Getting the dough off the peel

[Pete-zza]

I was watching the Vito & Nick's video linked at http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/11/the-united-states-of-pizza-illinois-chicago-best-pizza-in-chicago-deep-dish-thin-crust.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+feedmeaslice+%28Slice%29, and noticed how the woman in the video, Rosemary, checks the condition of the pizza on the peel before loading the pizza into the oven. As can be seen at about 3:40-3:41 in the video, she holds the peel with her right hand and slaps the edge of the peel with her left hand to be sure that the pizza will slide.

Peter

[jerrym]

Pete-zza,

well impressed - both the video and your concentration.

i missed the "side tap" on the 1st go through and needed the timing 3:40 for the penny to drop. i can see i've been a tad too rough on a forward/back shake and need to adopt the sideways tap.

love the video of Vito and Nicks - a real pizza place for me.

ps the milk is interesting. i make naan bread a lot and trial and error led to using 0.33 of the water as milk - works a treat. something for me to keep in mind for future pizza dough.

[PaulsPizza]

Jerry,

This is the semolina I use from Sainsburys:
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sainsburys-price-comparison/Rice_Pulses_And_Grain/Natco_Semolina_Fine_15Kg.html

Paul

[jerrym]

PaulsPizza,

the plain semolina is now mixed 50/50 with 00 flour and it looks (feels) the business. i'm very hopeful of it working a treat.

i forgot the "Natco" name when i was in Sainsbury's and will have another look. i am pretty sure i'll get long term from an Asian shop i used regular.

appreciate the help.

[Lespaul20]

Lespaul20,

do you use the peel to transfer the dough onto the peel ie push it underneath the stretched dough. my ad hoc home made peel is too thick (3mm, 2/16") to push underneath and maybe something i need to look into.

No. I generally have the pizza in the air and plop is down on the peel after stretching. If not, I fold and lift it on to the peel. I always top while on the peel. Before I found this place I usually ended up making very wet dough and I would have to flour the peel excessively and/or use lots of corn meal. I still shake to double-check but it's generally it's not much of an issue now that I use better recipes and technique.

[jerrym]

Lespaul20,

appreciate the clarification. puts my mind at rest that i can stick with the home made ad hoc peel until i get the total process sorted.

[jerrym]

Try using a 50/50 mix, semolina to AP flour

Mick,

many many thanks. this worked a treat - a step improvement for me. the semolina really is a key tool - it's akin to a ball bearing in comparison to wheat flour.

[AimlessRyan]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned these things, but here are some ideas that are at least worth a try:

1) Make a slightly stiffer dough than your normal dough.
2) Let the top of the dough ball dry up a little before you use it, then use the dry side for the bottom of the pizza. It'll be a little ugly to your eyes, but it'll work. (I've noticed this a lot in NY.)

[Pizzaboyo]

I was watching the Vito & Nick's video linked at http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/11/the-united-states-of-pizza-illinois-chicago-best-pizza-in-chicago-deep-dish-thin-crust.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+feedmeaslice+%28Slice%29, and noticed how the woman in the video, Rosemary, checks the condition of the pizza on the peel before loading the pizza into the oven. As can be seen at about 3:40-3:41 in the video, she holds the peel with her right hand and slaps the edge of the peel with her left hand to be sure that the pizza will slide.

Peter

I do this too, it takes a bit of mastering though. It's not nice when your all ready to go and half your pizza ends up hanging off your peel  I also let a very tiny bit overhang the blade of my peel which "Catches" the stone and pulls the rest off the peel.

[acbova]

Another thought.. I just sanded my wooden peel.  It helped a bunch!

[Davydd]

Last night I tried the dental floss slide through just before dropping the pizza on the stone and it worked.

[carbon]

I've always done the sharp jolt with the palm of my hand before transporting the pie to the oven.

[squirreljam]

All good ideas so far but don't forget the bubble!  Before going to the oven, gently lift up one side of the pie and blow a little air under it, then drop the edge back down.  The "air-bearing" effect is great at keeping the dough from sticking.  Careful, though, as it can be too good and if you aren't cautious, you can slide the pizza off the peel on the way to the oven - now thatsa mess...

[jerrym]

i've now visited my local Asian store and found 3 types of semolina flour: fine, coarse, extra coarse.

i feel the sainsbuy's flour that i have is equivalent to the coarse (see pic).

in using the 50:50 mix i find the 00 flour gets absorbed on the peel but the semolina tends to remain as "little ball bearings". the question is would the extra coarse be the best for the next purchase.

the grain size may not be that critical - as the thing i've learned so far is that if the dough is not right (too wet or not stretching evenly) even armed with all the tricks trouble on the peel is inevitable.

[jonesyb]

sconosciuto,

real good words of wisdom - many thanks - i can see you've mastered this art.

thanks for the tip on the semolina - i'd pretty much come to the same conclusion having had to ask again in Sainsbury's today following a real good search of the world foods aisle. anyhow now sorted with a bag of semolina. i love indian stores myself and will most likely buy mine in future from same.

is there any optimum ratio of semolina to flour or just trial and error.

totally agree on that 1st shake after placing on the peel and the test before oven. i like the idea of oversize a little to compensate for the shrink back too.

for info sauce is at room temp (taken out fridge same time as dough boxes)

I have a bag of this. Is it not too coarse? Does this still count as semolina 'flour'?

Can I use this on my peel?

[enchant]

Good quality parchment paper is for wimps but foolproof up to 500 degrees.

I swear by parchment paper.  One big reason is that I have a 16" round stone and make a 16" pizza.  I have absolutely NO room for error.  Without the parchment paper, my pizzas tend to warp a bit as I shake them off the peel, so rather than have a perfect 16" round pizza, I'll have a 14x17 oval, and those of you who really know your math can see that 17 is bigger than 16, and there's cheese burning on the floor of my oven.  I think if I had a nice 20" stone, things would be different.  I cook my pizzas for 8 minutes at 550 degrees and get 3-4 uses out of each piece of paper.

Also, I've seen the blow-air-under-the-dough trick many times, but I've never had any luck with it.  My dough is very soft, and if I lift up an edge, the rest of the dough stays on the peel.  The sauce, cheese and toppings weigh it down, so I'm only blowing air under the 5% of the edge that I'm lifting.  Perhaps if I had an automotive pneumatic hose...

[jerrym]

I have a bag of this. Is it not too coarse? Does this still count as semolina 'flour'?

Can I use this on my peel?

i am using it 50:50 with 00 grade flour - works very well. the semolina seems to work as little roller bearings and the 00 flour keeps the surface dry.

[jerrym]

one thing i've noticed over a few batches is that i have a tendency to try and make the pizza diameter larger than the dough weight allows - consequently it's quite easy to occasionally get the dough sheet thin in places during the stretching/spreading out - then when the tom sauce is added this "wets" small areas of the sheet area causing localized sticking.

i'm gradually upping the thickness factor to compensate (0.09 to 0.1 to 0.11).

[artellan]

I swear by parchment paper.

enchant, do you leave the parchment paper under the pizza for the whole bake? Or take it out part way through?

I've been using parchment paper too and find that it's a godsend for making pizza. We usually invite friends over when I make pizza, so there's a lot of chaos during the whole operation (4-5 kids running around and we let the kids make their own pizza). The parchment paper really helps make things easier, but I do find that if I take it out after about 3 minutes, it cooks the bottom a lot better. (Just kinda take the pizza onto the peel for a sec, then pull the paper out, and put the pizza back on the stone.)

[enchant]

I leave it on the whole time.  I've tried experimenting with taking it out (I do like a crispy bottom crust), but half the time, I wind up screwing up the pizza.  I might try it again, tho'.  I think I've been trying to lift an edge of the pizza and pull the paper out.  Probably doing it the hard way.