I am frequently reminded of just how much I still have to learn in the world of cooking. Most recently, I was gifted a pastry cloth- and I’m a little embarrassed to admit I had never heard of a pastry cloth before! But after doing some research, I am very intrigued!

A pastry cloth is essentially an alternative way to roll out your dough, without spreading flour all over your counter. Instead, you lay out your pastry cloth and roll out your dough on the cloth. Initially, one might wonder what the benefits of using a pastry cloth would be- will let me tell you!

1. Less mess. Whenever I make pie crusts or sugar cookies, one of my least favorite parts is wiping up all the flour afterwards. It’s just a big mess! By using a pastry cloth, a lot of the flour gets absorbed in the cloth, making clean-up much simpler! I’m ALL about easy clean-up! This is especially great when working with little ones who just love to spread flour and smush dough ;).

2. You can easily transfer your dough! I am SO excited about this. One of the trickiest things about making pie crust is transferring it to your pie plate in one piece after you’ve rolled it out. With a pastry cloth, you can easily transfer that dough by simply picking up the cloth and turning it over on to your pie plate! I think this could also work fabulously with sugar cookie dough- it’s so hard to get those to the cookie sheet without breaking them! A pastry cloth could be a big help for sure!

3. You will use less flour. You don’t need to sprinkle a ton like you do when you’re just rolling dough on the countertop, and any flour you do use will stick into the weave of the cloth instead of the dough. In some recipes, maybe this won’t matter, but in other cases, that extra bit of flour can really affect your taste and texture! Being able to use a pastry cloth will help you stick to your recipes with more integrity and take your pie crust flavors to the next level!

4. Protection for your counter. Not all cookie cutters are created equal, and in some cases, it might be nice to have a little extra protection between the sharp edges of your cookie cutter and your nice countertop!

5. Easily chill your pie dough. By keeping your pastry cloth in the freezer, you can roll out our pie crust and keep it chilled at the same time!

6. They’re nostalgic. Sometimes it’s fun to do things the way our grandparents did- it’s nostalgic, it’s a reminder of simpler times, and it’s a way to remember our heritage and where we came from.

But of course, there’s some chefs who feel that a pastry cloth is just really unnecessary. Back in the day, when food was scarce and every little bit was precious (think- the Great Depression), a pastry cloth really was a great tool in helping to waste as little flour as possible. Nowadays, most of us are probably not desperately rationing our flour. We also have so many tools and tricks out there (such as silpat mats or parchment paper) that can easily get the job done. So perhaps a pastry cloth is overrated and really isn’t necessary. As I was looking for information, I came across people who really didn’t love using a pastry cloth, and others who absolutely LOVE them.

So I’m curious! Do any of you use a pastry cloth? Do you think it essential, or is it an outdated, overrated kitchen accessory? I’m definitely planning on using mine a few times before I reach my own conclusion, but I’d love to hear from our readers! Share your thoughts in the comments below!