Almost Pizza

Skids

Many have said that learning how to cook with the Big Green Egg is half the fun...and, I tend to agree. I've tried to make a pizza, for the second time, and ended up with something that looked more like a Calzone, for the second time. Both tasted fine, but I wanted a pizza, not a Calzone. I made the dough from scratch. I was very mindful to keep everything well floured, to include the pizza peel, the prep surface and the bottom of what was still then a pizza. I did not dally, tarry or delay in getting the dough filled with the ingredients and then placed on the pre-heated, corn meal dusted BGE Pizza stone (which sat on the BGE plate setter). The problem, now experienced twice, was that the pizza didn't want to come off the well floured pizza peel. I mean not even a little bit. I tried a spatula to encourage the tasty little pie to slide from the peel to the stone, but still no joy. I asked my amused, but supportive wife to grab some dough and help move our meal to the cooker; still no joy. As I lifted the pie and then pulled it toward the stone, it started to stretch and the innards started to spill. Frustrated, I folded one end over...thus the Calzone like pizza...and plopped it on the stone. Of course there was too much volume so cheese, sauce, onions and pineapple started to exit. Besides the fact that this happened twice (even though I tried a different approach the second time), my pizza stone is black (post scrapping) from the charred remains (some even got on my fire ring). As I said, the pizza (aka Calzone) tasted fine, but how do all of you move your home made pizza (remember, this is pizza dough from scratch...which may make a difference) from the prep area/peel to the stone and maintain "roundness"? Also, if you're feeling particularly benevolent, any advise on cleaning the stone/fire ring?
Skids

AZRP

Build your pizza on a sheet of parchment paper and it won't stick to your peel. -RP

Stanley

I vote with Randy - parchment makes the transfers incredibly easy.

Bacchus

Or use a pizza pan instead of a peel. You can slide it out from under the pie and off the stone after just a couple of minutes cooking once the crust has started to solidify a bit. The pan will cool while your pie finishes to you can handle it without gloves.
The flat, air bake style pan works very well.

Zippylip

Skids, your cornmeal is in the wrong place. Heavily dust the peel with cornmeal, forget the flour, that is for your worksurface only (flour is too powdery while cornmeal acts more like tiny ballbearings). Enough of the cornmeal will transfer onto the stone along with the pizza (which I don't really think is necessary anyway, once the dough hits a properly preheated stone it crisps enough to easily release itself). If you have the proper amount of cornmeal on your peel, you could put top your pie with a brick & it'll still slide effortlessly onto the stone. I too make all my dough from scratch & do not believe that has any effect on its slideability - cornmeal is King!

Skids

It's the story of my life: right string/wrong yo-yo. Of course, the corn meal was in the wrong place. Much thanks.

Zippylip

a word of caution, once your pie is built, be careful not to make quik lateral movements with the peel, your pie may end up on the floor - good luck & lets see some pictures

Fidel

I have taken to using pizza screens. They work as well as the parchment paper but I get a better crust.

Mickey

how do you get it on the screen from the counter? also once on the screen can it be moved?

Mickey

do you leave the paper on all the cook?

Mickey

is our plate setter up or down?

Zippylip

Mickey, what kind of dough are you using? If you are making your own, just stretch it out or roll it out (whatever your method is), then put it on the screen, then add your toppings & pop in on the stone or in your oven, that is the best part about the screen, it is it's own carrier, removes the need for a peel. If you are going to try the parchment method, I have seen many posts where it is cooked right on the paper. I have not ever done this method, rather in its place I just use a peel with cornmeal, slides around great & is very easy once you get the hang of it. Same thing, get your dough to pizza size, put in on the peel, then top it

Mickey

i have been doing on counter and moving ALL to the peel, that clears up alot!!!!!!!!!!

Zippylip

Here is the action shot of the naked pie on the peel, followed by pie sliding onto the egg, the cooked pie, then another use for the grid (I use it to pick the finished pie from the stone & carry back inside because I usually have another pie locked and loaded on the peel, sort of like planes on a runway):

Fossil Frank

Mickey
When you use corn meal on the pizza peel as you apply toppings to your pizza lift the peel with one hand on the handle and the other at the end of the peel and gently shake it and the pizza should slide around on the peel. If you do this after each topping the pizza should slide right off when you are ready to put it on the stone. My first couple didn't want to slide but now it works great every time. Good Luck
Frank from Indiana

Mickey

you are a cast of gentleman all. thank you

RU Eggsperienced

I use the Super Pizza Peel. This thing is incredible. I used it this weekend and picked a super thin crust up off of a Granite countertop and placed it onto the Pizza stone on a 500degree egg directly without even thinking about it. Check out the videos it is really easy.

Super Pizza Peel Videos

Consider this, you won't be sorry. I'm not!!