I'm still having a hard time with pizzas.........and a trip to Restaurant Depot

[Clint]

Sunday evening I did a ham and pineapple pizza on the grill. I had a hard time getting the pizza to the stone, half the toppings fell off! I acted quickly & used the peel as a big spatula and got most of it back on.

Natural Light Beer on the front porch (cleaning motorcycles & the garage)

I went to Restaurant Depot today - got an Italian salami (too many choices there), a 6 pound blue cheese wheel, 6 # pastrami, & 5 pounds of mozzarella.

Made some pastrami sandwiches for lunch.......... marble rye, pastrami, mustard & hot sauce, sauerkraut, and mozz

And then tonight I made more pizza! This time I used a pizza screen. Good thing pizza doesn't matter how it looks these last two were so good!

 

[Brian Dahl]

So, are you making the pizza on the peel and than slipping it onto the stone? We give a light sprinkle of course corn meal on the peel before placing the dough & building the pizza. I give the peel a shake back and forth every 30 seconds (?) to make sure the dough isn't sticking. Or, it could be that bottle of Maker's!

 

[YYang]

Those pizzas look delicious. Have you ever tried the Super Peel? It uses a fabric conveyer belt to keep everything intact. I've found it very helpful for loading pizza and bread onto baking stones without jostling things around. They're way overpriced, but you could probably fabricate your own pretty easily. To follow up on what Brian said about the Maker's, I think that would be an awesome televised sporting event -- drinking whiskey and grilling pizza. Judges would score based on appearance of the pizza and the flair with which contestants load the pies onto the stone. There would be five progressively drunker rounds. I'm pretty sure we could sell this concept to ESPN2.

 

[ChuckO]

Your pizza looks fantastic Clint. Looking at the first photo suggests (to me) the heat might not be all that. I fully understand how hard it is to crank up the heat in a Kettle, as there's not much space between your pizza and the heat, but if I had to guess, that might be where you're not spot on.

Dang good looking pizza, there's nothing wrong with it, I'd be all over it

 

[Clint]

So, are you making the pizza on the peel and than slipping it onto the stone? We give a light sprinkle of course corn meal on the peel before placing the dough & building the pizza. I give the peel a shake back and forth every 30 seconds (?) to make sure the dough isn't sticking. Or, it could be that bottle of Maker's!

I've been building them on the peel with a little corn meal & flour (still haven't tried semolina flour like someone else recommended). I haven't really shaken it but I try to make the pie & then cook it asap.. The whiskey was last night's entertainment and just made a cameo appearance in the pic

Those pizzas look delicious. Have you ever tried the Super Peel? It uses a fabric conveyer belt to keep everything intact. I've found it very helpful for loading pizza and bread onto baking stones without jostling things around. They're way overpriced, but you could probably fabricate your own pretty easily. To follow up on what Brian said about the Maker's, I think that would be an awesome televised sporting event -- drinking whiskey and grilling pizza. Judges would score based on appearance of the pizza and the flair with which contestants load the pies onto the stone. There would be five progressively drunker rounds. I'm pretty sure we could sell this concept to ESPN2.

I haven't heard of that but it does sound interesting! I'm still new to this, still learning, hopefully I'll find what works for me fairly soon... I love the flavor of this dough (from My Pizza) but it's not very easy to work with. I'm getting better at stretching & throwing it (not impressive lol) and shaping it.

Your pizza looks fantastic Clint. Looking at the first photo suggests (to me) the heat might not be all that. I fully understand how hard it is to crank up the heat in a Kettle, as there's not much space between your pizza and the heat, but if I had to guess, that might be where you're not spot on.

Dang good looking pizza, there's nothing wrong with it, I'd be all over it

I tried to follow Robert McGee's method (same as mine but minus the rotisserie ring). I'll try my method again later, but next time I might try working it on my wsm.... I'll play around with it, but one thing I've been thinking is to build the fire on the lower cooking rack. I'll have to check it out, it works good in my head... I'll post pics with results as soon as I figure something out...

 

[Craig Alumbaugh]

Everything looks delicious Clint, I know we let our dough rest a few to help draw some of the moisture before we put it on the peel and it seems to help it slide off pretty easily

 

[Steven Paul]

So, are you making the pizza on the peel and than slipping it onto the stone? We give a light sprinkle of course corn meal on the peel before placing the dough & building the pizza. I give the peel a shake back and forth every 30 seconds (?) to make sure the dough isn't sticking. Or, it could be that bottle of Maker's!

What Brian said.

Short-ordered in an East Boston pizza parlor when I was in school and I tossed a lot of pie and that's exactly how we did it.

Corn meal is a must! sprinkle lots of it down like spreading grass seed.

Short, jerky motions with the peel, you can also try grabbing the leading edge of the pie while quickly slideing the peel out until you get the hang of it.

I'm guessing you're not hand-tossing so don't roll it out on the peel, spread cornmeal on a counter, make the pie there, cornmeal the peel, pick up the pie. Don't let it sit too long on the peel for best results.

A few dry runs on a counter might help. It takes a little practice but you'll get it soon with no problem.

 

[ChuckO]

Corn meal is a must!

That is the last thing you want, who wants a pizza that tastes like corn meal? YUCK

 

[Robert T]

Clint your pizza looks fantastic. I would like to see a video of the throwing process.. Your persistence is paying off!

 

[Steven Paul]

That is the last thing you want, who wants a pizza that tastes like corn meal? YUCK

If I bit into a pizza and tasted cornmeal I would seriously consider improving the quality of my toppings Chuck.

Its been over 30 years so I called my buddy who used to own the pizza shop with his brother and he told me flour on the counter and cornmeal on the peel and in the oven / on the stone.

My better half makes the pizza around here, she got tired of the flour and cornmeal flying all over the kitchen (I hand-toss). She took that job over about 10 years ago with my blessings!

 

[YYang]

Here are some other things you could try to help with the pizza sticking:
- try a cheap wooden peel instead of a steel one. The porosity of the wood holds onto flour better and might help the dough cling less.
- make sure there's enough of a ring of crust around the toppings. Anything wet, like oil or sauce, will act like glue between the peel and the dough.
- when you proof the dough balls, coat them in olive oil and cover them with something breathable, like a towel. The top side will form a slight skin that is dry to the touch. This dry side will become the bottom of your pizza crust. Conveniently, doing this also contributes to a crispy crust.

 

[Rich Dahl]

We use corn meal on the counter and the wooden peel and have never had one stick to the counter or peel. As far as any corn meal taste I've never experienced it or has Barb. But you're using a different dough than Barb makes so YMMV. Keep plugging at it you'll find something that works.
Also I agree that a wooden peel is less likely to stick to the dough than a steel one. Had a steel one and now have a wooden one for that reason.

 

[Barb D]

We use corn meal on the counter and the wooden peel and have never had one stick to the counter or peel. As far as any corn meal taste I've never experienced it or has Barb. But you're using a different dough than Barb makes so YMMV. Keep plugging at it you'll find something that works.
Also I agree that a wooden peel is less likely to stick to the dough than a steel one. Had a steel one and now have a wooden one for that reason.

Like Rich said use corn meal that's the only way to go and a wooden peel. They look great just keep trying, it will come together. Look on the plus side you get to eat all those pizzas you make.

 

[VMastros]

We make pizza on our Summit. I get the grill to 350 or 400 degrees. We spread the Trader Joes dough as thin as we can get it and spray one side with Pam. We throw it on the grill Pam side down until it browns a bit. No pizza stone needed. Then we pull it off, spray the other side with Pam and flip it uncooked side down. Then we put on the toppings and throw it back on the grill. When the bottom browns it is done. Of course, the topping don't cook per se so they need to be pre cooked. They just get warmed up and the cheese melts. Delicious!!!!

 

[Cliff Bartlett]

Very nice looking pizza Clint, and a great trip to Restaurant Depot! Using corn meal on the peel took care of the sticking problem for me. That's all I use.

 

[Len Dennis]

And when that cornmeal hits the 500o stone, ooooh the aroma! I've found (from personal experience) that the weirder looking the pizza is, the better it tastes (maybe it's making up for being the weird one?) In any case, any you don't want , ship them up here please.

 

[Clint]

Restaurant Depot had a great big wooden peel, also got a 12" Yanagi (something like this) for a gift.

Does this look like a decent peel? I'd trim the handle.... I want to get a big peel so I can make big pizzas if I want.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005K8MSXE/tvwb-20

I like the taste/texture of cornmeal.... I can see how it'd bother some people but I've had it so many times and it might even remind me of "mush" (hot cereal) my grandma used to make that I didn't care for as a kid

All of my crusts have been ultra-thin so far, and I didn't have as many problems until I started using pizza sauce. Maybe I'll try a thicker crust. I also mix in at least a little whole wheat flour which I guess can be more difficult to stretch. That bread article I linked in the Just Conversation forum (or maybe it was in one of the many books I've been reading) said something about one of the labs where they'd inflate a dough ball to see how stretchy it was (I read a lot more than I understand!)....

......from the pizza bible - he says to practice with a wet dish towel (or two sewn together in the shape of a crust). Talks about flipping it from hand to hand, side to side, & then keeping it weightless with your fists. He's working with a lot more dough than I ever seem to. The crust I've been making is from My Pizza & the flavor is out of this world.......but not so easy to work with yet. I have 3-4 more doughs to try, but each one makes 2-6 pizza rolls so it's going to take some time.

 

[Monty House]

I'd love to come to your house and eat all of the mistakes. Everything looked mouth-watering.

 

[Len Dennis]

Use less sauce Clint. Seriously, the best pizza is minimalist. Ever tried a margherita? Just tomatoes and mozz. (plus the usual spices). It is to die for.

Here's one recipe:http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pizza-margherita-351165

For a peel, I use a metal one. Its hard to get the cornmeal to stay on it and the raw pizza? Well, it's a balancing act to get it to the oven, its so slippery.

I also have a wooden one but wasn't comfortable with the thickness of it. Always had a problem lifting the cooked 'za off the stone without pushing it. I needed something to hold the opposite side of the pizza while I pushed with the peel. Not now.

This one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002JPJ0QY/tvwb-20

and a stone like this one (diff make but same size): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000E1FDA/tvwb-20

whatever peel you get, DON'T CUT the handle. With a bigger peel, your arm acts like a fulcrum. Your hand is the balance point: the pizza is heavy at one end, your hand is the fulcrum balance point and the end of the handle rests under your arm at the elbow (but pushes UP). Easy peasy to lift big pizzas.

 

[Michael C.]

Pizza looks great to me!!!! I'll take a few slices please!!!!