Can I Roll Out Pastry on a Quartz Countertop?

While quartz occurs naturally in granite stone, quartz countertops are man-made. Manufacturers remove the quartz from granite rock and crush it. They mix the crushed quartz with resins and pigments for a product that is from 93 to 95 percent quartz and 5 to 7 percent additives. Quartz countertops are always cool to the touch, which is helpful when you roll out pastry dough. These countertops, however, do have some drawbacks when baking.

You can roll pastry dough easily on the naturally cold quartz. Sprinkle the countertop with flour if the dough is sticky. Transfer the dough to a cutting board if you plan to cut biscuits or individual pastries after rolling. While the surface is hard, you can damage it with a knife.

If your dough has liquid food coloring mixed into it, such as for red or green Christmas cookies, wash the countertop as soon as you are finished. Liquid food coloring is one of the few ingredients that stain quartz countertops, according to the Living Stone Surfaces website.

Clean your countertop with soap and water rather than chemical cleaners. A chemical cleanser may leave a residue that the dough could absorb. Quartz is nonporous, so there are no holes for germs to congregate. Additionally, some manufacturers treat the product with an antimicrobial application during processing.

Quartz counters do have seams, usually 1/8-inch wide, where the adjoining pieces meet. You cannot choose where these seams will occur since the material requires professional installation. Choose an area without a seam for rolling pizza or pastry dough. If you have a small area between two seams, then, if possible, halve the dough and roll one part at a time.