Aluminum or wood?

[JoeyVelderrain]

What type of peel works best. I am using an aluminum one and have only had one pizza stick to it thus far. Do you find the wooden ones stick less?

[Alter ego]

I only have an aluminium peel and have had a few pizzas stick to it so I would also like to know if a wooden one is easier to use. I have only just started making pizzas in my oven so maybe I just need more practice to know how much flour to use on the peel and to get the action right?

[david s]

I use a wooden one to prepare and to put the pizzas in with, while the stainless steel one is used to remove or turn them.

[Wiley]

I too build my pizzas upon a wood peel. Once in the WFO an aluminum peel is used to turn and remove. I have had very little problem with sticking to the wood peel and use rice flour as my non-stick/lubricant.

When placing bread I also use my wood peel unless the size/quanity is large (say a half dozen rolls at one time) and then I use my large aluminum peel with baker's parchment.

Hope this helps,
Wiley

[Nabber86]

I agree with the posts above. Use a wooden peel to build and transport the pie to the oven (dont forget a little corn meal under the crust to make it slide off) and a metal peel to remove from the oven. You need serveral peels in you collection anyway. Get several wooden peels so you can make several pizzas in a row. THen just one steel peel is needed to retrive the pies.

[JoeyVelderrain]

so is there any treatment that can be done to a wooden peel to help it be nonstick?

[Les]

Since I made all my metal peels - I figure I should make some out of wood as well. How thick are they and what type of wood is usually used?

Les...

[Fairview WFO]

I use GI Metal perforated peel to load and it works great, but you have to scoop a little flour first and then load the pizza.

Watch this video and he shows how to use them.

YouTube - Pizza Champions introducing GI.METAL perforated pizza peels

[Nabber86]

Originally Posted by JoeyVelderrain

so is there any treatment that can be done to a wooden peel to help it be nonstick?

I think corn meal provides the best non-stick treatment for a pizza peel. It's like a thousand little ball bearings that allow the wet crust to slide right off the peel. However, it may not be as "traditional" as using flour. My suggestion is try them both and see what works for you best.

[papavino]

I think corn meal provides the best non-stick treatment for a pizza peel.

There is a discussion in another thread about this. One recommendation that I took away from reading that thread is to try rice flour. I have to admit that I like it a little more than corn meal. But I do think corn meal works well, also.