Peel Issues

[bickett]

I have recently used a new technique which has caused trouble sliding pies off of the peel I use. More accurately, it's not sliding them off as much as keeping the toppings stable:

Recently I started using small mozzarella balls on the pies. Unfortunately the balls completely loose position after hitting the oven and in more problematic instances, roll onto the oven surface.

This particular problem seems utterly remedial and silly however repositioning the mozzarella in the oven has caused a few burns and an interrupted process.

I assumed someone might have a suggestion or technique they could offer,

thanks,

Bickett

[Modthyrth]

My instinct would simply to be to cut the balls of mozzarella in half. Anything round and rolly seems inherently troublesome when quickly slipping the pizza off the peel. I'm still in the process of building my oven, so I can't offer more sophisticated peel technique advice yet, I'm afraid.

[bickett]

Thank you,

I certainly considered this method however I was worried the balls would cook to quickly and potentially burn the cheese.

though I must say, I have not yet tried it. I'll give it a shot.

thanks again,

Nathan

[Frances]

Maybe if you put the balls on right at the beginning, and the tomatoe sauce and whatever afterwards. I don't know how the pzza would turn out, but it'd give the balls something to catch up against before rolling onto the cooking surface.

[dmun]

Talk about toppings wiggling off, I got a request for an egg in the center of the pizza, as they do in Europe. What a mess: by the time i got it off the peel, there was egg all over creation. On a second try i ladled the raw egg on after the pizza hit the brick: The pizza cooked a lot more quickly than the egg did. It was rather charred before the egg set up.

[berryst]

This is what I do in pizza land

Toppings first particularly feta ...because it rolls

Grated cheeses last.

Then I press the cheese over the toppings with open faced hands. The result is a sorta formed cheese dome that hold all the ingredients together. I believe the end product with the cheese on top is better. The topping are locked in place and don't roll off when the Peel loads the pizza

Works for me

berryst

[Wiley]

So does anyone know how they cook the egg in the center of the pizza? There's obviously a technique that they use that once one knows it, it is not a problem....anyone witness it being done?

Wiley

[PizzaPolice]

This is pretty simple. Cheese is last. You should use chunks as grated cheese will burn. I take the cheese hunks and squish them in my hand, then place them on the pizza. Don't press them into the pizza as you will lose your "wheels". Slide it right in. Occasionally, you will lose something off the pizza as it is loaded in. Don't sweat it. Just offer it up to the pizza gods. They appreciate it.

[asudavew]

Last night I started using just flour under my pizzas instead of the usual cornmeal. I had problems keeping toppings on too because the flour made the dough stick to the peel....

Somehow I remembered a video someone posted here a while back. It showed someone picked up the edge of the dough and blowing under it just before placing the pizza in.. I tried it and it worked great!
I blew under the dough and it immediately started sliding around.

Give it a try.

Dave

[ross]

i did my first pizzas this weekend after after the third one i found
a way of getting the pizza onto the oven floor..

My son was making very thin pizza on a wooden peel and then bringing them out to the oven.

with my left hand i placed this in the oven where i wanted it to cook
and with my metal peel in my right hand and angling the wooden
peel towards me placed the metal peel under the the front of the pizza and pulled the wooden peel towards me ..

the metal peel slips easy under any sticky pizza and places it exactly where you want it..

If that makes sense....