The Hardest Part of Making Pizza: Sliding the Dough onto the Pizza Stone
June 3, 2009
Though pizza is the quintessential take-out food, homemade pizzas are incredibly easy to make. They’re cheaper, healthier, and often taste better (I think the best restaurant pizza is better than I can do, but I’d rather eat my creation than some of the lower end pizzas).
Oddly, the hardest part of making a pizza is sliding it onto the pizza stone. The dough? Sauce? Topping? All easy as pie (zing!). I’ve screwed up more than one pizza, though, when the heavy dough stuck to my overturned jelly roll pan.
Oh, wait, maybe that should be my first pizza sliding tip:
Pizza Sliding Tip #1: If you don’t have a pizza peel, flip over a baking sheet and use the back. It’s smooth, flat, and still low enough that the pizza can slide off onto the stone without much trouble.
Finally a few nights ago I was successful sliding my pizza from the pan to the stone. And this is how I did it:
Pizza Sliding Tip #2: Use plenty of flour and/or cornmeal.
I had to use much more than I expected. I also found that I had to keep adding more as I worked the dough out. I wonder if there is a way to work the dough into a round and then add most of the cornmeal?
Pizza Sliding Tip #3: Give the pan a couple shakes to ensure the dough is not sticking before you attempt to slide it onto the stone.
This tip saved me – I was about to slide my round so I gave it a quick shake before opening the oven. One patch of the dough was sticking, potentially causing a pizza disaster, so I re-cornmealed to fix it.
Pizza Sliding Tip #4: Only sauce the dough before sliding – add the toppings and cheese immediately after it’s on the pizza stone.
This last one is admittedly a bit questionable, as leaving the oven open like this let’s much of the heat escape (which is partially counteracted by the heat retention of the stone, but still). I’ve personally just found that the weight of fresh mozarella, tomatoes, etc. makes it more difficult for the dough to slide easily.
How do you slide your pizzas? Do you top them before sliding, or after? Any tips I’m missing?
Posted in Kitchen Tips |
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June 3rd, 2009 at 9:39 am
I have never slid. I just stretch the dough, add cornmeal underneath at the end to keep from sticking, and place on the stone that has not been preheated. Then the whole thing goes into the preheated oven. I manage to get a tender crust with a lightly crisp bottom that doesn’t stick, cooked dough and melted toppings.
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:39 am
BTW, this is how my favorite local pizza shops do it, too. Though I must agree that to achieve that really crispy cracker-like crust, it must be slid.
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
You’re right about the cornmeal; you need a bunch. I’d also throw in some salt and pepper with the cornmeal.
The pizza peel works wonderfully well – far better than the tray, honestly.
We top before the slide, but we’ve learned to go light on the cheese and sauce – way lighter than I at first thought we should.
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Mmmm, fresh pizza! I am on a homemade pizza kick, I just love the dough and the fresh mozzarella. I, too, have had trouble sliding onto the pizza stone. I’ve kind of given up, and now make it on one of those round pizza pans with holes, then put the whole thing on the pizza stone. I’ll have to try putting it on the cold stone, then putting the whole thing in the oven. Now, if my basil plants would only start growing.
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:54 pm
That dough looks great! Are you going to post the recipe?
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:13 pm
@Amanda: I’ll try just stretching it out on the cool stone next time. Good idea.
@PHSChemGuy: I’ve been thinking about getting a pizza peel recently. Maybe it’s worth it if it really works that much better.
@Peppy: Whatever works! Homemade pizza is always good. And yes, can’t wait for the basil.
@Katie: Thanks. Here is the recipe: Pizza Dough Recipe . Just knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes if you aren’t using a food processor.
June 18th, 2009 at 6:17 am
I stand corrected.
I slid last night and the crust was much crispier. My husband loved it. I used a rimless sheet pan and lots of flour underneath, aided by a spatula. Worked like a charm–and I loved the sizzle of the cool dough on the hot stone!
July 6th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
start it on the pizza tray, 1st crisco tray, cook for a while until pizza is firm. Dust stone with cornmeal then slide pizza of tray onto stone to brown crust, and edges. I sometimes crisco the edge of the crust to give it a crispier texture.
September 16th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I have always cooked prep’d on the cold stone and then cooked using hot oven. Been very successful with that but will have to try the slide. I brush oliveoil on crust and dust with cheese/onion/garlic. Kids LOVE it.