How to Choose a Pizza Peel
One of the key tools you need when making pizza is a pizza peel. Pizza peels are used to safely transfer pizza in and out of blazing hot pizza ovens. While all pizza peels perform relatively the same function, not all pizza peels are made equal. Choosing the right pizza peel isn’t hard, but it’s important to take into consideration size, shape and material. This guide will help you choose the best pizza peel for your needs and teach you how to use a pizza peel.
Do You Really Need a Pizza Peel?
Using a pizza peel is an absolute must when making pizza in your pizza oven. It served multiple functions like loading, removing and rotating your pizzas. Without a pizza peel it’s nearly impossible to make great pizza.
Pizza peel uses:
- Loading the pizza: A pizza peel helps transfer the pizza from the surface where you form the dough and top the pizza to the oven.
- Turning the pizza: A pizza peel is essential to turning the pizza when it’s in the oven for an even cook.
- Removing the pizza: A pizza peel makes it easy to remove your hot pizza from the oven.
Some of the common issues pizza peels solve:
- Pizza peels can help unstick the dough from the surface you made it on (with a little help from flour or corn meal) to transfer to your oven.
- With a pizza peel you have less chance of a torn or damaged crust once you get the hang of using one.
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Pizza peels help ensure that your pizza cooks evenly. You can use the pizza peel to rotate the pizza throughout the cook.
Pros and Cons of Different Pizza Peel Materials
Not all pizza peel materials function in the same way and it may be difficult to decide wood vs metal pizza peel, two of the most commonly found materials. There are certainly pros and cons to each.
Wood
Although wood peels give that rustic look and are often more inexpensive, a wood pizza peel is more difficult to maintain. Many people like to make their pizza on a wood peel and launch into the oven. However, the surface is porous which means any errant drip of sauce or topping is dripping right into the peel. If the surface isn’t non-stick and requires a lot of excess flour, it results in burning once it’s transferred to the oven since there is no perforation to let the excess flour shake off. Because of the porous surface, wood is also much more difficult to clean and keep hygienic. If you are going to choose wood, the best wood pizza peel is one that is thinner, more lightweight and has a more non-stick surface.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel pizza peels are strong, durable, and easy to clean. However, they can be heavy and because of that, more difficult to maneuver. Stainless steel is also more prone to rust, meaning you’ll have to replace them more often than a different metal pizza peel.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a great option for a pizza peel. Aluminum pizza peels are lighter weight than steel and don’t rust. They are easier to maneuver, too. Good aluminum pizza peels can be slightly more expensive but they last longer than other materials making them a great investment. You’ll want to look for a version that is perforated.
Choosing the Right Pizza Peel
Choosing the best pizza peel for a home oven isn’t just about the material, it’s also important to pick the right size, shape and handle length.
Size and shape
Choosing the right size and shape will depend on the size and opening of your oven. Rectangular peels are best of rectangular and square ovens, round for round ovens. The surface should have a diameter of at least 12-13’’ with some as large as 20’. The best pizza peel size is dependent on the opening of your oven and the size of the pizzas you make.
Handle Length
The length of the handle should be one that keeps your hand away from the heat source but isn’t too long that it makes it difficult to handle the pizza. We suggest a length of 36-48’’.
How to Use a Pizza Peel
This video shows the best way to use a pizza peel. For any beginner we recommend practicing with rolled out dough to get the hang of using a peel. Once you do, you'll be using it to transfer raw dough to the pizza oven (and taking out your delicious pizza at the end!) in no time.
FAQs
What is a pizza peel?
A pizza peel is an essential tool for anyone making pizza. A pizza peel comes in a variety of materials, shapes and sizes. It’s used to launch raw pizzas into the oven and remove pizzas when they are finished. It is recommended to also use a turning pizza peel to turn the pizza while in the oven.
What size pizza peel should I buy?
When figuring out how to choose a pizza peel, size is an important consideration. We recommend buying a pizza peel that has a surface diameter of at least 12-13’’, bigger if you are making larger pizzas. You should also consider the length of the handle, which we recommend being 36-48’’.
Do I need a perforated pizza peel?
We recommend a perforated pizza peel to everyone making pizza. A perforated peel allows most of the excess flour or cornmeal to shake off the pizza. This helps rid of that burnt taste you get from too much flour or cornmeal stuck to the bottom of your dough.
What is the best pizza peel material for beginners?
The best pizza peel material for beginners in our opinion is aluminum. You’ll want to choose something that has a perforated surface, feels comfortable to maneuver and is easy to use.
Can I use the same pizza peel for launching and turning?
Technically you can use the same pizza peel for launching and turning, but it’s not recommended. You don’t want the peel you use for launching to get warm before you make your next pizza. This will cause the next dough to stick to the peel and cause a mess. The best pizza turning peel is smaller than your launch peel and often nimbler to make it easier to turn the pizza.
About Fontana Forni Pizza Peels
Fontana Forni offers two perforated aluminum pizza peels, one for launching and removing pizza and another smaller pizza peel specifically designed for turning pizza. You can learn more about our accessories collection here.
