Sticky pizza peel issues

I asked Dan about how his pizza turned out. He had gotten a free copy of The Mini Pizza Therapy Pizza Book 

He responded:

Thank you for your inquiry. I did order your Legends of Pizza story and haven’t gotten the chance to read it yet, but I did try the dough recipe and it was fantastic. I bought a pizza stone and the crust was perfect.

Unfortunately I had a problem getting the dough off the peel and it ended up spilling the toppings on the stone.

Is there some trick to getting the dough off the peel? I’ve read about using parchment paper, but that seems to defeat the purpose of the stone, so any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

Thanks

Yours in pizza
Dan G

My response:

Hi Dan.
I have made every mistake possible when making pizza. Believe me! Every miststake possible. And even some mistakes that were not possible!

So please do not feel bad.

You will get it down. It just takes a bit of practice.

Here is my advice on how to use a pizza peel:

1) Make sure when you make your pizza you have enough corn meal or flour underneath your pizza.

You can make it on the peel if you wish....but you want to make sure your pizza will slide, I always make my pizza on a counter or bread board. Then I slide my peel underneath the pizza. I give the pizza peel a shake to make sure it does not stick.

2) Lightly sprinkle cornmeal (or flour) all over your peel before you use it! Always! This will make the pizza easier to slide. I cannot emphasize this enough. You will find with practice, you will use less and less cornmeal.

3) Here is a million dollar pizza tip: if you find the pizza is stuck on the peel... use a piece of dental floss and slide it under the pizza to loosen it up. The should help. Make sure the piece is long enough to hold in both hands as you slide it underneath... You can use a piece of string in a pinch...I just like using dental floss.

4) And maybe this should be #1...In making pizza....Less is more. you don't need to pile your pizza high with toppings. The more stuff you have on your pizza, the harder it will be to cook completely and...the harder it will be to put on the peel.

Please let me know if that helps.
I am only an email away....

pizza on earth...and in your kitchen,
Albert,

The Pizza Promoter
pizzatherapy.com

For the best pizza peels and pizza stones, check out these:

Make Pizza With Reinhart in the Rockies: The Ultimate Pie Work Shop

The  Fire Within Portable Wood Fired Oven,  is having a pizza party, and you're invited!

Not only, that but they have invited some surprise guests.

The Ultimate Pie Workshop is offering you a chance to make pizza along side legendary pizzaiolo,  Peter Reinhart,  at an upcoming pizza workshop in Colorado.

Master pizza maker and event organizer, Joseph Pergolizzi asks:

 "Do you own a wood Fired oven in your home or backyard?

 Do you want to learn how to make the best pizza of your life?

 Are you ready to take wood fired oven cooking to the next level and knock your friends socks off at your next backyard pizza party?

 If so, come join us for The Ultimate Pie Workshop.

Join Peter Reinhart and 8 other top wood fired oven chefs for an unforgettable hands on weekend workshop! Learn and enjoy wood fired cooking at it's best: many new pizza
doughs, bread baking, international cuisine, and incredible deserts - all made in a wood
fired oven!

Taste samples of cheese's and tomatoes used throughout the pizza industry and learn where you cane purchase them.

Even those who are new to using a wood fired oven will have ample opportunities for hand-on experience throughout the weekend!  If you're an old pro, you'll learn new and
exciting recipes and have a chance to try them First hand! Bring your current expertise to a whole new level!

Distinguished Guest: Peter Reinhart, author of the best selling book:  American Pie, My Search for the Perfect Pizza.

 (Albert's side bar: You can read my review at this link.)

Reinhart is a baking instructor at Johnson & Wales University. He was the co-founder of the legendary Brother Juniper's Bakery in Sonoma, California. He is also the author of five books on bread baking, including Brother Juniper's Bread Book and the modern classic The Bread Baker's Apprentice, named cookbook of the year in 2002 by both the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Peter will be filming throughout the weekend for his new PBS TV show."

Additional pizzaioli are:

Jay Jerrier is the owner of Campania Pizza and caters weekly events at Times Ten Cellars in Dallas, Texas. Jay is a trained VPN, Verace Pizza Napoletana, pizzaiolo, the only authentic way of making Neapolitan pizza! His restaurant has won numerous awards including best independent pizzeria in Texas.

Grasiela Lopes is the owner of Capricho Pizza Catering. Raised in Brazil Graisela has many unique international and incredible dishes to share.

And more...

"We all have those moments where a book or something we experienced touches us
and ignites a passion within us. Taking a class with Peter and reading his book,
American Pie, changed the way I way I cooked in my wood fired oven - FOREVER."

About The Fire Within: TFW was founded by local entrepreneur Joseph Pergolizzi, in 2005. It offers a turnkey business opportunity at a surprisingly affordable cost. The wood-burning ovens are manufactured by Forno Bravo, Italy's leading pizza oven manufacturer. The company is based in Boulder Colorado, and has over 50 clients nationwide.

The Fire Within, the nation's leading manufacturer of portable wood-fired pizza ovens will also host their 5th hands-on, educational workshops for entrepreneurs interested in starting live-event wood fired pizza catering and concessions on October 23rd & 24th in Boulder CO.

Register for The Ultimate Pie here:

http://theultimatepie.eventbrite.com/

Limited space for this 2 day event!
Dates: October 16th and 17th.
Location: Boulder, CO

Register for Getting Started With Your Own Wood-Fired Oven Catering Business

http://gettingstartedoctober2010.eventbrite.com/



For more information, contact:

Joseph Pergolizzi

Phone: 303-652-7378
Email: info@portablebrickpizzaoven.com

Website:  http://portablebrickpizzaoven.com/

 This sounds like events you will not want to miss!
 
And if you cannot make the workshop, you may want to pick up one of Peter's books.
These are incredible cook books.


                                              

             

For more information about Peter Reinhart go to: Legends of Pizza.

                   

DiFara's Pizza Defended by Ozersky.tv

As if DiFara's needed a defender, Ozersky throws down the gauntlet.

  Josh Ozersky says: "With all due respect to Jeffrey Steingarten, DiFara’s Pizza is the best pizza in New York City (and probably the world). Anyone who says otherwise, even the most erudite of men, should have their head examined".



Here's what Goaline says about DiFara's:

"Pizza at Di Fara is so fresh and tasty. The dough is made with imported Italian flour, he uses not one but three cheeses (buffalo mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padana, and freshly-made sauce created from plum tomatoes and he grows himself.

The parmagion cheese is straight from the cheese grater and the basil is straight from the vine.

It's great pizza, luscious cheeses, dripping with olive oil, and if you are lucky dotted with artichokes. The pie is fantastic: all ingredients are fresh, crust is thin and juicy! The biggest problem is finding parking space."

DiFara's Pizza
1424 Avenue J
Brooklyn, NY, 11230
Phone: 718-258-1367
 
From The Best Pizza in New York, by Pizza Therapy.

You can discover more videos of this legenday pizza place at Pizza Therapy Videos of DiFara's.



If you ever tasted pizza, you need to read Ed Levine's classic A Slice of Heaven: