Homemade Pizza Peels

[Tscarborough]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

If you find yourself not needing one of those....

[scottz]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Im with Tscar....if you have a spare one. I wonder how it would go in the mail to Australia though??

[Grimaldi]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Thanks for all of the positive feedback...if I can be of assistance to anyone wanting to make them, feel free to ask.

[BrickStoneOven]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Grimaldi your killing me with the peels. The newest one I think is the best one out of the three, great craftsmanship as always.

[dusty]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Wow! Those are beautiful! Almost to nice to use. I am thinking that you would be a fantastic canoe paddle builder!

dusty

[Grimaldi]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Had the opportunity to use one of the peels tonight, the 12" x 16". Made four pizzas, and successfully laid them in the oven right where I wanted them...and they slid off like butter. I know this won't sound like much to the experienced pizzaiolo, but getting the pizza to slide off the peel has been a source of frustration (and motivation to make my own peels), and not just since the WFO has been finished. When I made pizzas on the grill with a pizza stone...failure, when I made pizzas in the kitchen oven on a pizza stone...failure. Never once did they slide off the cheap pine peel I had...it was like the thing had claws

After the successful maiden flight, I cleaned the peel with a damp sponge and dried it carefully, then gave it rubbing of coconut oil as a reward. One problem solved...now if I can just get the dough to taste better than shoe leather, I'll be well on my way

[Tscarborough]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Post your recipe, plenty here can advise. I have always been happy with my (evolving) mix, but I have it pretty much locked down as a base, and it is good. I am actually eating the pizza bones (outer crust) which I have never done with any pizza.

[Grimaldi]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Post your recipe, plenty here can advise. I have always been happy with my (evolving) mix, but I have it pretty much locked down as a base, and it is good. I am actually eating the pizza bones (outer crust) which I have never done with any pizza.

My recipe is kind of what I think is the standard:
1000 grams flour
630 grams water
20 grams salt
6 grams yeast

The flour I used was an All-Purpose organic flour I picked up at Costco...I think it is called Central Milling (hard red wheat). I made two 1000 gram batches to experiment, one with bread machine yeast (fast acting dry yeast) and the other active dry yeast.

I made the dough in the late morning and let is rise about an hour and half for the fact acting yeast and about 2 1/2 to 3 for the active dry yeast. Then made the dough balls (220 grams or so) and let them proof for about an hour...then refrigerated until a little before baking.

I have a lot of dough left and I'm going to see how it works tomorrow and then again the next day. Hopefully it will improve. The crust was pretty tough...ok flavor. Lots of room for improvement.

[dmun]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Your recipe is correct for the active dry yeast, for instant yeast you want to cut the amount down to four grams. Your bread machine may be overworking the flour. How long did you refrigerate the dough? One final question, you didn't reform or kneed the dough ball before stretching it out? That's a sure way to turn dough into rubber band consistency.

I'm not familiar with the flour you're using, maybe others can comment.

[Grimaldi]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Your recipe is correct for the active dry yeast, for instant yeast you want to cut the amount down to four grams. Your bread machine may be overworking the flour. How long did you refrigerate the dough? One final question, you didn't reform or kneed the dough ball before stretching it out? That's a sure way to turn dough into rubber band consistency.

I'm not familiar with the flour you're using, maybe others can comment.

I used my 4 1/2 Q Kitchen Aid mixer (now the gears are stripped and I will be mixing by hand for the foreseeable future) to mix and knead the batches...at the most 10 minutes. Then let it rise as I described above. After the rising, I did not knead or reform the dough ball (I'm unfamiliar with the term reform...probably part of the problem). Somehow I thought I was supposed to handle the dough ball gently.

This was two batches of dough with different rising times due to the different yeast, so they were in the refrigerator different times before baking...maybe 2 1/2 hours for the fast yeast batch and an hour for the active yeast batch.

I need to get this down to a more precise process - I didn't really prepare properly - I used what I had on hand, which is the reason for the different yeast. Also, any recommendations on the yeast...active yeast versus fresh yeast?

Thanks

[BrickStoneOven]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

After you made the peel did you use and food safe mineral oil on it? After seeing your peels I am having one made by my uncles friend.

[Grimaldi]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

After you made the peel did you use and food safe mineral oil on it? After seeing your peels I am having one made by my uncles friend.

I used organic cold pressed coconut oil...a very stable oil and more than food safe. Mineral oil is fine also, I've used it before on cutting boards. Walnut oil is another good oil for cutting boards and peels.

Glad to hear you are getting something made! Looking forward to seeing pictures.

[BrickStoneOven]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Ok Thanks.

The peel might look a lot like one of yours... don't worry I'll pay royalties.

[Grimaldi]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

Ok Thanks.

The peel might look a lot like one of yours... don't worry I'll pay royalties.

You do understand royalties need to be paid in advance, right?

I did mention in my description about using wood "biscuits" between the lateral joints...I want to emphasis that. Just the lateral "strips" glued together will not be the optimum choice. The "biscuits" will give the joints real strength...I used 3 per joint (that came out to 24 biscuits per peel on the two with 1" 1/2" strips...and one of the reasons I went with 2" strips on the last one, which came out to 18 biscuits on the last one and it was the biggest). Images below.

What kind of wood are you using and what thickness?

[BrickStoneOven]

Re: Homemade Pizza Peels

I know I asked you before, but not counting the coconut oil you used, did you use another sealent? Or did you glued the pieces together, sand then coconut oil. The reason I am asking is because the place I am having make my peel has never made one before so they don't know if they have to seal it or not. I told him I talked to someone(you) who said he just used coconut oil, I just wanted to make sure.

Is this the type of coconut oil you used? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...6H6W0BH3P9MX6P

Sorry for all being kind of annoying.