--- slug: how_to_use_a_pizza_peel category_path: home_kitchen/kitchen_dining/bakeware/pizza_stones title: "How to Use a Pizza Peel" lead: "Dust the peel with semolina or flour, build the pizza on it quickly, and shake it now and then so the dough stays loose — if it sticks, lift the edge and add more flour underneath. To launch, hold the peel at a low angle to the hot stone and pull it back with a sharp jerk so the pizza slides off, then use the peel to rotate and retrieve it." recommendation: name: "Flour the peel, keep the dough loose with a shake, and launch with a low-angle, sharp pull-back" reason: "A pizza peel is the paddle for getting a pizza onto and off a hot stone or steel, and the whole skill is stopping the dough sticking to it. Scatter a light, even layer of semolina (best, because it acts like tiny ball bearings) or flour on the peel first. Build the pizza on the peel and work fast — the longer wet dough and sauce sit, the more they glue down — and every so often give the peel a gentle shake to check the pizza still slides freely; if a spot has stuck, lift that edge and puff a little flour underneath. To launch, open the hot oven, tilt the peel to a low angle with its front edge near the back of the stone, then pull the peel back sharply in one confident motion so the pizza slides off in place — a tentative move is what causes folds and spills. Use the peel to turn the pizza halfway for even cooking, and to slide underneath and lift it out when done. A wooden or composite peel is best for launching because dough sticks to it less, while a thin metal peel is easier to slide under a baked pizza to turn and retrieve; keep peels dry and don't leave dough sitting on a wooden one." published: 2026-07-09 updated: 2026-07-09 ---