Pizza
How to Keep Pizza From Sticking to the Peel
The real reasons dough sticks to a pizza peel -- wet dough, too little flour, waiting too long -- and the fixes that actually work.
A pizza sticks to the peel for a small number of reasons. Fix these and launches become boring — in the best way.
1. The dough sat on the peel too long
This is the most common cause. Wet dough bonds to the peel within a minute or two. Build quickly and launch soon. If you are slow at topping, build the pizza on parchment or a well-floured surface and transfer at the last moment.
2. Not enough flour or semolina
The layer between dough and peel is what lets it slide. Dust the peel evenly before the dough goes down, and add more under the edges if it grabs. Semolina works better than flour for this because it is coarser and burns less easily.
3. Too much moisture on the base
Wet toppings and overly hydrated dough leak moisture that glues the base down. Keep the bottom of the dough dry, and do not overload with watery sauce or toppings.
4. A smooth, solid peel surface
A flat, solid peel has full contact with the dough, which increases suction. A perforated peel reduces contact and lets excess flour fall through, so there is less to stick to. The Gamalou 12” Perforated Pizza Peel also uses raised ridges to keep the dough from grabbing the surface.
The quick checklist
- Dust the peel before the dough.
- Use semolina if you have it.
- Build fast; do not let it sit.
- Shake to test the slide before launching.
- Keep the base dry.
- Consider a perforated peel.
Rescue: it is already stuck
Lift the stuck edge gently and blow or sprinkle flour underneath, then work it loose with small shakes. Once it slides freely again, launch immediately — do not wait.
For the full loading and launching technique, see how to use a pizza peel.