I feel like getting a peel and steel for my oven has been a 1 step forward, 2 steps back process. To start, here is my dough:
70% 00 flour/ 30% White bread flour
62% hydration
Yeast, salt, sugar, evoo
72 hr cold ferment
I pull it out of the fridge for 4 hours at room temp
This is a very sticky dough, I have to use so much semolina. I can’t put anything on the dough before getting it on the peel because it’s like dealing with lava. It takes me roughly 90 seconds to put down sauce, cheese, pep and banana peppers and impossible to launch on the steel at 550F. I did one with just sauce and tried to bring it on the peel and it split the dough.
Any clues as to what I am doing wrong? I never had a problem before since I was making it on a pan and putting the pan in the oven so no transferring it to the peel.
Ps. I’m in Canada and Robin Hood flour has a different protein content than King Arthur
Thank you, I love this community and it has been super inspiring to see everyone’s amazing pies!
by General-Cat-7770
6 Comments
Can’t drink sangria and read..
I launch with parchment paper and remove the paper after 2 minutes. Haven’t had a mishap since. Nor do I get a bunch of burnt semolina on the steel.
Sounds like your dough is sticking to peel when trying to launch? I flour my peel, flour my dough ball, and make the pie on my peel, occasionally giving the peel a little shizzle shake to make sure the dough is not sticking. Sure I get a bit of flour on stone and crust, but that doesn’t bother me. And, sometimes my pies look warped like yours, but they taste the same, and kind a match my personality, haha!
Are you using flour to shape/stretch or just launch?
Get a 9 inch cake pan mix 50/50 flour semolina. Place one side of dough. Flour your fingers and stretchto edge of pan. Then stretch on a Flour countertop. Put semolina only on the peel for launching. A little practice you’ll get it.
Use a less hydrated dough until you get the launch down. It takes confidence, you have to get it on the first try otherwise it doesn’t come out right. I’m able to get it with just cornmeal on the bottom of my dough and on the peel