Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

[heliman]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

I once stretched 30 x bases ahead of a party and separated them with baking paper. Just before cooking started I checked and found them all fused into one sticky mess and completely unusable. Fortunately I had a few trays of lasagne as a backup which turned out fine. I hadn't actually mentioned that we were having pizzas so nobody knew that there was a problem - except me!

[GrahamG]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

Got the pizza oven too hot, so hot that once I put a garlic bread in and turned round to cut a finished pizza the garlic bread was black!

I have learnt to keep checking as it cooks at 550C in around 3 minutes!

[daryls]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

#2 pizza stuck to the peel just enough that the toppings slid off the pizza and on to the floor. I learned that you need to use a fair amount of flour and keep the pizza movable when you approach the oven. Pretty easy clean up though. Just raked a few coals over the floor area and let it self-clean.

That happens to me all the time, toppings falling off the dough when inserting the peel in the forgo. Easy solution was to cook dough only for 1 minute and then add toppings. Works like a charm every time.

[GrahamG]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

Instead of flour, use semolina, but not too much as it burns and would taint the pizza!

Bearing like tiny ball bearings, it is easy to get the pizza off the peel

Graham

That happens to me all the time, toppings falling off the dough when inserting the peel in the forgo. Easy solution was to cook dough only for 1 minute and then add toppings. Works like a charm every time.

[navyintel]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

I did many small pizza bakes and they came out great. Then I got cocky and tried to do 20 pizzas for my neighbors Super Bowl gathering (he paid for all the stuff).

I had a great pattern for making the the pizzas then putting them on the peel and sliding them into the oven. Except for the one that I did a little differently and move left when I should had stayed still and the raw pizza hit the dirt face down with everyone watching.

No excuses. Once you have set up an assembly line, do not break the pattern. Just keep doing the same thing over and over and all should go well.

Also, Have 2 peels. If one gets sticky or gets some sauce on it, you can give it to a bystander to clean. It gets them involved and keeps the whole thing going.

If I could have it my way, I would have one person making the pizzas and I would be at the oven. The through put would increase by 100% - better pizzas faster.

[david s]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

If you're really trying to crank out pizzas fast (around 2 mins) I've found you really need two people prepping and one at the oven.To roll the dough and prep a pizza in 90 secs is pretty hard. Having two people working at it ensures you always have a pizza ready to cook. I usually manage the oven, dress, cut and plate the pizzas. If your oven is large enough to cook more than one pizza at a time then you may need three people prepping to get them out fast.

[dakzaag]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

Thread needs a bump.
I was cooking for a large group who were preparing their own pizza's with some direction from one experienced pie maker. All was well until a good friend of mine brought out his second pizza and he had loaded it up about 2" deep in the middle. All night we had been preaching to keep the pizza's lightly topped, but this guy is a big guy and he said to me, " I like my pizza loaded"

I knew what I should have done, but I was just the cook, not the host so I dutifully put it in. 1. wouldn't slide off the peel, way to top heavy and sat on the peel while he piled it on. 2. Oven was cooling off a bit, we had been through about 25 pies by then and I was keeping a good fire going, but it had cooled off some. 3. couldn't turn, I had to do the half flip cause the center was still soft and doughy.

He ended up with an under cooked calzone which he happily devoured, and I learned to just say no when a pie is going to ruin my oven floor. I had to stop cooking and rake coals over the mess to get the floor back into shape for more pies. It took about 10 minutes, and no one was really upset, but I kicked myself for not knowing better. If that had happened in the first ten minutes, it would have been a long night with a sticky floor.

I have a saying I tell everyone. If the pie won't shake on the peel, it ain't going into the oven.

[Spunkoid]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

Not sure what you call it, but I have a tool that looks like an elongated cake server that I slide under the raw pizza to loosen it off of the peel. As I slide the peel in the oven, I give a little lift to the pizza so that it slips off of the peel much easier. Works very well even for those heavy over loaded pizzas. Not sure if I am explaining it that well so I might need to make a little video of this technique.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

Then there's this little tool, which can accommodate 2-3" depth of toppings, not to mention a hamburger, loaded fries, whatever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaoAsvI-xLQ

[vertigopilot]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

Then there's this little tool, which can accommodate 2-3" depth of toppings, not to mention a hamburger, loaded fries, whatever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaoAsvI-xLQ

That ain't no pizza peel. That's a yard sign.

Friends don't let friends load pizzas into their ovens with yard signs.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

Friends don't let friends load pizzas into their ovens with yard signs

I agree. I would never let one of those into my backyard, but hey, to each their own.

[Harborganics]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

Step back from the pizza tray! Please don't use a tray. :-)

Just keep practicing using enough flour on your pizza peel. Cooking pizza directly on the floor is the only way to go. It's the best part.

What type of peel are you using, and what are you using to keep your pizzas from sticking?
James

I'm using a stainless steel peel and semolina flour, just about slides off the peel just great, very little sticky moments

[pizzaco]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

When it comes to pizza not sticking on peel which peel is recommended - wooden or Aluminum.

Would this be a good choice: Pizza Peel: Professional Aluminum 13-inch Rectangular, 20-inch Handle

Any good wooden peels suggested

[hodgey1]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

I personally think everyone should own two different peels. One wooden for building and launching pies into the oven and another, metal banjo style for turning and removing pies form the oven. The wood is the best way to go to keep from having a pie get stuck, just make sure to lubricate it with semolina and not let it sit too long before going into the oven.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

I do not own a wood peel, never have. I have the one shown above, but slotted, and a small turning peel. The metal slotted peel is superior, IMO.