Need help using new pizza peel

[GayeC]

I am continually trying to make better pizza so have recently purchased a pizza peel. In the past I have formed my pizzas on a stone, then baked them. But, that doesn't give you the advantages of putting the pizza directly on a hot stone. So, I bought a peel -- but I don't know how to use it. The first time I tried it I was so afraid of the pizza sticking that I covered it with corn meal. Obviously, too much corn meal, because the pizza FLEW off the peel and hit the back of the oven, ending up squished onto the back half of the stone! Not a good thing. I did a little better with the second one but still have questions for you pizza experts:

How much corn meal should I use?
Do you form your pizza on the counter or a board, then move it to the peel? I tried to roll it out on the meal-covered stone, but that did not work at all. I'm not used to picking up/handling the rolled out dough, as I have always rolled it out on the stone.
What's the best technique for getting it off the peel?

TIA for any advice. Gaye

[SandyM]

Hi Gaye,

Congratulations on purchasing your peel! It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, I think you'll wonder why you waited so long to get it!

Now this is just my opinion, and I think you'll get various opinions on this topic. But this is tried and true for me. Hopefully it will help you.

I use semolina instead of cornmeal, since it's not as granular, and you can hardly tell it's on the pizza. Coat the peel lightly with semolina. By lightly, I mean I thoroughly cover the peel with semolina, but I can almost see the wood beneath.

Once my dough is raised, I roll it out on the counter lightly dusted with flour. I form the pizza to the size and shape I want it, and then gently pick it up and move it to the peel. You'll have to re-shape it a little bit at this point. Gently shake the peel back and forth to make sure the dough slides around slightly. If it doesn't move at this point, it surely won't move once you have added your toppings. You can remove the dough, add more semolina (or corn meal, whatever you're using) and put the dough back. It's very forgiving.

Once you have it situated, add your toppings. Before you put it on the stone (which hopefully has been heating in the oven for about 30 minutes), gently shake the peel. Hopefully it slides ever so easily.

At this point, I open the oven door and pull the rack out part way that has the stone on it. I put the tip of the peel toward the back of the stone, just tipping it at the slightest angle, and while you're gently shaking the peel, as it slides off onto the stone, pull it back. It should slide off easily, and start sizzling on the hot stone.

I hope this helps. Let us know!

[SusanT]

Gayle - If you get the Food Network, keep an eye out for the Good Eats about pizza. Alton Brown demonstrates how to get the pizza on and off the peel. It helped me tremendously.

Also a tip I heard from the lady on the Splendid Table, is to bake the crust on a pizza pan for a few minutes (just until it's set) then slide it off onto the stone to finish baking. You don't get to use the peel but it works pretty well.

[Laura B]

I have been using parchment paper, and it works beautifully! Just form the pizza on top of the paper and then trim the paper to leave an inch or so border around the pizza. You can then slide the pizza onto the peel and into the oven with no effort whatsoever. It also makes getting it out of the oven easy.

[RunnerKim]

I do not use much cornmeal - a sprinkkling of it - wouldn't say it covers the board - you see mostly the wood. I hand shape my dough on the counter. I don't like to use a rolling pin as we don't want the super thin crust and I like the texture of hand-shaped better. I just use my finger tips to work it out into a larger circle and once it's big enough I will put it on my knuckles and gently stretch it. It's important to let the dough rest so it's easy to shape. I do 10 minutes after I first punch it down/divide it into 2 balls. Then I'll shape it into a generally flat and round shape and let it rest another 5-10 minutes.

When transfering from the peel to the stone, keep the peel flat - parallel to the stone and use strong jerking motions to transfer it. Maybe make some breadsticks or focaccia and practice without having the heavier toppings on - I found the most important thing to making it work was confidence!

Kim

[gertdog]

Everything Sandy said. :)

And... I roll out the pizza dough on the counter. I transfer it to the peel by folding the dough round in half, then in half again. Lift and transfer to the peel, then unfold. Re-shape as needed. Then I top the pizza while it's on the peel.

As RunnerKim points out, I've found that having too much topping can make it harder to slide the pizza from peel to stone. One good way to practice is to make pizza flatbread... brush a round of dough with olive oil, rub with garlic, sprinkle with herbs and some parmesan, then bake (cut into thin pieces and serve like garlic bread). If you make two small rounds, you get two chances to practice, and if the dough slides off the peel wrong, you won't be burning up lots of topping on the oven floor.

Keep at it... I too have dumped a few pizzas into the back of the oven! :rolleyes: But baking it on a stone really does produce a great crust. It's worth it!

[GayeC]

Thank you so much for this advice! I knew that I could count on the folks on this BB to have exactly the information I needed!
Gaye

[GayeC]

I used so much corn meal the first time that, when the pizza flew off into the back of the oven, the corn meal fell into the bottom of the oven -- and caught fire! Actually, several small fires were blazing away at one time! It was a charming cooking experience.

I tried the suggested technique of practicing with focaccia first (AND using less corn meal). That worked well. Thanks.

[Beth]

LOL. I always thought I was pretty generous with the cornmeal, but sounds like you outdid even me. My technique is pretty similar to Sandy's, and I have used cornmeal, semolina and even rice flour (a local pizza shop tld me that's what they used and I had some on hand the next time we made pizza). The amount is similar to when you begin kneading a dough. You want enough to make sure it won't stick, but that's enough to lightly cover the surface unless your dough's a puddle.

I jiggle mine like Sandy described, and if after forming the pizza there is a puddle of flour of meal around the crust, I scrape it off into the sink so I don't have a lot of excess in the oven (there will still be some on the stone but fires are not likely). Just practice your jiggle! :D