Review on Set of 3 Prepworks Multifunctional Dough Presses by Kenneth Martin

This is a set of three graduated size dough presses. They are 4, 5 and 6 inches in diameter. I personally use the largest, the 6" diameter, but the small ones work well too depending on what I'm doing. I just can't stuff the little ones that full. The largest holds about 3 tablespoons of filling. These dough presses are a quick and easy way to ruffle the edges of semi-circular pastries such as Russian pirozhki, Spanish/Portuguese spring rolls, fruit fillings, hand pies and medium sized pies. East and Southeast Asian samosas (which is technically a semi-circle manually formed into a cone and eventually a triangle, but I see no reason not to use this press - it saves time!). The first steps for each of the above pastries are the same. You either make dough from scratch by making yeast breads, tortillas, or pie dough, or you buy frozen unbaked buns or frozen pie dough. You can roll out the dough and cut it to a size suitable for a dough press, or shape it by hand into a flat round shape. Empanadas. For this I make dough with Masa Harina. Traditionally in India, chickpea flour (aka besan or chana besan) is used for samosa, but I haven't gotten around to using it yet. I tried both rolling out and cutting the dough using a 6 inch round stainless steel dough pan I have. It is also possible to use the bottom or the outside of these dough presses as a dough cutter, giving you the exact size you need. After some experimentation, I've personally found that simply shaping the dough works best for me. I find it faster and easier. For a 6 inch press I use 80 grams of dough and this amount gives the ideal width and depth of dough. I roll out the dough a little wider than the press. I lightly grease the press with oil so the dough doesn't stick to it, then I spread the shaped dough on the press (see photo). I use a scoop to place the filling right in the middle of the dough (see photo). Then I flatten the filling in an oblong shape in the middle of the dough (see photo). I slowly close the press and press to seal the edges. Then I open the press very slowly and carefully separate the edges of the dough so the two sides don't fall apart. With the press open at about a 45 degree angle, I gently push the bulbous center of the dough protruding from the hole where the press loop is located, forward and out of that hole. This is very important because when the press is fully open this hole will disappear and you don't want your dough to get stuck in this crack. I hand wash these dough presses to prolong their life. They're made of durable plastic, but I don't think it's worth the risk of them breaking from hits and excessive heat in the dishwasher. All in all, this is an amazing little product!