trouble getting the pizza to slide off the peel

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: trouble getting the pizza to slide off the peel

I ALWAYS bake my hearth breads (wfo or kitchen oven on baking stone) on parchment paper. It only burns a tad at the tips by the time I remove the bread. I do my final proofing on floured parchment (the brown kind you spend way too much money for at Whole Foods ) usually cut to shape because my baking stone gets crowded with 3 loaves and I don't want a parchment edge poking a loaf. When the bread rises, I can pull the edge of it with the dough onto a small flat peel (or flat tray) and then use the parchment paper tip again to slide it onto the baking stone.

This way, I never jiggle and deflate my loaves . AND it gives me a way to 'spin' the loaf while its baking if a side gets too brown or they need re-arranging.

Also, I agree with everyone about rice flour: once I discovered it, I've never had ANY pizza stick to anything. And it doesn't burn or give off any flavor to the bottom of the pizza.

[tusr18a]

Re: trouble getting the pizza to slide off the peel

When I started this journey, I used parchment paper all the time. The pizzas came off the peel with no trouble at all. While the parchment paper turns a little dark, it never caught on fire for me. As you start to feel more comfortable with a peel, challenge yourself not to use the parchment. It is expensive and ultimately a step that is not needed. To ensure the pizza does not stick to the peel when not using parchment paper, these are the tricks that I use. First, I always lightly flour the peel. I then knock the edge of the peel against my work surface to remove any excess flour. After placing the stretched dough on the peel, you need to work fast. The longer your dough sits on the peel, the more likely it will stick. After you have built the pizza, shake the peel very fast with a forward and backward motion ensuring that the same amount of energy goes into the forward and back stroke. If done quick enough, you will see the pizza stay in the same location on the peel. After a few strokes, you will also see the pizza moving freely on the peel. Once you have that free movement, you are ready to head to the oven door. Using this method, my pizzas slide effortlessly off the peel. Practice makes perfect. The real pros do not build the pizza on the peel. They do the construction work on a granite surface. Then the move the pizza onto the floured peel for quick delivery to the oven. My confidence has not reached that level yet. There seems to be a real art to pulling the dough just right so it evenly moves from the granite work surface to the peel. Hope this helps!

[hansvdb]

Re: trouble getting the pizza to slide off the peel

I use the wood peel to make the pie, liberally dusted with flour. As I build it I give it a little shake ever once in a while to see if it is sticking. If it has toppings I sprinkle a little extra flour near the edge and slide a cake icing spatula with a sawing motion under the dough, until the dough is free again. I like the cheap cake spatulas since they have a thinner steel. I have one in the prep area and one by the oven, since I give it one last shake before it hits the oven floor.