We have soapstone and It is great to roll out dough. Zero maintenance unless you choose to oil them. We leave the island natural because dough picks up the mineral oil. I like the look of oiled soapstone so occasionally oil the perimeters but it is optional.

I love my Corian for rolling out dough. So easy to clean, and like marble, it stays cool so doughs don't get too soft.

We put solid cherry on top of the island in our last home. Wood salvaged from the famous ice storm that downed hundreds of thousands of trees in Quebec a few decades ago. I absolutely loved how it felt to work on. I also bake a lot and would roll and knead as well as chop, slice, everything, directly on it. I really wanted the convenience of not using chopping boards or pastry rolling sheets anymore (researched this to death to appease the skeptics and yes it is sanitary and safe!) and figured that if I decided i didn't like it getting a "patina" (aka all marked up), I could sand it and start fresh. Well I loved the feel of it and the look of it. We kept chopping boards only for onions and garlic so that their taste would not get into other foods. I did not finish mine with any kind of varnish, but did oil it from time to time if it started to look dry. I used whatever oil I had on hand, even the butter in pasty made it look amazing. We had a sink in ours as well and had no issues around the edges.

What is Corisn? Google keeps puling Corian pages.

I would guess its a typo, the "s" and "a" keys are next to each other. Corian.

That's what i was thinking but just to be certain as I've never heard of corona being a replacement for marble or staying cool for rolling out dough and other baking stuff.

Marble is also great for rolling out dough, etc. However, many (most?) marbles are softer and will nick/ding and stain. Many people consider this patina a sign of well-loved and well-used counters! If you're not one of those, then probably marble is out of the running.

If you go with wood, be sure any sealers, etc., you use are "food grade".

I have soapstone and roll dough on it all the time. I keep mine oiled so is nice and dark, but after oiling I wipe it down w/paper towel so its not greasy at all and dough doesn't pick up oil. I actually love oiling it - sometimes weekly, sometimes every few weeks. Its a nice, organic, feel and takes less a min or 2 to do. Downside is that the prettier the soapstone veining, the softer the stone. So it chips easy. I am not sure I would have it if I had young children. I have a few chips in it and I am very gentle with it. But the chips sort of blend in with the veining. They can also be sanded to blend more but I haven't bothered because chips are not obvious.

Of course, I always use food grade mineral oil.

Corian is great for dough. It cannot take hot baking pans straight from the oven. I have a galley kitchen with granite on the stove side and corian on the prep side. I would consider two different countertop materials. I really like mine.

I love my soapstone counters, but if you are drawn to wood, you should go with that. I think it's great for an island (not so great next to the stove or sink, unless you are very careful). But if it gets damaged or worn, it can be sanded and refinished/reoiled. And you can buy a portable marble slab if you need a cool surface for pastry.

Thank you all so much for your feedback. I appreciate advice from all you bakers out there.

I love my finished butcherblock, but I also just came here to post about a big burn they sustained from someone putting a hot pot down, so they do require SOME care around them! But they are inexpensive and very easy to maintain otherwise!

It was a typo - I have Corian. It is a joy to use with doughs. In fact, it's just plain a joy all around!