How do you get pizza off the peel?

Grillin' on Wheels

First, thanks to Kasey and Julie for encouraging us to try our first pizza. I put the dough on the peel and it slid around fine. Put stuff on it... took it to the Egg, and it wouldn't slide off. Could it be dough too thin? too much stuff on it? not enough flour under it?

I'd appreciate your suggestions!

Ken

cookn biker

Cornmeal should solve the problem.

smokeybreeze

(1) your dough needs to be relatively dry on the surface

(2) use salt, corn meal, grits, or other inert non-highly moisture absorbant material on your peel before you put your dough on it

(3) don't roll your dough too thin such that you negate the above 2 steps

(4) tell us more so we can help you with your specific problem

-smokey

Little Chef

Ken: First, it was awesome to meet you at the Fest! Thanks for attending, and thanks for your smile! Glad you enjoyed!
I make sure I put a slight coat of flour/and or cornmeal on my peel, and I slide it around between each step. (Add sauce...jiggle...add cheese...jiggle...add topping...jiggle...etc) Should slide right off for you if you keep it moving during building. Hope this helps!

Grillin' on Wheels

Thanks for the ideas... I plan to try again tomorrow so I'll let you know how it goes. They say, "the more you practice, the better you get", huh?

Carolina Q

semolina is awesome (instead of corn meal or flour). you don't need much and it's like ball bearings. and nowhere near the residue corn meal leaves. some build the pizza on parchment paper and slide it, paper and all, onto the stone. others use a pizza screen. me? I don't like parchment paper or screens. semolina for me.

Oh, and shake the peel from time to time as you're building the pie. helps to keep it from sticking.

SkySaw

What do you not like about parchment? The other options seem like a pain compared to parchment, but if there is a good reason, I would change.

Mark

Hoss

Parchment Paper.Works EVERY time.You can slide the parchment out from under the pizza after it has been on the stone a coupla minutes. Put the parchment on the peel,make pizza,transfer to stone, then remove parchment after a minute or two,retrieve pizza from stone with peel when it's done.

smokeybreeze

To really get the hang of this, you might want to volunteer at a local (non-chain) pizza joint to make pizza for them on Thu, Fri, Sat, or Sun night.

I put myself through college doing such crazy things and really learned what a good dough feels like, and the techniques needed to make a great pizza. That was 30+ years ago and I'm still tuning the results to my 'ideal'.

If your dough isn't talking to you, or you aren't listening to it, you're probably not doing something right.

There's 'art' involved in the 'science' of cooking.

Carolina Q

I find that, unless i pull the parchment out from under the pizza after a minute or two, the crust is not as crisp as it should be. and i'd rather not be bothered with pulling the paper. more trouble than it's worth. semolina is awesome!

smokeybreeze

Yup! Practice makes everything better.

Personally, I don't use corn meal, grits, or anything like that on my peel. My raw pizza/crust slides off my wood peel just fine, whether the crust is cracker thin or thick bread-like.

Let your dough talk to you (and listen to it).

Ripnem

Ken,

I use a little corn meal on the peel and then be sure and give the peel a little shake while you are building the pie so it doesn't get a chance to stick. It's a PIA at first but well worth the hassle.

SkySaw

I guess I'll give semolina a try. See if the crust is better.

Mark

Hoss

Watch that dude,he eats chopped pork! :laugh:

Basscat

Cornmeal or Semolina flour will act like ball bearings and it will slide right off. Dust off the stone between pizzas to get rid of any burnt bits.

Ripnem

Hoss,

What's chopped pork? :huh:

SkySaw

Isn't it the same as pork chop?

Hoss

It's what they eat "up yonder"! :laugh:

Hoss

NOT EVEN CLOSE! Unless you run your pork chop through a grinder before eating it! :laugh: Just Kidding CQ!

Grillin' on Wheels

That's a great idea. I'm gonna' check around. Thanks.

Grillin' on Wheels

Thanks for the suggestion... I may at least try this until I "get the hang" of it.

Carolina Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj8M6KOkyw8

Up yonder, Hoss? I believe Chris Lilly is from Alabama. I guess if you were in Florida, even 'Bama would be "up yonder". :laugh: :P

Mickey

Hoss I do it just like you. It only takes one real sticky pizza to send you back to the paper. On for a couple of min's and pull paper; still get the crust you want....

Spring Chicken

Super Peel is a pretty cool idea, especially if you are doing multiple pizzas or other dishes. I have one.

Check it out: http://superpeel.com/

And be sure to watch the video:

http://superpeel.com/videos.html

Spring "Super Peeled" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Hungry Celeste

I'm in the build-on-parchment camp, and I too slide the 'za off the paper once it sets. I would like to be able to prep the pizza right on the peel & get it onto the stone, but that would probably require me to top the pizza outside next to the egg. If I do it in the kitchen then schlep it outside to the egg, it always seems to stick.