Things You'll Need
Food-grade mineral oil
Wooden pizza peel
Cornmeal or flour
The term "seasoning" your pizza peel may be misleading to the inexperience pizza chef, because it actually doesn't involve any spices or seasonings. Professionals season their wooden pizza peels with flour or cornmeal to keep the pizza from sticking to the wood. Cornmeal is the traditional choice of Italian chefs, but you can substitute rice flour or semolina flour if the taste or texture of cornmeal bothers you. In addition to flouring your pizza peel, adding a layer of mineral oil before use will help seal the wood and extend the life of your peel.
Step 1
Apply a thin layer of food-grade mineral oil to the face of your pizza peel before its first use. This will seal and protect the wood, which makes your pizza peel last longer. Allow the oil to sit until it's fully soaked into the wood. Do not use olive or vegetable oil, which can become rancid.
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Step 2
Sprinkle cornmeal or flour over the face of your pizza peel before you add any dough. Spread the cornmeal or flour over the surface with your palm so the entire peel is lightly dusted. This will help absorb any extra moisture and ensure that your pizza slides off the peel easily. Reapply a light layer of flour or cornmeal between each pizza.
Step 3
Brush off any remaining flour or cornmeal once your pizzas are cooked. Do not leave any food residue sitting on the surface of your pizza peel. Instead, brush any crumbs or toppings into the trash.
Tip
Don't leave wooden pizza peels in the oven or expose them to prolonged heat. Wooden peels are meant for transferring the pizza from preparation to cooking and will warp if they are placed in a hot environment. Pizza stones can be used in the oven, and metal pizza peels can tolerate higher temperatures.
Keep your wooden pizza peel dry at all times. Moisture will damage and warp your wood.
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