Peel question

[Les]

Is there any benefit to having a square peel? I have one, but I am considering making it round. I can see it being a little help with breads, but is it really necessary?

TIA,

Les...

[Jed]

Re: Peel question

Hi Les,

I have one of each, square and round.

For just about everything, the round is probably better....

I use the square on to put biscuits in the electric oven, so I will keep the one square one,, but if you aren't doing biscuits, round should do it all...

JED

[AnnieMacD]

Re: Peel question

Les, Square or rectangular peels are great for baguettes or any 'long' loaves - round doesn't really work. I have a specially made baguette peel so I can load 50cm (20") loaves and it's also great for loading a whole bunch of rolls at the same time. I can load two boules at the same time on the regular rectangular peel thus keeping the door off the oven for a minimum amount of time.
Annie

[Les]

Re: Peel question

Thanks Guy's! Annie, do you have a picture of that peel? If not, can you give me the dimensions? I can make just about anything and that sounds like a good tool to have.

Thanks,

Les...

[AnnieMacD]

Re: Peel question

Hi Les,

Here's a pic showing my regular peel - it's 12" by 16". I don't currently have a photo of the baguette peel but it measures 6" by 24".
Annie

[Les]

Re: Peel question

Annie / Jed,

You both mentioned putting in biscuits / rolls using your peel. I had an earlier thread about that, and the consensus was to leave them on a sheet (and that did work very well). How do you keep them from rolling all over hells half acre (because thats what they want to do) when you shake them off? Probably a dumb question but I'm new to this cooking thing - I built the oven because it was a cool project to do.

Thanks,

Les...

[gjbingham]

Re: Peel question

My guess that a peel is square soley because it gives you a little more working room on which to place the pizza. A round tool to turn the pizza works wonderfully once the pizza is a bit firm, but putting 12 inch unbaked pizza on a 12 inch peel would be challenging, to say the least. Just a guess.....
G>

[Mitchamus]

Re: Peel question

square peels are better for cleaning coals out of the oven for baking

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Peel question

Interesting, it seems like most of the peels I see and use are square??

The smaller round ones for turning while underway.

But it makes some sense to have a large round one....I wonder how many people have both and which they prefer?

[AnnieMacD]

Re: Peel question

I make a lot of ciabatta type rolls and bake them straight on the oven floor. I use two ways of getting them into the oven depending on how many I make and/or how loose the dough is. If they have been left to proof on parchment paper on sheets, I cut around a few at a time, put the rolls, still on the parchment, onto the peel and into the oven. After a few minutes, you can move them off the paper and remove it from the oven. If the rolls have been rising on a couche (linen cloth), I flip them on to a wooden flipper board (just a piece of thin wood measuring 750 mm x 125 mm (that's 29" x 5" for US)), slide onto floured peel and peel in normal way. I always put into the oven with a wooden peel and out with a metal one. You need to use a quite confident, agressive peeling technique to scoop them out! They are MUCH better than baked on a tray - I do however, bake croissants on trays - all that butter!

As for peels, round is fine if you are just making pizzas - but I would estimate it would need to be about 100mm greater in diameter than the biggest pizza - then the small turning peel is good for getting them out as the crust has formed. I would never use a wooden peel to remove coals - only the metal one. If you have the Forno Bravo set - the large metal one is good.

Hope this helps.
Annie