This has probably been asked before so sorry if it has .What is the best thing to dust your peel with? I just use flour but was wondering if there was a better option.
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Last edited by Amajeff99; March 21, 2017, 03:23 PM. -
I assume you are cooking on a pizza stone.?.? then by all means use parchment paper. I learned this on a site called amazingribs.com. ---now a big believer.-
EDIT: Nevermind, I've just noticed you've answered below. It's all good. Thanks!
Breadhead Interesting. Do you find any difference in oven spring between silicone and a naked stone? Or crispness in the bottom crust? Also, from your post I assume the mats are holding up well: any issues with cracking or charring? Thanks.Last edited by dtassinari; March 24, 2017, 07:59 AM. Reason: Blasted vBulletin won't accept strikethrough tags -
dtassinari ... there is no negative effect of using paper thin parchment or silicone baking matts, none. The silicone matts I've used for 2 years just need to be washed with a sponge with soap and water now and then. Any stains are easily removed. No cracking or charring at all.
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Many chefs recommend cornmeal. Its coarseness acts like little marbles or bearings, allowing the dough to slide more easily.Comment
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You can use whatever allows the dough to move freely on the peel. Normally, we just use flour ... unless it wants to stick, in which case we might try rice flour (which doesn't absorb water quite like wheat flour). If sticking is still a problem, then out comes the cornmeal ...Comment
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Using parchment paper or silicone baking sheets have a few advantages.- It's easy to place your dough on your matt after final shaping.
- Dressing your dough with sauce and toppings is easiest if you can spin the dough if needed.
- Mounting your dressed pizza dough onto your pizza peel is easy just by pinching the matt and dragging it onto the peel.
- Mounting your dressed pizza onto a preheated pizza stone is easy. Pinch the matt with your thumb and forefinger and drag it onto the stone.
- Rotating your pizza on your pizza stone to get even browning is easy. Pinch the matt and spin it 180°.
- Removing your pizza from the pizza stone. Pinch the matt and drag it onto your pizza peel.
- Silicone matts can be trimmed to be a perfect fit for your size stone and can be reused 100's of times.
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Great thread, I always have problems getting it from the peel to the stone. I have a Blackstone and it is not the easiest to launch a pie on. I have been using a pizza screen but feel I will get a better pie if I can get it directly on the stone.
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I usually use semolina, tho I have also used cornmeal. I am confused re the silicone (Silpat) idea. I am under the impression that they are not for use above 480°F.Comment
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Willy ...
If exposed to direct flames over the recommended heat tolerance it will burn. If not exposed to direct heat they will not burn at 800° or more. I know that from years of personal experience.Comment
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At Domino's they keep their dough shaping work bench full of lots of cornmeal. They coat the dough ball with cornmeal before stretching and shaping it. They bake their pizzas on thin metal perforated pizza pans at 450° for 7 minutes on a conveyor belt style oven.Attached FilesComment
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I've used corn meal and I also like the crunch and texture it adds. That being said I'm going to get silicon mats and use them with corn meal. What a great idea I too thought they wouldn't hold up to the high heat.Comment
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I've always used corn meal on the peel to help it slide onto the stone. But learn me where I'm wrong. I was under the impression that part of the purpose of the stone was to pull some of the moisture out of the dough to help get that tasty crisp on the bottom of the crust. Wouldn't parchment paper or silpat stop that?Comment
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I don't have the science... other than the moisture content of your crust is about 60°. When sitting your dough on a 500° pizza stone the moisture is to be converted to steam. Steam is going to rise, not fall.Originally posted by Mikey C View Post
Having baked many, many pizzas over the years on my large BGE I can tell you that parchment paper and silicon baking matts DO NOT change how your crust cooks at 500° to 800° in any way shape or form.
You still get the same browning and/or leapording on the bottom of your crust using these tools.
The advantage is easier handling. It's easier to load, remove and rotate by pinching the paper instead of putting your pizza peel under it for these functions.
If I were producing high quantities of pizzas commercially I would us cornmeal and a peel but in my large BGE where I'm making a couple pizza at a time using parchment paper is much, much easier.👍
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At the restaurant, we just use flour, then place the pizza on aluminum screens, as the screens facilitate pizzas not getting overcooked flour on them. . At home on my Akorn, I've used many different methods with good to excellent results. Flour, semolina, cornmeal, wheat bran from my grain mill,rice flour, bean flour(don't ask...lol), parchment, and aluminum foil. They all worked well for what I was doing at the time.
I would recommend using a wooden peel that has been vigorously rubbed with lots of dry flour for inserting the pizza, then a roughened metal peel for extracting the pizza from the oven. Once your pizza is rolled, place flour(or whatever your choice is),on the peel, place rolled dough on the peel, build your pizza, then lift a small corner of the pizza and blow air underneath to raise the crust from the peel. This is the most crucial part. If your peel is very dry, and lubricated with your flour, it will "float." The rest is easy...Comment
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How many toppings you use matters too. If you're loading that pie up, a meat lover, parchment or a screen. Light topping thin crust, lots of flour and a pizza kiss like Strat50 recommended. Parchment has the advantage of being able to pre stretch a bunch of pies.Comment
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