If you’ve ever used a pizza oven you know there’s a trick to getting it from the counter into the oven without spilling it all over the hot stone.
Fortunately, the crew at Grilla have spent months making pizza after pizza and have all the tips you need to know about how to launch a pizza.
What kind of peel should I use to launch my pizza?
The peel is the paddle that you put your pizza on to get it into and out of the pizza oven. It’s the most important tool you’ll have when making pizza, other than the oven of course. A good one will make it easy to build and drop off a pizza in the oven. A poor one will cause your pizza to stick sending your toppings flying, sauce all over the oven with your dough crumpled in the center.
Since there’s dozens of styles out there, we’ll point out the things you should avoid when looking for one.
- Use a solid and flat peel
- Your peel should have no holes in it or texture of any kind on the face. Any texture can grab the pliable pizza dough and cause it to snag. Your dough can ooze through the holes in a perforated peel, also causing it to catch and ruin your launch.
- Use a thin pizza peel
- The thicker your pizza peel, the heavier and harder it is to maneuver. Thin peels also slip under a pizza easier after it’s cooked. When you’re working with a compact space the added ease of use will keep mistakes to a minimum.
- The little things make a big difference
- A raised edge at the back of the peel and a thin tapered lip at the front are small additions that make a big difference. It helps keep the pizza from falling off the peel when pulling it out and makes it easier to pick up as well.
- Use a sturdy peel
- A sturdy peel will hold up to the heat and not bend under the weight of a large pizza. The last thing you want is the peel to bend right before you launch it and spill all over the stone.
- Use multiple peels
- Heat can be one of the more frustrating factors that ruins a pizza launch. You need an exceedingly hot oven to cook a pizza properly, but a hot peel will ruin your launch. If you have multiple peels it will give your initial one time to cool down while you use the second.
How do I keep pizza from sticking to my peel?
The two best ways to keep your pizza from sticking to your peel is to dust it with semolina flour and work quickly. Semolina flour is more hardy than other kinds and withstands the heat much better. That makes it the best flour to dust your peel with before putting on a pizza.
Unfortunately, even semolina flour can’t keep your pizza from sticking to the peel if you don’t move fast enough. The longer the pizza sits on the peel, the warmer it gets. The warmer your dough gets, the more likely it is to stick to your peel. Make sure you have all your toppings prepared in front of you, that way you can make the pizza quickly and get it in the oven ASAP.