Favorite tools for your pizza oven

[Mike981]

I am mainly looking for a good pizza peel that doesn't make the dough stick, and trying to figure out if I need a pizza turner or if I can just do it on the peel by hand.

I know that there are techniques that will help keep the dough from sticking, but in my search there seems to be a difference in success depending on the particular peel.

If you can think of any other tools, I would appreciate you sharing.

[MBMorgan]

I've got both wood and metal peels. Wood seems better for building and inserting the pie into the oven. Metal seems better suited to retrieving the pie when it's done. I don't have (or really need) a turner since my oven has a rotating stone.

Some good advice here: https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-c...my-home-baking

[texastweeter]

I have a metal peel and a metal turner. I put a long sheet of parchment paper on the peel and fold it back under the bottom side of peel. When it comes time to deploy said pie into the pizza oven, I insert it and pull back on the folded down piece of parchment while retracting the peel. Never have a issue so matter the hydration of the dough or the weight/amount of toppings. Yes I use the turner, especially when I have two pies going at the same time in my oven. Other that those, my favorite tool is my laser guided IR thermometer.

[captainlee]

I have a metal peel and a metal turner. I use Semolina flour when forming the dough and also put it on the peel. It slides right off. The more hydrated your dough the more it fights you.

[radiodome21]

I have an Ooni pizza oven and also have a wood and steel pizza wheel. Wood for the sliding the pie into the oven and steel for retrieving and turning it. I also use cornmeal tool if the doughy is too wet. I’ve used store bought for often then homemade which takes too long. However I’ve had better success with homemade though. The only other tool I use is my thermoworks infrared thermometer.

[Mike981]

Thank you all for your help!

MBMorgan, have you had anymore cooks on your Gozney? I was leaning to pick up an Ooni 16" but the price just went up and there is not that big of a difference between the two anymore. So the Gozney is back in the mix.

[MBMorgan]

Actually, I have a Grilla oven.

[Mike981]

Sorry about that MBMorgan.

[Johnny Booth]

I have found (after a lot of practice and mushed pizzas) it takes a very quick motion to scoop the dough and another quick motion to get it off. Not a lot of motion, just very quick to break that ‘stickiness’. I am a believer that ‘if they can do it I can’.

captainlee - I use semolina when forming as well, it helps the slide and does not toughen the bottom crust like cornmeal. Too much, and the excess flour can burn in the oven.

I put the sauce and toppings on very quickly to make sure the bottom stays dry. I don’t make the pizza ‘on the peel’; that way I know if I can get it off the counter, it will also slide into the oven. I use a Very thin wooden peel. Although I like the thin steel peels with vents, to get rid of some of the excess flour before it goes in the oven.

texastweeter I really like the idea of using parchment, the sliding it off like a curtain. They actually make a peel with a silicon fabric that does that. I thought buying one was overkill, but I will try it with parchment on my next attempt. Lots of toppings makes the quick movement unreliable.

I don’t usually have too much trouble turning the pizza as the crust has formed an it slides around easily. I did not know there was a tool for that, so I use a wide spatula.

[DrJimmy2112]

I’m far from an expert, but my routine is we build the pizzas on parchment, which I then load on either a metal or wooden peel. I rotate the pizzas halfway through the cook and at that time remove the parchment. I don’t notice a difference between wood or metal peels.

[Sweaty Paul]

I only have two wooden peels. One that I purchased when I bought our Baking Steels and one that we had a long time ago that fits into the Yoder YS-640 wood pizza oven. I use the wooden peels for everything and if I need to turn the pizza I just pull it out, spin it with my fingers, and slide it back in. Works. I can see where a steel peel might work more easily, however, this works for now.

[Donw]

I have several metal and wooden peels, but I just received my Scorpio pizza oven and it came with a vented steel peel. Never had a vented peel before but I am impressed with the new one that came with the oven. A little Semolina and so far no hint of sticking. I’m sure others make similar vented peels that might ‘appeal’ to you.

[Richard Chrz]

I have wood and metal both. What you’re really going to want is a turning peel! You can launch your pizzas on parchment until your ready to go with semola and peel

I think wood can launch easier, but a metal that is vented and dumps excess flour better, and easier to scoop a pizza up. Metal with holes is better to pull a pizza onto from a prep table.

‘’so you have to think a bit on where you will shape and build your pizza, if on the peel go wood, if on a prep table metal. But regardless you want a turning peel too.

I have bought all of my wood peels from here https://www.thebakersboard.com . The owner actually communicates with me on my purchase, he gifted me a peel last year. And he sells lot’s of peels to the pizza industry, like really a lot, he is also based here in Wisconsin, so I feel really good about him in trusting your investment to him and his craft.

also a pizza oven brush!

[Sweaty Paul]

By the way Mike981 you might not know this, however, Richard Chrz is a pizza master and I would take his advice without question!

Good luck Mike on your Pizza quest!

[MBMorgan]

also a pizza oven brush!

Yes! Forgot about that …