Hi Mary! Here are a few tips for transferring Neapolitan Pizza:
-Many beginning pizza baker's like to use a parchment paper cut out a circle which has the same diameter of the pizza, this way the pizza can slide freely around on the peel and be loaded on to the stone. If you are baking above 450 degrees, any exposed parchment paper will start to burn. This is usually not a problem but can be a potential fire hazard so it is good to do.
-As you get more comfortable with the pizza shaping, you can eventually transition away from using parchment paper. To do so, you want to make absolutely certain your pizza is going to slide before you try to load it in the oven. Giving your peel a quick jostle to see if the dough is mobile will save you from a half-transferred pizza dough. If you find that it is sticking at any particular point, simply lift up the dough and toss some more semolina underneath.
-Sometimes, dough is overly sticky because it is not developed all the way and more time rest (or kneading) depending on the recipe can make a big difference in your dough's transferring ability.
-Using a wooden peel can help with sticking a bit more than a metal peel can, however in either case the best thing you can do is to work quickly. Over time, the pizza absorbs more of the semolina that is dusted on the peel and begins to adhere to the peel itself instead of the semolina. It can be helpful to gently coat the dough itself in semolina prior to shaping it for the cleanest possible transfer.
October 7, 2021 at 5:20pm
In reply to How do you get the pizza… by Mary (not verified)
Hi Mary! Here are a few tips for transferring Neapolitan Pizza:
-Many beginning pizza baker's like to use a parchment paper cut out a circle which has the same diameter of the pizza, this way the pizza can slide freely around on the peel and be loaded on to the stone. If you are baking above 450 degrees, any exposed parchment paper will start to burn. This is usually not a problem but can be a potential fire hazard so it is good to do.
-As you get more comfortable with the pizza shaping, you can eventually transition away from using parchment paper. To do so, you want to make absolutely certain your pizza is going to slide before you try to load it in the oven. Giving your peel a quick jostle to see if the dough is mobile will save you from a half-transferred pizza dough. If you find that it is sticking at any particular point, simply lift up the dough and toss some more semolina underneath.
-Sometimes, dough is overly sticky because it is not developed all the way and more time rest (or kneading) depending on the recipe can make a big difference in your dough's transferring ability.
-Using a wooden peel can help with sticking a bit more than a metal peel can, however in either case the best thing you can do is to work quickly. Over time, the pizza absorbs more of the semolina that is dusted on the peel and begins to adhere to the peel itself instead of the semolina. It can be helpful to gently coat the dough itself in semolina prior to shaping it for the cleanest possible transfer.
I hope you find these tips helpful!