Pizza Sticking to Peel???

wmd36

I often have a hard time getting the pizza off the peel into the EGG. I use corn starch on the peel before I work the dough out, but it is still difficult to get the pizza off the peel and on to the egg at times.
Does wax paper help? And do you leave the wax paper on the Egg during the cook or not??
Any help here would much appreciated, thanks Guys and Gals!!

Chief Chef

I use corn meal, not corn starch and use parchment paper, not wax paper. Parchment paper can stay on under the pizza, keep it trimmed close to the edge of the pizza.

Carolina Q

corn STARCH? do you mean corn meal? I like semolina instead, but either should work. no corn starch though. also, while building the pie, periodically shake the peel a bit to keep it from sticking.

and no wax paper! if you want to go that route, use parchment paper. you can slide the pie, paper and all, onto the stone. after a couple of minutes, pull the paper out from under the pie and let it finish cooking directly on the stone.

MCR

WMD,

I agree with both previous post, corm meal over corn starch, and parchement paper.

Shaking the pie so it does not stick to the peel is important or simply loading on the peel at very last.

Depending on the dough or/and topping, sometimes, I would do the pie in a pizza plate and put both the plate and the pie in the egg together. After few minutes of cooking it would pull the plate and keep the pie in to get a nice brown crust. Pliers are required. The plate make it easy to transport the pie, delivery into the hot environment of the egg, could be done very quickly. The dough being partialy cook make it extremely easy to remove the plate.

Happy cookin'

The Naked Whiz

Use corn meal, not corn starch. Also, don't leave the pie sitting on the peel for very long without giving it a quick shake to loosen the dough. Don't use wax paper. Use parchment paper. You should find it near the wax paper in any good supermarket. The edges of the parchment might burn, but it will work just fine. But the main thing is not leaving the dough sitting on the peel for very long without the quick shake.

fishlessman

my peel is unfinished wood, has alot of cut marks from cutting pies on them. i rub AP flour into the board and the cut marks hold some extra, build the pie fast and shake the peel often to keep the pizza loose. everyone uses corn meal, i dont really like it with my pizza. my pies are really thin, i get 3 14 inch pies from a dough ball which may make it easier for the flour to work

Spring Chicken

Two posts down I mentioned the Super Peel. Check it out.

http://superpeel.com/index.html

Spring "Super Duper Pizza Scooper" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Fidel

there's the key - rub some flour into the board, then if you prefer put a little extra flour or corn meal on top of that. The flour rubbed into the board will keep the moisture in the dough from causing it to stick to the peel.

vidalia1

Get 2 of these and don't worry with the peel or any of that other stuff. You make the pie right on the pan and place the pan right on the pizza stone...easy peasy...no muss no fuss

http://www.target.com/AirBake-Pizza-Pan-15-75/dp/B000063SKU

Gabe

I agree with the other poster about semolina. It's like a tiny ball that allows the pizza to roll off the peel. Of course, also make sure you have no holes in the dough.

dhuffjr

Agreed. I give the bottom of the rolled crust a little extra flouring too. A local pizza joint has a salted crust so I sometimes use coarse salt as a 'lubricant' for the peel. The quicker you make the pizza and get it on the Egg the less chance you have of sticking as Doug said though.

Grandpas Grub

 
Hopefully you are not using corn starch. Cornmeal will work fine if you put enough on the peel. I don't like the cornmeal as it will burn and have a hard crunchy taste if not brushed/rubbed off of the bottom of the pie. Excess cornmeal will also be on the pizza stone and fall down into the lump bed.

Airbake pans work well. Flour on the peel will work, my peel is wood and I have to rub the flour over the peel as opposed to sprinkling on the peel.

Wax paper, again hope you are meaning parchment paper. You don't want 'wax' on your hot pizza stone.

For me the easiest method is to build the pie on a piece of parchment paper, slide the peel under the parchment and parchment and pie onto the hot pizza stone. The paper may look burned when the pie is done which is fine. Peel under the done pie and onto the counter. I cut on the peel.

Welcome to the forum.

GG

wmd36

when using parchment paper, is it necessary to use corn meal between the pizza and the paper??

Fidel

not necessary, and in my opinion not even preferred. Some people like the extra crunch from the meal, I personally do not.

Bacchus

I am of the opinion that parchement will at least partially prevent the stone from doing its job and therefore hinder the crisping of the crust.
I use a pizza screen or sometimes airbake pan as Vidalia linked to, but I pull it out from under the pie after 2-3 minutes of baking once the cust has started to solidify. When the pan/screen has cooled, the pie is about ready. I slide it back under(easier than it sounds) and remove.

davehemp

What Spring Chicken said... All that extra flour and/or corn meal does a pie no favors regarding texture and taste - the less, the better, imo...and agree that while parchment paper works, it partly blocks the purpose of the stone. Lastly, is the Air Bake thing really supposed to be used at temps higher than that of an oven? I know many folks cook their pies at 500, but many of us want 600-800 degrees... I'm happy with my SP.

vidalia1

I cook my pies at 500-800 degrees and use my Air Bake pans all the time...I have had them for 3 years and all is well...

The Naked Whiz

No, when the pizza is done, it will not be sticking to the parchment in the least.

Bacchus

I cook mine around 700, and yes I did warp the heck out of an aerated pan I bought at Wally, but not till after many uses. My screens from Restaurant Depot are holding up well.

BigBadger

Good info here. I use either a fine corn meal or just a bit of extra flour cuz G has corn related reactions. A little shake now and then while assembling the pie and all will be good!! Good luck!!

Dimple's Mom

I use parchment all by its lonesome. It can be pulled out from under the pizza fairly quickly after putting it on there.

Hillbilly-Hightech

I agree w/ the Chicken - I have the Super Peel, and it works as advertised - I am satisfied w/ it. It's a good idea.

After receiving it though, I didn't realize it's simplicity, and if you have the least bit of handyman skills, you could make your own Super Peel by cutting a slot in a Peel w/ a router & getting a piece of fabric & wrapping it around the peel & usting some type of clip to hold it there - that's really all it is (I don't know why I was expecting something more elaborate or complicated, but I guess I was)...

On a side note, a cool update would be to fabricate a peel which had a battery-operated automated slide (push a button & the slide rotates, much like a treadmill)... hmmmmm, my engineering mind starts to dream :P

MemphisQue

I know a lot of folks on the forum use parchmant paper. I have had good luck just using corn meal on the both the peel and the pizza stone. The pizza will slide right off the peel and onto the stone.

LinebackerU

wmd36 wrote:

I use corn starch on the peel before I work the dough out, but it is still difficult to get the pizza off the peel and on to the egg at times.

I'm assuming that you mean corn meal, but are you spreading corn meal on the peel, putting the ball of dough on the peel, and THEN kneading/stretching the dough on top of the peel? That would just incorporate all of the corn meal into the dough - that's not what you're trying to do.

PhilsGrill

Others have probably said this but it's corn meal not corn starch.

Grandpas Grub

 
No... I haven't used corn meal in 10 or so years now.

GG