Imagine you’ve perfected your pizza dough, topped it with fresh ingredients, and now it’s ready to hit the oven. But just as you go to slide it in, it clings to the peel like its life depends on it. For anyone who loves making pizza at home, that moment can be downright nerve-wracking! The dreaded “pizza stick” has dashed many dreams of golden, perfectly crisp crusts.
If you’ve had this happen before, you’re not alone—and thankfully, with the right peel, flour choice, and technique, you can perfect how to launch a pizza without sticking!
And we’ll even show you a trick for rescuing a bad launch!
Pizza Launch Anxiety
Pizza night shouldn’t come with anxiety about sticky dough! If you’ve struggled with transferring your pizza, don’t worry—just a few tweaks can make a world of difference. With the right peel, the best flour mix, and a little practice, you’ll be launching your pizza like a pro.
Let’s dig into these tips and tricks so that your next pizza launch is a success. But first…
Why Does Pizza Stick?
Pizza sticking to the peel is a classic frustration for home pizzaiolas, and it can be surprisingly tricky to fix without the right approach. The reason is simple: pizza dough is naturally moist, and the longer it sits on a peel, the more likely it is to absorb any loose flour underneath and start sticking. Luckily, choosing the right tools and using a few techniques can prevent this.
Steel vs. Wooden Peels: Which is Best?
As we discuss the pros and cons of each, I think it matters more how you prefer to prepare your pizza: where do you top the pizza – the counter or on the peel itself?
Top the Pizza on the Peel?
1. Steel Peel: Steel peels are a favorite among many home pizza makers, especially if you’re prepping your pizza on a countertop and then transferring it to the peel. In my opinion, a steel peel is generally the better choice if you make the pizza on your work surface and then transfer it to the peel.
A steel peel is thin and needs to be flat and fairly sharp on the leading edge, which allows it to slide easily under the pizza. For the best results, make sure the peel is flat, cool, dry, and clean before you use it.
Pro Tip: With a steel peel that has vent holes, you can be a little more generous with the flour on your countertop, as the holes will shake out any excess before launching. Ooni’s perforated peel is an excellent example:
2. Wooden Peel (Bamboo): Wooden or bamboo peels are traditional for launching pizza, and many pizza makers prefer them. In particular, if you like to top your pizza right on the peel (which is more likely to keep the shape round and probably easier for most amateur pizzaiolos), bamboo seems to be the way to go.
And while they work fantastic, you absolutely have to work quickly—if the dough sits too long, it’ll start to stick.
Because wooden peels don’t have vent holes, be mindful of how much flour you use – the extra is going to end up in the oven!
Ooni has multiple sizes of bamboo peels to choose from and makes for a great peel. Make sure it fits all the way into your oven!
One last note on wooden peels: DON’T CUT ON THEM! You’ll often see pictures (even my pictures) showing the final pizza sliced or unsliced on the wooden peel. In my case, that’s simply for presentation. Cutting on your peel will make permanent scratches, which is just one more thing that could cause your pizza to bind to the peel.
Which Do I Prefer? Bamboo
Despite the popularity of steel peels for launching, I much prefer using a bamboo wooden peel. I make my pizza right on the peel but this means I need to work fast or else it will stick.
I have four different peels which allows me to have a couple on the go but also means that if I get sauce on one or some sort of other mess, I’ve got back-ups. While you might spring for a nice “main peel”, you can get some inexpensive spares on Amazon.
Most Important Peel Tip:
It is essential your peel is dry! If you’re making multiple pizzas, it’s very possible you’ll get a dribble of sauce on it or maybe some moisture from when you recovered the last pizza and now that moist spot is getting ready to ruin your next pizza. Don’t just wipe it off – rub in some extra flour until you’re SURE it won’t be gluing your pizza to the peel.
Other Key Tips
Choosing the Right Dusting Flour
Of course you can use a variety of flours for making your pizza dough, but you will also need flour to launch it. Flour will act as the lubricant for your pizza to slide off of the peel and into the oven.
So whichever peel you like, you need flour between it and your pizza. Different flours provide unique textures and sticking resistance. Here’s a breakdown of some go-to options:
- Pizza Flour (like 00 flour): Many pros simply stick with the same flour used to make their pizza dough. But for home chefs, using or adding a different flour can make launching easier.
- Semolina Flour: Surely the most popular choice, semolina’s coarse texture is great for reducing sticking. I like to use just a sprinkle mixed with pizza flour to avoid affecting the pizza’s taste or texture. Note the Italian name for this is Semola.
- Cornmeal: Great for NY-style pizzas! Cornmeal resists sticking and adds crunch but tends to burn at Neapolitan temperatures.
- Rice Flour: Less common but excellent for preventing sticking, rice flour pairs well when mixed with semolina and pizza flour for a smooth launch.
Be Prepared and Work Quickly
Once your dough is stretched, it’s not time to dilly-dally. Unless you’re dough is sitting in a giant pile of flour (which isn’t great either), you should move quickly to top and launch your pizza.
In particular, you need to have all of your toppings ready to go before as soon as the dough is stretched!
Plus, take it from someone who takes thousands of pizza pictures – you probably can’t afford to take pictures at every step without the pizza sticking!
Check for “Stickiness” Before Topping or Transferring
If you’re working with a wooden peel, it’s a good idea to shake the pizza before you even add your toppings. A quick jiggle will confirm that the dough isn’t sticking to the peel, giving you confidence to add all those delicious toppings without worry. This first shake helps ensure that the dough can move easily, and it also prevents any small areas of sticking from turning into bigger problems as you work.
Even if you are working on the countertop, your pizza could begin to stick before you transfer to the steel peel. Unfortunately, if that happens, you may already be in trouble – but we have some tips below for you.
THE Pro Tip for Launching Pizza: The Pre-Launch Shake
Once your pizza is topped and ready to go, it’s ESSENTIAL to give it a shake on the peel before launching. Some short front-back jiggles of the peel should let you see that the entire pizza is moving freely. Don’t shake it so much the toppings fly off, but you might need a bit of a stiff jiggle!
(This is one reason using a slightly bigger peel is helpful, but make sure it still fits in your oven!)
Perhaps the one thing I have learned with a lot of practice jiggling – sometimes it takes a lot of jiggles. Don’t be afraid to give it 20+ back-and-forths. I’ve been surprised a number of times that I thought “it’s game over!” only to be patient and suddenly it broke free.
BUT, if large portions of your pizza are sticking and the jiggle is not working, don’t panic—you have a few options to get it moving again.
1. Add Extra Flour Under Sticky Spots
If you see that part of the pizza is still sticking, you might be able to lift that “corner” and sprinkle a little extra flour (or semolina) under the sticky spot and shake again. The extra flour will help absorb moisture and create a small barrier to free up the dough. This generally works if it’s not too big of an area that’s sticking and if the sticky spot isn’t too far into the center.
2. The “Hovercraft Effect”
If you’re working with a wooden peel or a steel peel without holes, try lifting up one corner of the dough and blowing a small puff of air under it. This creates a sort of “hovercraft effect,” adding just enough air to help the dough glide more freely. After this, give the peel another jiggle to check for free movement.
You can also lift a corner and blow some extra flour under there.
Note that if your pizza is sticking to the counter before even getting onto the peel, you can do this same trick there.
3. The Flip-and-Release Method
For truly stubborn situations, try this: place a pan or a large plate on top of the pizza, and then carefully flip the entire setup (pizza and peel) upside down. Gently lift the peel away, sprinkle a bit more flour under the dough, and then flip it all back. Give it a final jiggle to make sure it’s moving freely.
Rescuing a Bad Pizza Launch
I’ve had a couple of early SpaceX-style launches, of course. Who hasn’t?
There’s one trick I’ve used a few times with modest success. I’ll take my (smaller) turning peel and basically slide it between the peel and the pizza to help break the stuck spot.
Granted, your pizza is surely not going to be round after and there’s a very good chance of putting a hole in it, but at this point of no return, there’s not much else that can be done!
The Final Word on How to Perfectly Launch a Pizza Without Sticking
Mastering how to launch a pizza without sticking can take some trial and error. But with these tips, you’re well on your way to pizza night bliss! And you know what?
Even if all of these tricks fail you, don’t sweat it—you can still turn that stubborn pizza into a delicious (but probably ugly) calzone!
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.