Pizza Peels

[djamc]

I am having a lot of success with my pizzas w/ the exception of baking with the stone hotter than 750 degrees...  I'm using a lot of flour on my peel to stop sticking...  The peel I'm using is the Epicurean...  I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience with this peel versus others and can advise as to whether there is a little more stickiness inherent in this peel...


http://www.amazon.com/Epicurean-23-by-14-Inch-Pizza-Peel-Natural/dp/B000PRI3TS

Thanks,

Dan

[barryvabeach]

The super peel is great if you want to avoid sticking. http://www.superpeel.com/   I use it to load the pie, and use a regular peel to remove it.

[Patdf]

I sprinkle cornmeal on my peel and it slides off nice into the oven.
Good luck,
Pat

[Bill/SFNM]

I would recommend against using cornmeal in the case of the OP who is baking on a stone in excess of 750F. Cornmeal will burn quickly at that temperature giving the crust an unpleasant, acrid taste.

I do wonder why the OP is having sticking problems only when the stone is a certain temperature. What does the temperature of the stone have to do with the dough sticking on the peel? 

[Davydd]

I sometimes use cornmeal but prefer the course semolina flour. I usually leave a slight lip overhang of the crust to catch on the stone and it usually slides off easily. If I've made a fully loaded pizza which often takes more time to prepare on the peel I sometimes take some dental floss and slide under the crust to break it away from the peel just before sliding it in. I don't do that often but keep it handy. Give the peel a slight shuffle beforehand on the counter and you'll be able to tell if you are going to have any sticking problems.

[Don K]

I'm not sure that the Epicurean Peel is a good choice for a stone that hot. It is made of composite wood that won't just burn, it will melt. I have one and it does seem to have a little less friction than wooden peels, but I am only using it on a stone that is <550 deg.

[warrax]

Hello, please can you give me tip for good pizza peel? The size should be 33-34 cm.
The maximum temperature on my baking stone is 650F.
It should be used only to slide pizza to baking stone.
I've read here something, that some pizza peels are just better than other, and you even don't have to use flour under the dough.
I'm from Europe.

Thank you.

[rcbaughn]

I got mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond and it is just a simple wooden one, it was only $10. Most people use a wooden one to put the pizza in the oven, and a metal one to get it out since dough has a tendency to stick to a metal peel if you are prepping it on the peel itself. Maybe someone with more experience will chime in too and give you some advice, but this is what I've gathered from a lot of reading on this forum. Good luck!

[The Dough Doctor]

Dan;
What you have is what we call a composit peel. These are better than a metal peel, but not as good as a real wood peel when it comes to dough release properties. American Metalcraft www.amnow.com> has some very good wood peels at a reasonable price. They show a 12 X 13" blade X 22" long @$22.60 each (Item # 2212). Take a look at this and then check out a local restaurant supply house or kitchen store to see if you can pick one up locally. The peel dust that I use is made from equal parts of regular flour, fine grind corn meal, and semolina flour. Combined with the wood peel, it works like a champ.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[andreguidon]

GiMetal peels are the best.
http://www.gimetal.it/ 
www.gimetalusa.com/

[jonboy1544]

On the GI Metal peels, what is the difference between using the solid metal peels and the perforated style ones with holes?

[Bill/SFNM]

On the GI Metal peels, what is the difference between using the solid metal peels and the perforated style ones with holes?

Perforated ones allow for removal of excess flour on bottom of pizza.

[aeneas1]

Perforated ones allow for removal of excess flour on bottom of pizza.

moreover the perforated peels are noticeably lighter than the non-perfs...

[Matthew]

The one negative about the GI peels is that they nick very easily.

[Bill/SFNM]

The one negative about the GI peels is that they nick very easily.

Matthew,

How many times have I told you not to use the peels to "motivate" your employees?

[Matthew]

Matthew,

How many times have I told you not to use the peels to "motivate" your employees?

I know, but it does such a great job doubling as a human swatter that it makes it hard for me to resist.

[Bill/SFNM]

I know, but it does such a great job doubling as a human swatter that it makes it hard for me to resist.

Yep. You can swing a perforated peel with a higher velocity due to decreased air resistance, but there is something to be said for the increased mass of the non-perforated ones. I keep both handy and select based on how fast the employee is moving.

[Alligator]

I got mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond and it is just a simple wooden one, it was only $10. Most people use a wooden one to put the pizza in the oven, and a metal one to get it out since dough has a tendency to stick to a metal peel if you are prepping it on the peel itself. Maybe someone with more experience will chime in too and give you some advice, but this is what I've gathered from a lot of reading on this forum. Good luck!

I think I am using the same wooden peel as you.  Currently that is all I have so I put the pizza on the stone and take it off using the same wooden peel.  To help it not stick I rub a small amount of flour into the peel, filling all the small cracks and nicks.  This works pretty well for the dough I am using. KABF with 62% hydration.

[pizzaneer]

Yep. You can swing a perforated peel with a higher velocity due to decreased air resistance, but there is something to be said for the increased mass of the non-perforated ones. I keep both handy and select based on how fast the employee is moving.

Hmm. How about perforating a wooden peel?  Not only do you have more mass for the swat, but it's altogether a more satisfying sound - a big WHACK instead of that tinny SPANG sound.

Seriously, has anyone ever tried perforating a wooden peel like a GI peel?  I know, it would be harder to keep clean, but as far as getting the pies to slide nicely, it might work.

[The Dough Doctor]

We use wood prep peels all the time, and never really experience any problems with the dough sticking. The secret is in using a good peel dust. My own personal favorite is equal parts of flour, fine cornmeal, and semolina flour. I don't like straight flour because if it gets damp it will cause the dough skin to stick like glue. Both the corn meal and semolina flour act like little ball bearings under the dough skin to help it slide off of the peel. If you're into it, try using wheat bean as a peel dust too. It works great since it doesn't absorb moisture well at all and is just the ticket if you're going to be letting the dressed pizza sit around for any length of time on the prep peel.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor