue of owning them. A pastry wheel is one of them. That first time you draw it from the Amazon box and lift it to the sky, you say to yourself, "I... am... the baker!" (No, just me?) However it comes to you, a pastry wheel is a handy little baking gadget that can make cutting pastry dough of any kind, from quick and flaky pie dough to a more finicky buttery pie crust, neater and easier.

The simplest pastry wheel just looks like a mini pizza cutter, a sharp-edged wheel with a handle for making straight cuts. But there are also fancy-edged pastry wheels that make fluted or other decorative cuts. You can also get a two-headed pastry wheel that has one of each wheel side by side. Perhaps the handiest pastry wheel for bakers who do a lot of lattice crusts is one with multiple wheels (five is a common option) that can cut several rows of dough at once.

A pizza cutter works for cutting pastry dough in a pinch, but it's not the best long-term solution. Crusty or thick pizzas require a lot more of the cutting wheel, meaning they can dull it faster. So, if you're looking to get into lattice pie crusts, especially if you'd like a decorative edge, a pastry wheel is a good investment.

To ensure perfect cuts, score your dough first. Use a ruler to measure and a knife to mark where each new slice should begin and end. Then, use the ruler to guide the pastry wheel or use a piece of flavorless dental floss to score the dough by aligning it with your beginning and end points and pressing gently. The same basic process applies if you're using a decorative wheel. If you're doing shapes without straight lines, try using something to score the edges, such as a glass or cookie cutter (or a knife if you can freehand it).

The multi-wheel cutters are extra-handy. Decide how wide you want your slices, lock the wingnut on the device (so it doesn't move as you cut), and measure it out the same way. You can even use one wheel to line up the rest by running it through the mark left by the last wheel.

You can use your pastry wheel to make more than just pie crust. Use it to cut stuffed pasta or croissant dough into even pieces, or score the tops of bar cookies, brownies, or cinnamon rolls. If you're in the mood for rolled sugar cookies without the fuss of cookie cutters and rerolling, you can even use it to create lots of uniform squares quickly.