For pizza enthusiasts, there are a bunch of tools that you will find useful when preparing a large number of pizzas at home. I found this the hard way one day when I had 6 pizza bases sitting on the benchtop to rise, and each one stuck to the bench and tore to pieces when I picked it up! What I needed was a peel. Using a pizza peel lets you assemble a base in advance. You put the base on the peel, which has been coated in flour, add toppings, and then simply slide it into your oven!
A wooden pizza peel can be found in many homewares or kitchen stores, and is fairly inexpensive. However if you want to make your own, you can produce several for a fraction of the cost of a single bought one!
First, you will need a sheet of plywood. Choose one that is 2-3mm thick – you want it strong enough o hold a laden pizza but not so thick you can’t slip it under a pizza.
Now, you need to trace the shape. Work out the size of the largest pizza you will cook, and allow an extra margin to be safe. The shape of a pizza peel will basically be a large square, with a protruding handle. Imagine a large, flat dustpan or shovel and you’re on the right track. For a small peel like this, the handle only needs to be big enough for one hand.
Once you have traced the shape, cut carefully with a jigsaw or small wood saw. If you like, you can round off any corners to make it a little more pleasing to the eye. Finally, lightly sand the edges so that you don’t end up with splinters in your pizzas. You can also sand or plane the front edge, adding a bevel to allow the peel to slip under your pizza more easily.
Before using your new peel, use a rag to rub vegetable oil all over the wood. Leave it to sit for 24 hours to absorb the oil, and repeat with another coat if necessary. Now all that’s left is to start using your peel to make awesome pizza!
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