Feedback on a technique

[P3 Stoaker]

G'day All,
I've only had 3 pizza cook ups since my oven became usable, it's nearly finished. After looking through many posts I'm concerned a technique I've been using might not be the best. What I've been doing is rolling out the dough for all the pizza's to be cooked an hour or so before cooking starts. I cooked 12 last time and like many posts refer to we want a process which allows cooking of many pizza's efficiently. When it comes time to put the topping on the base, which has by then dried a little, I turn the base over and made the pizza on timber boards. I cut the boards out of plywood, they have handles and the pizza's easily slide off onto the oven floor. If we forget to turn a base over then it is very difficult to slide off. I will end up cutting out around 20 of these boards on which the pizza's are made, and served.
My question relates to the time the base sits rolled out and the drying of the upper surface. Is that to be avoided because the drying out of one side will negatively effect the base? I sure hope not, or at lease it only has a minimal effect as it's a terrific way to get the pizza directly on the oven floor and works really well. I found the bases rise again as well while the wait to be topped.
Whilst I didn't find it said directly, several posts sort of indicated not allowing the bases to dry out at all.
Appreciate and thoughts.
Regards
Greg

[P3 Stoaker]

G'day All,
I'm wondering if my question above was a little too descriptive. I'm not sure if what I've read suggests what I'm doing is the wrong thing. If pizza bases are rolled out a few hours before preparing and cooking pizza's, meaning the dough dries out somewhat, can anyone advise, is this bad practice ?
Kind Regards
Greg

[MarkJerling]

I don't know if it's good or bad Greg. Interested to hear what others say. For myself, I have tried pre-rolling but I now prefer to make dough balls for each pizza and forming my pizzas just prior to adding toppings.

[SableSprings]

Greg, I found that a lot of people like the process of shaping the pizza skin & putting on their own toppings...they consider that part of the fun of a pizza party. That said, I visited a pizza WFO on wheels business in CA & he pre-cooked the pizza skins just enough to set them & kill the yeast. The briefly cooked skins were then easily stored in a "box" until needed. If you're concerned about drying, just give each rolled out skin a light brush of olive oil after you place it on the board. Of course, how much drying occurs depends on how long you're leaving them and your local humidity. If it's working for you now, then I don't see a problem with the technique. Some folks are appalled to see pizza dough rolled out (bursts a lot of bubbles), but a little time/rising on the board bypasses that issue.

[P3 Stoaker]

G'day All,
Thanks Mark and SableSprings for the reply, I certainly appreciate the feedback. Turning the base just before topping the pizza makes all the difference and the pizza's slide of the wooden boards beautifully, thereby avoiding use of flour or oil etc so as to get the pizza's on the deck in the oven. I'm just settling on the technique before I go all out, cutting another 15-20 boards and fully committing. Seems very little to suggest avoiding this plan so I expect this will be my set up.
Kind Regards
Greg

[SableSprings]

Thanks for sharing this method. I'm very interested in how the extended time on the board for the batch of skins is going to work...maybe gradually upping your quantity of peel boards rather than making a bunch now & finding out you don't need or use them all... Please keep us posted.

[P3 Stoaker]

G'day All,
Thanks Mike, will do. 15-20 boards is probably not accurate, I have 4 boards, and will get another 9 or 10 out of the plywood sheet I purchased, meaning I'll have 13-14. Good thing is a sheet of 1/2 in plywood isn't too expensive. That should be enough to cycle the boards through from topping the pizza ( after turning the base over of course) , getting it in the oven, returning the pizza to the board once cooked and chopped, serving and returning the board to make the next pizza. I will get some tin trays but they will just be for holding the already rolled bases awaiting transfer to the boards. Of course this is just to cover big cook ups but I figure if I can manage that then my evening will be more enjoyable and smaller cook ups will be no problems. Once I have the set up sorted, including racks I'll let you know how its going.
Kind Regards
Greg