"Kent" > wrote in message
...
>
> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> JoeSpareBedroom <JoeSpareBedroom >> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the one
>>>> they
>>>> had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end
>>>> that
>>>> didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
>>>> made
>>>> of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like
>>>> it end
>>>> up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
>>>>
>>>> I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick
>>>> is
>>>> it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>>>
>>> Unless you're cooking multiple pizzas a day in a real pizza oven,
>>> why would you need a pizza peel?
>>>
>>> -sw
>>
>>
>> I need some sort of flat thing on which to assemble the pizza, and then
>> slide it into the preheated stone. Pizza peel, very slippery cookie
>> sheet, something.
>>
> My posts aren't quite in the right order, but in addition to the peel I
> write about below you need a good stone that will hold the heat. This is
> where I would get mine if I needed a new one.
> http://search.chefsfirst.com/search?...zza+stoneWhile
> While $39 seems pricey I would vouch for this store and its qualilty. It
> is a genuine professional chef's source. It isn't a yuppie operation like
> William Sonoma.
>
> Kent
>


That's about what I paid for my stone. It's a beauty.

"Kent" > wrote in message
...
>
> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> JoeSpareBedroom <JoeSpareBedroom >> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the one
>>>> they
>>>> had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end
>>>> that
>>>> didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
>>>> made
>>>> of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like
>>>> it end
>>>> up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
>>>>
>>>> I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick
>>>> is
>>>> it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>>>
>>> Unless you're cooking multiple pizzas a day in a real pizza oven,
>>> why would you need a pizza peel?
>>>
>>> -sw
>>
>>
>> I need some sort of flat thing on which to assemble the pizza, and then
>> slide it into the preheated stone. Pizza peel, very slippery cookie
>> sheet, something.
>>
> My posts aren't quite in the right order, but in addition to the peel I
> write about below you need a good stone that will hold the heat. This is
> where I would get mine if I needed a new one.
> http://search.chefsfirst.com/search?...zza+stoneWhile
> While $39 seems pricey I would vouch for this store and its qualilty. It
> is a genuine professional chef's source. It isn't a yuppie operation like
> William Sonoma.
>
> Kent
>
Again, you assemble the pizza on a lightly floured wooden peel, and slide it
onto the stone, which has been preheated at 550F for at least 45 minutes.
Spray the oven 1-2 times in the first 2 minutes of baking to mimic a baker's
oven. This will crisp up your crust. Your pizza should only take 5-7 minutes
to cook, depending your topping[s] and the thickness of your crust. I
strongly recommed using a preferment, or at least an overnight slow rising.
Cheers,

Kent

I'm sorry for the verbal diarehea. Swertz is going to shit all over me . I
can't help it. I make pizza at least 40 times a year. It's a religious
experience.

"Kent" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "Kent" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> JoeSpareBedroom <JoeSpareBedroom >> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the
>>>>> one they
>>>>> had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end
>>>>> that
>>>>> didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
>>>>> made
>>>>> of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like
>>>>> it end
>>>>> up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
>>>>>
>>>>> I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick
>>>>> is
>>>>> it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>>>>
>>>> Unless you're cooking multiple pizzas a day in a real pizza oven,
>>>> why would you need a pizza peel?
>>>>
>>>> -sw
>>>
>>>
>>> I need some sort of flat thing on which to assemble the pizza, and then
>>> slide it into the preheated stone. Pizza peel, very slippery cookie
>>> sheet, something.
>>>
>> My posts aren't quite in the right order, but in addition to the peel I
>> write about below you need a good stone that will hold the heat. This is
>> where I would get mine if I needed a new one.
>> http://search.chefsfirst.com/search?...zza+stoneWhile
>> While $39 seems pricey I would vouch for this store and its qualilty. It
>> is a genuine professional chef's source. It isn't a yuppie operation like
>> William Sonoma.
>>
>> Kent
>>
> Again, you assemble the pizza on a lightly floured wooden peel, and slide
> it onto the stone, which has been preheated at 550F for at least 45
> minutes. Spray the oven 1-2 times in the first 2 minutes of baking to
> mimic a baker's oven. This will crisp up your crust. Your pizza should
> only take 5-7 minutes to cook, depending your topping[s] and the thickness
> of your crust. I strongly recommed using a preferment, or at least an
> overnight slow rising.
> Cheers,
>
> Kent
>
> I'm sorry for the verbal diarehea. Swertz is going to shit all over me . I
> can't help it. I make pizza at least 40 times a year. It's a religious
> experience.
>

I normally do the pre-ferment thing, following the recipe below. Last night,
though, the pizza request came of out nowhere.


Source: In Nonna’s Kitchen, by Carol Field



Pane Casareccio (Homemade Country Bread)



Flour, water, salt and yeast: the breads of the Italian countryside combine
four of the most basic ingredients on earth to create delicious country
loaves with thick chewy crusts. Many years ago I learned to bake Italian
country bread with Nella Galletti at her home in the Umbrian countryside and
later discovered that Annita di Fonzo Zannella makes her bread the same way.
Nella made traditional saltless bread for which she kept her ingredients in
a large madia, a deep wooden chest that held both flour and the natural
yeast that came from keeping some dough of that week’s baking and setting it
aside to be used as leavening for the next week’s bread. She mixed the
starter with the flour and then began pouring scoops of water directly into
the mixture, beating and mixing and kneading for at least 40 minutes. The
amounts were immense! She kneaded so vigorously that the dough became like
a huge blanket that she kept turning and pummeling and kneading some more
until it was elastic and silky and very resilient. Her muscles had a
definite workout. After she allowed the dough its initial rise, she shaped
it into rounds, let them rise again on floured canvas she pleated between
loaves so they wouldn’t fuse, and set them on a board. When they were
ready—doubled and full of air bubbles—she called a neighbor, who hoisted the
board onto his shoulder and took its many loaves to the hot wood-burning
oven. Nella swabbed the oven with rainwater that she had saved to create
steam, and then she slid in the rounds. An hour later, out came the crunchy
crusted bread that would feed Nella, her family, and neighbors for a week.



When I explained to Nella that Americans don’t have such natural starter
available to them, she suggested making a biga, a starter with almost no
yeast at all, and letting it rise for two days. You don’t have to do
anything for the two days in which it sits at room temperature, but you must
be sure to start your bread baking with enough time to allow the biga to
ferment and develop its rich flavor.



Biga (bread starter)

¼ teaspoon active dry yeast or 1/10 small cake fresh yeast

¼ cup warm water

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, room temperature

2-1/2 cups (about 11 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour



Dough

1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, or ½ cake (1/3 ounce) fresh yeast

¼ cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees for dry yeast, 95 to 105 degrees for
fresh

2-1/3 cups water

1 cup (about 8 ounces) biga, measured at room temperature

About 5-1/2 to 5-3/4 cups (approx 1-3/4 pounds) unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt

Cornmeal (for baking stones or pans)



To make the biga: Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand until
creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining water and then the flour, 1
cup at a time. If you are making the biga by hand, mix with a wooden spoon
for about 4 minutes. If you are using a heavy-duty electric mixer, mix with
the paddle at the lowest speed for about 2 minutes.



Rising: Place the sticky biga in a large lightly oiled bowl, cover with
plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature for 24 to 48 hours. The
starter will triple in volume, then fall back upon itself. It ill still be
wet and sticky when you use it, so moisten your hands when you scoop some
out to measure it. Cover and refrigerate after 48 hours. You may keep the
biga refrigerated for up to 5 days.



To make the dough by hand: Stir the yeast into the warm water in a large
mixing bowl; let it stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the room
temperature water and the biga. Squeeze the biga through your fingers to
break it up and then stir it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the water
is chalky white and the starter is well shredded. Begin stirring the flour
mixed with the salt, 2 cups at a time, into the yeast mixture. Beat well
with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a shaggy moist mass.
Flour your work surface and your dough scraper and keep a mound of flour
nearby for your hands. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and,
with the help of the dough scraper and as little flour as possible, turn and
knead the dough until it gradually loses its stickiness, although it will
remain wet.



By heavy-duty electric mixer: Stir the yeast into the warm water in a large
mixing bowl; let it stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the room
temperature water and the biga. Squeeze the biga through your fingers to
break it up and then stir it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the water
is chalky white and the starter is well shredded. Add the flour and salt
and with the paddle attachment mix until the dough comes together. You may
need to add up to 4 tablespoons more flour, but the dough will never come
away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. Change to the dough hook and
knead for 4 to 5 minutes at medium speed. You may finish kneading the
sticky wet dough by hand on a well-floured surface, sprinkling the top with
up to 4 tablespoons more flour.



First Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. If you have a
straight-sided translucent plastic container, please use it so that you can
mark exactly where the dough starts and measure its progress until it has
tripled. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until tripled and
full of air bubbles, about 3 hours.



Shaping and second rise: Turn the sticky dough out onto a well-floured work
surface. Flour a dough scraper and have a mound of flour nearby for your
hands. Pour the dough out of the bowl but do not punch it down. Lightly
flour the top and cut into 3 equal pieces. You can moisten your hands in
water if the dough seems very sticky; wet hands do not stick to wet dough.
Flatten each piece and roll it up lengthwise, using your thumbs as a guide
for how tight the rolls should be. Turn the dough 90 degrees, gently pat it
flat, and roll it up again, still using your thumbs as a guide. Shape each
piece into a ball by rolling the dough between your cupped hands, using the
surface of your work table to generate tension and create a taut skin on the
surface of the dough. Place the loaves on floured parchment paper or waxed
paper, set them on baking sheets or pizza peels, cover with a heavy cloth,
and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.



At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake, heat the oven(s) to 450 degrees
with baking stones inside.



Baking: Just before baking, sprinkle the stones with cornmeal. Gently
invert the loaves onto the stones—you may leave whatever parchment paper has
stuck to the wet dough for 15 minutes or so and remove it once the dough has
set. You may prefer to slide the loaves onto the baking stones without
turning them over; you may also leave them on the baking sheets and set them
directly on the stones. The break will look deflated when you initially put
it in, but will puff up like a pillow in no time. Bake until golden brown
and crusty, about 35 minutes, or until a tap on the bottom produces a hollow
sound that indicates the loaf is baked. Cool on racks.



Variation: Use 1 scant cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour, preferably
stone-ground and 4-3/4 cups (1-1/3 pounds) unbleached all-purpose flour.

On 2008-03-28, Giusi > wrote:

> For me it is because my oven is a 5 foot stone dome.....

Giusi, got any pictures? Better yet, got any plans? I want to build a
pizza oven.

nb

On Mar 28, 8:53*am, "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote:
> "Nancy2" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > I'd had a flippin' Alexawful mess with one. My dough was too thin for
> > what I was putting on it and I had not prebaked it as described above.
> > The dough stuck to the peel and let's just say I wound up with a heckuva
> > mess in my oven due to slippage and sloppage and stickage. :-/
>
> It stuck, even with a sprinkle of cornmeal under it to to ease the
> sliding?
>
> =============
>
> I had that same problem last night. Without a peel, I used an inverted
> baking sheet for assembling the pizza and (theoretically) sliding it onto
> the baking stone. I put a LOT of cornmeal on the surface first, but that
> pizza would not budge, no matter how I tried to assist with a really long
> spatula. So, I ended up putting the baking sheet on the stone. It still
> turned out delicious, except the bottom didn't get to the color/crispness I
> wanted.
>
> The recipe said "dough should be somewhat wet". I probably made it TOO wet..

I 've used a piece of parchment paper on top of the peel before. When
it bakes, it's thin enough not to mess up your crust, and it peels
(get it???) off easily.

Kent <Kent >> wrote:

> I'm sorry for the verbal diarehea. Swertz is going to shit all over me . I
> can't help it. I make pizza at least 40 times a year. It's a religious
> experience.

Huh?

Again, you have reading comprehension problems. But I still think
you're an idiot, but not for making pizza 40 times a year. Nothing
wrong with that.

-sw

On Mar 28, 2:34*pm, notbob > wrote:
> On 2008-03-28, Giusi > wrote:
>
> > For me it is because my oven is a 5 foot stone dome.....
>
> Giusi, got any pictures? *Better yet, got any plans? *I want to build a
> pizza oven.
>
> nb

Great book- The Bread Builders

Kent wrote:
>
> "Pete C." > wrote in message
> . net...
> >
> > JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> >>
> >> Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the one
> >> they
> >> had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end that
> >> didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
> >> made
> >> of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like it
> >> end
> >> up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
> >>
> >> I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick is
> >> it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
> >
> > They are normally made of light weight wood. My peel tapers along it's
> > entire length somewhat and then more significantly at the front edge. It
> > starts at about 3/4" at the handle and tapers to about 1/2" near the
> > front before the final taper to about 1/8" in the last 3/4".
> >
> > You *DO NOT* cut a pizza on the peel! A peel is a transfer device, just
> > a big spatula really and you don't cut stuff on a spatula either. The
> > peel is used to transfer the uncooked pizza into the oven and remove it
> > from the oven once cooked, that's all. Once you remove the cooked pizza
> > you put it on a platter or disk of some type which is where you do the
> > cutting.
> >
> >
> The above just NOT true. You cut the pizza on the wooden peel, and slide the
> cut pizza onto the pizza pan.
> Sliding a cooked pizza onto a cutting board, cutting it, and sliding it
> after cutting, in some fashion onto the pizza pan sounds almost impossible.
> Even if it's possible it would be lot of extra work, and mess. What I do is
> much easier; it doesn't adversely affect the peel. Just make sure you use a
> restaurant grade peel. When you serve the cut pizza in the pan at the table
> you will think you're at a pizza parlor.
> Cheers,
>
> Kent
>
>

You're supposed to cut the pizza on the cardboard disk, or in the
serving pan using a really big knife. No roller cutters and no cutting
on the peel allowed.

Janet Bostwick wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> In article >,
>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
>>
>>> The metal is thin enough that it slips easily under
>>> anything.
>>> Janet
>> Does it bend from the weight?
>>
>> --
>> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
>
> No, it is similar to a cookie sheet in guage.
> Janet
>
>


Mine *is* a cookie sheet. One of those aluminum air-something pans,
without a rim. Works great. You can even bake cookies and biscuits on
it.

Bob

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >,
> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote:
>
>> "Nancy2" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> I'd had a flippin' Alexawful mess with one. My dough was too thin for
>>> what I was putting on it and I had not prebaked it as described above.
>>> The dough stuck to the peel and let's just say I wound up with a heckuva
>>> mess in my oven due to slippage and sloppage and stickage. :-/
>> It stuck, even with a sprinkle of cornmeal under it to to ease the
>> sliding?
>
> O yeah. I had fresh tomato slices involved and they were not a roma or
> a paste tomato. Too wet. Thin dough. By the time I got the rest of
> the stuff on, the dough was getting gooshy and it went south from there.
>


South is good, right?

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
> Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>> In article >,
>>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
>>>
>>>> The metal is thin enough that it slips easily under
>>>> anything.
>>>> Janet
>>> Does it bend from the weight?
>>>
>>> --
>>> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
>>
>> No, it is similar to a cookie sheet in guage.
>> Janet
>>
>>
>
>
> Mine *is* a cookie sheet. One of those aluminum air-something pans,
> without a rim. Works great. You can even bake cookies and biscuits
> on it.
>
> Bob

Mine is meant to deliver several artisan-style loaves of bread to the stone.
I can't recall if it has ever done pizza duty. It isn't something that I
make.
Janet

"Pete C." > wrote in message
. net...
>
> Kent wrote:
>>
>> "Pete C." > wrote in message
>> . net...
>> >
>> > JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the
>> >> one
>> >> they
>> >> had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end
>> >> that
>> >> didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
>> >> made
>> >> of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like
>> >> it
>> >> end
>> >> up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
>> >>
>> >> I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick
>> >> is
>> >> it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>> >
>> > They are normally made of light weight wood. My peel tapers along it's
>> > entire length somewhat and then more significantly at the front edge.
>> > It
>> > starts at about 3/4" at the handle and tapers to about 1/2" near the
>> > front before the final taper to about 1/8" in the last 3/4".
>> >
>> > You *DO NOT* cut a pizza on the peel! A peel is a transfer device, just
>> > a big spatula really and you don't cut stuff on a spatula either. The
>> > peel is used to transfer the uncooked pizza into the oven and remove it
>> > from the oven once cooked, that's all. Once you remove the cooked pizza
>> > you put it on a platter or disk of some type which is where you do the
>> > cutting.
>> >
>> >
>> The above just NOT true. You cut the pizza on the wooden peel, and slide
>> the
>> cut pizza onto the pizza pan.
>> Sliding a cooked pizza onto a cutting board, cutting it, and sliding it
>> after cutting, in some fashion onto the pizza pan sounds almost
>> impossible.
>> Even if it's possible it would be lot of extra work, and mess. What I do
>> is
>> much easier; it doesn't adversely affect the peel. Just make sure you use
>> a
>> restaurant grade peel. When you serve the cut pizza in the pan at the
>> table
>> you will think you're at a pizza parlor.
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Kent
>>
>>
>
> You're supposed to cut the pizza on the cardboard disk, or in the
> serving pan using a really big knife. No roller cutters and no cutting
> on the peel allowed.
>
>
With due courtesy to your view, you don't know what you're talking about.
You don't cut on cardboard. You don't use a big knife. You cut with a pizza
wheel. Cutting on the peel is what you do.

Kent

"Pete C." > wrote in message
. net...
>
> Kent wrote:
>>
>> "Pete C." > wrote in message
>> . net...
>> >
>> > JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the
>> >> one
>> >> they
>> >> had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end
>> >> that
>> >> didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
>> >> made
>> >> of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like
>> >> it
>> >> end
>> >> up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
>> >>
>> >> I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick
>> >> is
>> >> it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>> >
>> > They are normally made of light weight wood. My peel tapers along it's
>> > entire length somewhat and then more significantly at the front edge.
>> > It
>> > starts at about 3/4" at the handle and tapers to about 1/2" near the
>> > front before the final taper to about 1/8" in the last 3/4".
>> >
>> > You *DO NOT* cut a pizza on the peel! A peel is a transfer device, just
>> > a big spatula really and you don't cut stuff on a spatula either. The
>> > peel is used to transfer the uncooked pizza into the oven and remove it
>> > from the oven once cooked, that's all. Once you remove the cooked pizza
>> > you put it on a platter or disk of some type which is where you do the
>> > cutting.
>> >
>> >
>> The above just NOT true. You cut the pizza on the wooden peel, and slide
>> the
>> cut pizza onto the pizza pan.
>> Sliding a cooked pizza onto a cutting board, cutting it, and sliding it
>> after cutting, in some fashion onto the pizza pan sounds almost
>> impossible.
>> Even if it's possible it would be lot of extra work, and mess. What I do
>> is
>> much easier; it doesn't adversely affect the peel. Just make sure you use
>> a
>> restaurant grade peel. When you serve the cut pizza in the pan at the
>> table
>> you will think you're at a pizza parlor.
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Kent
>>
>>
>
> You're supposed to cut the pizza on the cardboard disk, or in the
> serving pan using a really big knife. No roller cutters and no cutting
> on the peel allowed.


Cardboard? You think that if I make pizza at home, I should have a piece of
cardboard ready for cutting the pizza? That's absurd.

Why not cut on the peel, *********ASSUMING********** it's made of a material
that won't be damaged, like a wooden cutting board?

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Kent <Kent >> wrote:
>
>> I'm sorry for the verbal diarehea. Swertz is going to shit all over me .
>> I
>> can't help it. I make pizza at least 40 times a year. It's a religious
>> experience.
>
> Huh?
>
> Again, you have reading comprehension problems. But I still think
> you're an idiot, but not for making pizza 40 times a year. Nothing
> wrong with that.
>
> -sw
>
swertz, do you know how naive you are??? You've never considered that you
have a level of ignorance as the rest of us do.

Kent

This isn't a flame. I won't respond to the inane swertz's comments that may
come forth from this. I had two glasses of wine tonight and I had to say
something. I'm pretty certain many, if not most of us view him with a
combination of hate, sorrow, and sympathy, that we used to with the late
Kevin S. Wilson. As well, the postings on this NG are more fun to read with
a resident dork cerebrally masturbating in the background, ready to pounce.

"JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in
:

> The cutting is the next issue. Gotta get a cutting board as
> big as my pizza stone. I used the heavy stone for the first
> time last night. The pizza crust was so delicious, we went
> into some sort of trance state. :-) This is going to
> become a habit around here.

how big is your pizza stone? and what kind of crust did you
make?
i have a 20" round stone, but now that i have the hearth
insert the stone is redundant (i think i'll take it to the NY
house). i also have one of those wooden peels like you
describe. it's ok for scooping out things in/on trays or pizza
pans, but not useful at all for sliding a bare pizza in & out
of the oven. it mashes the pizza.
last night i made a whole wheat crust. it was delicious while
the pizza was hot, but not so good cold.
lee


--
Last night while sitting in my chair
I pinged a host that wasn't there
It wasn't there again today
The host resolved to NSA.

"JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in
:

> "Nancy2" > wrote in message
>
> groups.com...
>
>>
>> I'd had a flippin' Alexawful mess with one. My dough was
>> too thin for what I was putting on it and I had not
>> prebaked it as described above. The dough stuck to the
>> peel and let's just say I wound up with a heckuva mess in
>> my oven due to slippage and sloppage and stickage. :-/
>
> It stuck, even with a sprinkle of cornmeal under it to to
> ease the sliding?
>
>
> =============
>
>
> I had that same problem last night. Without a peel, I used
> an inverted baking sheet for assembling the pizza and
> (theoretically) sliding it onto the baking stone. I put a
> LOT of cornmeal on the surface first, but that pizza would
> not budge, no matter how I tried to assist with a really
> long spatula. So, I ended up putting the baking sheet on
> the stone. It still turned out delicious, except the bottom
> didn't get to the color/crispness I wanted.

you can use parchment paper under the crust to facilitate
sliding of a wettish dough.
lee

--
Last night while sitting in my chair
I pinged a host that wasn't there
It wasn't there again today
The host resolved to NSA.

On Mar 28, 10:19�am, "Pete C." > wrote:
> JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>
> > Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the one they
> > had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end that
> > didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also made
> > of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like it end
> > up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
>
> > I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick is
> > it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>
> They are normally made of light weight wood. My peel tapers along it's
> entire length somewhat and then more significantly at the front edge. It
> starts at about 3/4" at the handle and tapers to about 1/2" near the
> front before the final taper to about 1/8" in the last 3/4".
>
> You *DO NOT* cut a pizza on the peel! A peel is a transfer device, just
> a big spatula really and you don't cut stuff on a spatula either. The
> peel is used to transfer the uncooked pizza into the oven and remove it
> from the oven once cooked, that's all. Once you remove the cooked pizza
> you put it on a platter or disk of some type which is where you do the
> cutting.

Exactly! Pizza is sliced on the metal pan on which it's served or if
take out in the cardboard box... never on the peel.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>
> "Pete C." > wrote in message
> . net...
> >
> > Kent wrote:
> >>
> >> "Pete C." > wrote in message
> >> . net...
> >> >
> >> > JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the
> >> >> one
> >> >> they
> >> >> had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end
> >> >> that
> >> >> didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
> >> >> made
> >> >> of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like
> >> >> it
> >> >> end
> >> >> up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
> >> >>
> >> >> I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick
> >> >> is
> >> >> it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
> >> >
> >> > They are normally made of light weight wood. My peel tapers along it's
> >> > entire length somewhat and then more significantly at the front edge.
> >> > It
> >> > starts at about 3/4" at the handle and tapers to about 1/2" near the
> >> > front before the final taper to about 1/8" in the last 3/4".
> >> >
> >> > You *DO NOT* cut a pizza on the peel! A peel is a transfer device, just
> >> > a big spatula really and you don't cut stuff on a spatula either. The
> >> > peel is used to transfer the uncooked pizza into the oven and remove it
> >> > from the oven once cooked, that's all. Once you remove the cooked pizza
> >> > you put it on a platter or disk of some type which is where you do the
> >> > cutting.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> The above just NOT true. You cut the pizza on the wooden peel, and slide
> >> the
> >> cut pizza onto the pizza pan.
> >> Sliding a cooked pizza onto a cutting board, cutting it, and sliding it
> >> after cutting, in some fashion onto the pizza pan sounds almost
> >> impossible.
> >> Even if it's possible it would be lot of extra work, and mess. What I do
> >> is
> >> much easier; it doesn't adversely affect the peel. Just make sure you use
> >> a
> >> restaurant grade peel. When you serve the cut pizza in the pan at the
> >> table
> >> you will think you're at a pizza parlor.
> >> Cheers,
> >>
> >> Kent
> >>
> >>
> >
> > You're supposed to cut the pizza on the cardboard disk, or in the
> > serving pan using a really big knife. No roller cutters and no cutting
> > on the peel allowed.
>
> Cardboard? You think that if I make pizza at home, I should have a piece of
> cardboard ready for cutting the pizza? That's absurd.
>
> Why not cut on the peel, *********ASSUMING********** it's made of a material
> that won't be damaged, like a wooden cutting board?

Did you miss "or in the serving pan"?

"Pete C." > wrote in message
...
>
> JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>>
>> "Pete C." > wrote in message
>> . net...
>> >
>> > Kent wrote:
>> >>
>> >> "Pete C." > wrote in message
>> >> . net...
>> >> >
>> >> > JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the
>> >> >> one
>> >> >> they
>> >> >> had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end
>> >> >> that
>> >> >> didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was
>> >> >> also
>> >> >> made
>> >> >> of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed
>> >> >> like
>> >> >> it
>> >> >> end
>> >> >> up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of
>> >> >> course.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how
>> >> >> thick
>> >> >> is
>> >> >> it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>> >> >
>> >> > They are normally made of light weight wood. My peel tapers along
>> >> > it's
>> >> > entire length somewhat and then more significantly at the front
>> >> > edge.
>> >> > It
>> >> > starts at about 3/4" at the handle and tapers to about 1/2" near the
>> >> > front before the final taper to about 1/8" in the last 3/4".
>> >> >
>> >> > You *DO NOT* cut a pizza on the peel! A peel is a transfer device,
>> >> > just
>> >> > a big spatula really and you don't cut stuff on a spatula either.
>> >> > The
>> >> > peel is used to transfer the uncooked pizza into the oven and remove
>> >> > it
>> >> > from the oven once cooked, that's all. Once you remove the cooked
>> >> > pizza
>> >> > you put it on a platter or disk of some type which is where you do
>> >> > the
>> >> > cutting.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> The above just NOT true. You cut the pizza on the wooden peel, and
>> >> slide
>> >> the
>> >> cut pizza onto the pizza pan.
>> >> Sliding a cooked pizza onto a cutting board, cutting it, and sliding
>> >> it
>> >> after cutting, in some fashion onto the pizza pan sounds almost
>> >> impossible.
>> >> Even if it's possible it would be lot of extra work, and mess. What I
>> >> do
>> >> is
>> >> much easier; it doesn't adversely affect the peel. Just make sure you
>> >> use
>> >> a
>> >> restaurant grade peel. When you serve the cut pizza in the pan at the
>> >> table
>> >> you will think you're at a pizza parlor.
>> >> Cheers,
>> >>
>> >> Kent
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> > You're supposed to cut the pizza on the cardboard disk, or in the
>> > serving pan using a really big knife. No roller cutters and no cutting
>> > on the peel allowed.
>>
>> Cardboard? You think that if I make pizza at home, I should have a piece
>> of
>> cardboard ready for cutting the pizza? That's absurd.
>>
>> Why not cut on the peel, *********ASSUMING********** it's made of a
>> material
>> that won't be damaged, like a wooden cutting board?
>
> Did you miss "or in the serving pan"?

Why mess up another utensil? Qualifier: If I made pizza that was oozing
puddles of oil, like low-quality stuff from Domino, I wouldn't want that oil
contaminating the peel. But, when I make pizza at home, it's rarely an oil
field.

On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:57:17 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
> wrote:

>Why mess up another utensil?

I put my pizza on the cutting board, slice it and after that it's
every man for himself. Grab a plate, grab a slice and go sit down.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:50:44 +0100, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>It just looks like a stone ell to the house, but I can try to shoot inside
>the oven. You did know that's what original pizza ovens were like, didn't
>you-- the wood fired oven that takes 8 hours to heat up by burning 4 foot
>long wood?

I'd build one, but firewood is so expensive I'd never use it.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

Kent <Kent >> wrote:

> swertz, do you know how naive you are??? You've never considered that you
> have a level of ignorance as the rest of us do.

Nothing can match your level of stupidity. And as your last two
posts indicate, making sense isn't exactly a priority with you
either.

Why did you even drag out my name in your post, anyway? Because
you're an idiot. That's why.

-sw

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
...
On Mar 28, 10:19?am, "Pete C." > wrote:
> JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>
> > Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the one
> > they
> > had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end that
> > didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
> > made
> > of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like it
> > end
> > up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
>
> > I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick
> > is
> > it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>
> They are normally made of light weight wood. My peel tapers along it's
> entire length somewhat and then more significantly at the front edge. It
> starts at about 3/4" at the handle and tapers to about 1/2" near the
> front before the final taper to about 1/8" in the last 3/4".
>
> You *DO NOT* cut a pizza on the peel! A peel is a transfer device, just
> a big spatula really and you don't cut stuff on a spatula either. The
> peel is used to transfer the uncooked pizza into the oven and remove it
> from the oven once cooked, that's all. Once you remove the cooked pizza
> you put it on a platter or disk of some type which is where you do the
> cutting.

Exactly! Pizza is sliced on the metal pan on which it's served or if
take out in the cardboard box... never on the peel.
>
>
No, pizza doesn't slice easily on a metal pizza pan. The juxtaposition of
the round pizza wheel and the pan just don't make it. You have to be able to
move the wheel cutter 2" beyond the pizza. As well, cutting on the peel
reduces slightly the ooze that ends up in the pan adjacent to individual
pieces.

Kent

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> JoeSpareBedroom <JoeSpareBedroom >> wrote:
>
>>> Unless you're cooking multiple pizzas a day in a real pizza oven,
>>> why would you need a pizza peel?
>>
>> I need some sort of flat thing on which to assemble the pizza, and then
>> slide it into the preheated stone. Pizza peel, very slippery cookie
>> sheet,
>> something.
>
> I have a flat, Teflon air-bake cookie sheet, usually with a slightly
> cornmealed bottom.
>
> -sw
>
>
Cornmeal doesn't belong routinely on the bottom of a pizza. You can't cut
pizza
easily on either a cookie sheet or a pizza pan with the round pizza cutter.

Kent

Kent > wrote:

> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
> ...
>> JoeSpareBedroom <JoeSpareBedroom >> wrote:
>>
>>>> Unless you're cooking multiple pizzas a day in a real pizza oven,
>>>> why would you need a pizza peel?
>>>
>>> I need some sort of flat thing on which to assemble the pizza, and then
>>> slide it into the preheated stone. Pizza peel, very slippery cookie
>>> sheet,
>>> something.
>>
>> I have a flat, Teflon air-bake cookie sheet, usually with a slightly
>> cornmealed bottom.
>>
> Cornmeal doesn't belong routinely on the bottom of a pizza. You can't cut
> pizza
> easily on either a cookie sheet or a pizza pan with the round pizza cutter.

Kent - you're falling all over yourself making an ass out of
yourself responding to my posts.

I said I was using the cookie sheet to assemble and transfer it into
the oven, not to take it out or use it as a cutting board.

As for your opinions on cornmeal, your opinions are meaningless to
me. Go have some more wine.

-sw

bbq > wrote:

> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> Kent <Kent >> wrote:
>>
>>>swertz, do you know how naive you are??? You've never considered that you
>>>have a level of ignorance as the rest of us do.
>>
>> Nothing can match your level of stupidity. And as your last two
>> posts indicate, making sense isn't exactly a priority with you
>> either.
>>
>> Why did you even drag out my name in your post, anyway? Because
>> you're an idiot. That's why.
>
> Sqwertz, I take it Kent is not a drinking buddy of yours ;-)

Don't you remember him from AFB?

-sw

On Mar 29, 2:12�pm, "Kent" > wrote:
> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>
> ...
> On Mar 28, 10:19?am, "Pete C." > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>
> > > Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the one
> > > they
> > > had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a business end that
> > > didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a pizza. It was also
> > > made
> > > of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier than balsa. Seemed like it
> > > end
> > > up gouged all to hell by the pizza cutter. Made in China, of course.
>
> > > I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how thick
> > > is
> > > it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>
> > They are normally made of light weight wood. My peel tapers along it's
> > entire length somewhat and then more significantly at the front edge. It
> > starts at about 3/4" at the handle and tapers to about 1/2" near the
> > front before the final taper to about 1/8" in the last 3/4".
>
> > You *DO NOT* cut a pizza on the peel! A peel is a transfer device, just
> > a big spatula really and you don't cut stuff on a spatula either. The
> > peel is used to transfer the uncooked pizza into the oven and remove it
> > from the oven once cooked, that's all. Once you remove the cooked pizza
> > you put it on a platter or disk of some type which is where you do the
> > cutting.
>
> Exactly! �Pizza is sliced on the metal pan on which it's served or if
> take out in the cardboard box... never on the peel.
>
> No, pizza doesn't slice easily on a metal pizza pan.

Then millions of pizzerias must be doing it wrong... and tens of
millions of metal pizza pans of all sizes are being produced for
nothing, and billions of dollars are being wasted on buying them.
Kent, you are the idiot king of all idiots.

Nothing is cut on a baker's peel (whether at a pizzeria or any
bakery), anyone who does it's grounds for instant dismissal.

Sqwertz wrote:

> Kent <Kent >> wrote:
>
>
>>swertz, do you know how naive you are??? You've never considered that you
>>have a level of ignorance as the rest of us do.
>
>
> Nothing can match your level of stupidity. And as your last two
> posts indicate, making sense isn't exactly a priority with you
> either.
>
> Why did you even drag out my name in your post, anyway? Because
> you're an idiot. That's why.
>
> -sw



Sqwertz, I take it Kent is not a drinking buddy of yours ;-)

BBQ (not of mine either)

"Kent" wrote:
> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > JoeSpareBedroom <JoeSpareBedroom >> wrote:
>
> >>> Unless you're cooking multiple pizzas a day in a real pizza oven,
> >>> why would you need a pizza peel?
>
> >> I need some sort of flat thing on which to assemble the pizza, and then
> >> slide it into the preheated stone. Pizza peel, very slippery cookie
> >> sheet,
> >> something.
>
> > I have a flat, Teflon air-bake cookie sheet, usually with a slightly
> > cornmealed bottom.
>
> > -sw
>
> Cornmeal doesn't belong routinely on the bottom of a pizza.

You must be talkin' burritos or tacos or some such sorta wetback
beaner grub... I've never seen cornmeal used at any pizzeria for
anything, I think it's illegal by order of the maffiosa, punishable by
shoota kneecaps and-a c-menta shozz.

> You can't cut pizza easily on either a cookie sheet or
> a pizza pan with the round pizza cutter.

You can't, but thousands of the planet's dumbest dagos can slice pizza
with a standard round pizza cutter on a metal pan blindfolded and
faster than the human eye can see... I know some Sicilianos who can
wop up a pizza in mid air with a switchblade... who do you think
trains sushi chefs.

>>
> With due courtesy to your view, you don't know what you're talking about.


sorry my planet doesn't revolve in an egocentric orbit about your head.
never cut on the peel. the thought of gouging a a surface that needs to be
smooth is, well, it's, well, really some kind of stupidity. right up there
with thinking that a 500 degree baking stone will absorb moisture.

debbie gibson is pregnant, with my-two headed love child.
joe

Sqwertz wrote:

> bbq > wrote:
>
>
>>Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Kent <Kent >> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>swertz, do you know how naive you are??? You've never considered that you
>>>>have a level of ignorance as the rest of us do.
>>>
>>>Nothing can match your level of stupidity. And as your last two
>>>posts indicate, making sense isn't exactly a priority with you
>>>either.
>>>
>>>Why did you even drag out my name in your post, anyway? Because
>>>you're an idiot. That's why.
>>
>>Sqwertz, I take it Kent is not a drinking buddy of yours ;-)
>
>
> Don't you remember him from AFB?
>
> -sw


Yes, that is why my sig sign off was

BBQ (not of mine either)

I know I didn't make it clear that I think he is an obnoxious jerk.

BBQ

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:46:38 -0600, "Janet Bostwick"
> wrote:

> JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> > Stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday to get a pizza peel, and the
> > one they had in stock was about as thick as two pencils, with a
> > business end that didn't seem tapered enough to slide easily under a
> > pizza. It was also made of some kind of wood that wasn't much heavier
> > than balsa. Seemed like it end up gouged all to hell by the pizza
> > cutter. Made in China, of course.
> > I haven't had time to look elsewhere yet. If you've got one, how
> > thick is it, and is the leading edge blunt, sharp, or what?
>
> I have a metal one with a wooden handle. The metal part is about 18 inches
> square and the handle is perhaps 2 feet long. Very hand for rising bread or
> developing pizza. The metal is thin enough that it slips easily under
> anything.

Mine is like Janet's, except that the blade is a bit smaller; the
handle is also somewhat shorter and it folds for storage. I like it
very much. The heavy oak (I think) handle pulls the center of gravity
back toward the user, even when loaded, which makes it easier to
handle.

I have a lightweight wood peel, too. They're made of basswood, not
balsa, as a rule. The lighter weight of this wood is a feature, not a
bug. Using a heavy wood like walnut or maple or oak would just kill
my wrists at full extension and it would be very hard to maneuver. I
never had any problem with the edge going under the bread or pizza, as
it's tapered. I usually use a spatula or a cooking fork to keep the
pizza or bread from sliding off the back of the stone on its little
corn meal roller bearings and I lift the front edge with that, to make
it easier to slide the peel under it.

I don't cut pizza on the peel, wood or metal, because I assume that
the cutter will score the peel, making it less slick. I have enough
trouble getting bread that has risen on flour, not cornmeal, off the
peel that I'm not taking any chances.

Mary "I got the metal and wood peel at cooking.com two weeks ago."
--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer
We didn't just do weird stuff at Dryden, we wrote reports about it.
or
Visit my blog at http://thedigitalknitter.blogspot.com/

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:10:40 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
> wrote:

> You just gave me an idea: I have no use for a non-stick cookie sheet, but
> I'll bet a pizza would slide off one very easily. And, if I use one of those
> very thin plastic spatulas to help it off, the sheet wouldn't get damaged,
> and heat wouldn't be an issue with the plastic because I wouldn't use it for
> anything but the "cold side" of the whole operation.

Or get a silicone spatula, because they can take the heat. I've been
replacing all my rubber spatulas with the silicone ones, as the rubber
eventually degrades and gets stiff and useless. Besides, the wooden
handles aren't very sanitary, even though they can be removed and
washed separately.

Mary "We're talking aged spatulas here, like 20 or 30 years old"
--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer
We didn't just do weird stuff at Dryden, we wrote reports about it.
or
Visit my blog at http://thedigitalknitter.blogspot.com/

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:58:59 -0700, "Kent" > wrote:

> Go to a restaurant supply house and buy a wooden restaurant pizza peel with
> a short handle. I use a 16" by 16" peel; I think it's best for the usual
> home oven. I flour[not cornmeal] the peel, toss the round and put it on the
> peel, check to make certain it will slide, top the pizza, and slide it onto
> the preheated 18" pizza stone. After it's baked remove pizza with the peel,
> slice it on the peel with restaurant pizza wheel type cutter, and slide that
> onto a pizza pan. It's best and cheapest to purchase pizza pan at a
> restaurant supply house as well. The peel, cutter, and pans are pretty easy
> to find, even if you have to go to a mail order restaurant supply outlet,
> such as this.
> http://www.chefsfirst.com/Dept.asp?C...eels&lobby =1

I just went to this site to look at baking stones, just to see what
they had. They have only one for pizza, a round one, 15-3/4" diameter
and 1" thick, by American Metalcraft (who also makes all their peels).
I just got a 14"x16" American Metalcraft stone from cooking.com. The
order was actually filled by Ace Mart Restaurant Supply (acemart.com).
The stone is about a half-inch thick and has a whole bunch of feet to
raise it off the oven floor.

Now I'm thinking of getting the round stone, too, since it's an inch
thick. I've got a couple of thinner round stones, which don't have
nearly the thermal mass I'd like. They're not too bad, but they could
certainly be a lot better.

Maru "I use the rectangular stone on my gas grill"
--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer
We didn't just do weird stuff at Dryden, we wrote reports about it.
or
Visit my blog at http://thedigitalknitter.blogspot.com/

"Sheldon" > ha scritto nel messaggio news:dd85ff6f-5a97-
>> Cornmeal doesn't belong routinely on the bottom of a pizza.
>
> You must be talkin' burritos or tacos or some such sorta wetback
> beaner grub... I've never seen cornmeal used at any pizzeria for
> anything, I think it's illegal by order of the maffiosa, punishable by
> shoota kneecaps and-a c-menta shozz.

They're coming after you first. I told them how you talk. Here in Italy it
is often semolina, which means seedlike, and describes the texture, but the
pizza is also cooked right on the stone or fireproof cement floor of the
oven, too, so it's only getting it off the peel that may be problematic.

>> You can't cut pizza easily on either a cookie sheet or a pizza pan with
>> the round pizza cutter.
>
> You can't, but thousands of the planet's dumbest dagos can slice pizza
> with a standard round pizza cutter on a metal pan blindfolded and
> faster than the human eye can see...

Those are Italian Americans. They dont use the roller much here, but a big
butcher knife. Anyway, most pizzas are 12" and meant for one person to eat
with fork and knife. Those enormous US ones wouldn't fit on an Italian peel
anyway.

There are certain bakeries that make a white pizza thingie that is very very
long. I've seen documentary footage on how it is made, shaking it and
stretching it as it is deposited into the oven. Jeffrey Steingarten wrote
about watching it in Rome once. I don't suppose you read Vogue, so you
might want to go to the library and read about it in his book.