Last Updated on August 19, 2024 by Lori Walker
Hand-made pizzas are a real joy. Finding the **magic of a reliable pizza stone** showed me how to get that **perfect crispy crust** each and every time.
But can you still use a pizza stone without a peel? For any pizza lover out there who makes homemade pizzas, don’t fret.
Read on to learn a few substitutes you can use on a pizza stone without a peel and how to prevent the pizza dough from sticking to the stone.
6 Ways To Use Pizza Stone Without a Pizza Peel
1. Grip Both Sides of Parchment Paper
Parchment paper is a disposable non-stick surface and is a great alternative to transferring pizza orderly. It is also called baking paper in some countries.
It doesn’t require any flour or a fine semolina mixture on its entire surface. Place the dough on the parchment paper and add the pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Parchment paper withstands heat [1] but will become rigid and breakable due to prolonged exposure.
2. Use a Rimless Cookie Sheet
Rimless cookie sheets are sometimes mistaken for baking sheets. But a rimless cookie sheet has only one raised edge, whereas a baking sheet has four.
It works like the pizza peel. You can hold onto its single edge like a handle, making it the best pizza peel alternative.
In addition, it has a non-stick flat surface upon which you can easily slide your pizza off into the pizza stone or on the sheet’s surface.
3. Use a Cutting Board
A stiff piece of a cutting board also makes a great substitute. It resembles the pizza peel for its thin size and handle.
However, it is often rectangular, so you may want to modify the pizza shape by stretching it to match the board’s length well.
We suggest using a wooden serving board instead of plastic. The wooden board won’t melt when coming into contact with the pizza stone in the oven, unlike a plastic board.
Check out these alternative ways to cut pizza without using a pizza stone here.
4. Get a Stiff Wood or Cardboard
If you have a large piece of thin wood or cardboard at home, you can use it as a peel replacement. You can make one out of old pizza boxes if you don’t.
Slide it underneath the pizza and onto the stone in the oven, and do the same when taking it out.
“I want pizza with my face on it. “
– Jennifer Lawrence, Actress
Ensure the cardboard is stiff enough to support your pizza’s weight and heat. But is it better to use pizza steel to make a pizza than cast iron?
5. Make Use of an Upside Down Rimmed Baking Sheet
Speaking of a baking sheet, it has four raised edges designed to trap oil or grease.
We suggest using two-rimmed baking sheets. First, turn the first sheet upside down, push the pizza under it towards you using its edges, and then catch it with the other.
The only problem with this is that it doesn’t let you slide and drop off pizza smoothly due to its edges, but still, you can work your way around it.
6. A Serving Platter Will Do
Wooden serving platters are an excellent substitute as well. You can use it the same way you do with cutting boards.
You slide the platter between the pizza and the stone until you get the entire pizza crust.
“Pizza stones: the transformative magic that turns dough into art, and ovens into pizzerias.”
Leonelli Bakery
We suggest using one with sufficient size and thickness, preferably with a handle, to make the job easier for you.
Also Read: Can You Use A Pizza Stone To Bake Cookies?
Tips & Tricks When Using Pizza Stone Without a Pizza Peel
- Using a chopping board or serving platter as a peel alternative, use their wooden variation. Your dough will not stick to it as wood absorbs water [2].
- When you opt for a rimmed baking sheet, use the one with the thinnest sheet possible so that taking your pizza out of the oven won’t be too much to handle.
- Parchment paper and wax paper have similar appearances. Don’t mistake it for another, as wax papers can’t withstand heat and, therefore, will smoke, affecting the taste.
- If none of the above works, you can pick a frying pan with non-stick surfaces to cook your pizza.
FAQs
How to transfer pizza to a pizza stone?
Slide your pizza peel under the dough and carefully set it down on the pizza stone’s surface in the oven.
When taking it out, use the same methods as when transferring the pizza to the stone. You slide your peel between the pizza and the dough quickly. But how to remove pizza from the oven rack?
Is pizza peel necessary for transferring pizza on a pizza stone?
Yes. The basic idea of why pizza peels are necessary is because you’ll get easily burned if your hands come into contact with the hot pizza stone.
Plus, you will need it to turn around the pizza so that it cooks evenly, from the surface to all the sides and even the crust.
How to prevent pizza from sticking to a pizza stone?
Preheat your oven for 30 minutes, or up to one hour, to ensure the pizza stone gets hot. Never cook in a cold oven and stone.
Apply semolina flour (a mixture of semolina and the same flour used in making pizza dough) on your peel. Slide it quickly between the pizza and stone at intervals to prevent sticking.
Final Thoughts
Many pizza peel alternatives assist you when using your pizza stone, including parchment paper, cookie sheet, cutting board, cardboard, baking sheet, and serving platter.
Pizza stones and peels are synonymous together. One always is specifically designed to work with the other.
A preheated oven and pizza stone prevent the pizza from sticking to the stone. And a flour-sprinkled peel prevents the same sticky situation.
For a pizza peel substitute, the best choice to go with is wood. It doesn’t stick to the pizza since it absorbs moisture or water.
References:
- https://www.bonappetit.com/story/is-parchment-paper-the-same-as-wax-paper
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00226-017-0977-7
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