# Best finish for pasta dough board



## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

I am making a 33"x41" pasta dough board. I cannot get a consensus on the best finish. I have made many cutting boards. I've used mineral oil (with & without beeswax), Tried & true varnish oil, and salad bowl finish (for endgrain boards). 

This board will be used specifically for rolling out dough for pasta. Should it have any finish at all or should it stay raw? Some seem to think so, some seem to think I should use mineral oil.

Ideas? Thanks!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I also vote for the mineral oil.


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

I made a pastry board some 15 years ago and varnished with a water based product. (At the time water based paints being marketed).
I gave it several coats and it is still in use today.
johnep


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## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

johnep34 said:


> I made a pastry board some 15 years ago and varnished with a water based product. (At the time water based paints being marketed).
> I gave it several coats and it is still in use today.
> johnep



Sorry...what did you finish yours with?


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## guglipm63 (Feb 27, 2013)

I have finished a couple of cutting boards with "Watco Butcher Block" finish. label says FDA approved


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## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

I guess the real question I am asking is...do I finish it or not? 

If i do finish it, it'd probably be with mineral oil.

Some people seem to think that for dough, you specifically DON'T want to seal the board.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I make my own pasta from scratch but run it through an Imperia pasta machine.

I had a wood turner custom make 8 tortelli molds from maple, 2 3/4" diameter x 3/4" deep.
Next, I mounted 4 at a time in a row so I can lay in one sheet, load and lay on the top sheet.
No finish at all. Dry and better than satin smooth. Of course, I've got dusting flour all over the place.
I expect that you will be rolling the dough on a floured surface anyway. I cannot see the point of any finish.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Dang. You people are all at fault. Company this weekend, bison T-bones and BBQ/applewoodsmoke chicken leftovers. Oh, poor me.
Did stained glass pasta with fresh parsley. 
No. I'm convinced. You get the board floured as you like and there's no stupid, convulsive, conventional expectation to do otherwise. What the Hello is any kind of finish supposed to contribute to that?


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

This is my board:









johnep


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## gideon (May 26, 2010)

Food safe mineral oil. Can be bought in most laxative sections of pharmacies. 

All of the boards I've seen like this have a fairly thing/light coat of it.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I vote for no finish at all.

Bakers have used unfinished baking boards and rolling pins since flour was invented. Gotta be a reason for that.


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## Woodwart (Dec 11, 2012)

I made one for a neighbour last year. (And now I have to make one for her sister!  )I finished it with mineral oil. She thinks it's fantastic. I did tell her a couple of times that she would need to replenish the mineral oil from time to time.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I've just carved a bunch of spoons, kitchen sticks, in birch. 
The prototype designs are "out for testing."
They all got a coat of drugstore mineral oil and sat for 2+ days.
Not hard to imagine the stickey, gooey mess if/when that finish comes in contact with dry flour.
I'd need a cabinet scraper to clean off the pasta board if it was finished with anything oily.
I have to flour a bare dry surface for pasta work.
Just a little note: pasta machines are dry. 
Splash on a little flour with a dry brush and get rolling.
Pasta machines are never meant to be washed. 
They don't get wet in process and the water ruins the gear sets inside.
Any flour mixed with residual water droplets in there and the machine is ruined.


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## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

Maybe a film finish is better than no finish? Something food safe, like Salad Bowl finish?


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