Found your vids and have been watching them all getting ready for pizza season. I've been cooking with my Ooni Pro for 2 years now. When it's outdoor pizza night, I tend to make a LOT of pizzas (6 to 20) ... people just start showing up. Anyway, I'm a solid 2 peel guy ... build and launch on the bamboo, use the solid metal for turning and taking it out. No need for a dedicated turning peel - those are of more use in giant restaurant size ovens, where you have to move multiple pies around the floor. Key to the bamboo is to rub a bit of flour on the thing first, and if you're using high-hydration dough, don't let it sit on the peel too long (ie, build that pizza quickly) - if you have to, give it a couple of shimmy's every so often while assembling, so it doesn't stick. After 5 or 6 pizzas, I usually rub the bamboo peel down again. Cornmeal is find for a couple of pizzas, but it will accumulate and burn if you use too much, so I avoid it.
Watching the pros at pizza shops, On pizza peels your suppose to only launch the pizza in with peel and then use the turning peel to turn and take the pizza out. That way you don’t heat up, dirty up, or get it greasy/moisture on the peel you need to launch the next pizza. Use perf peel in, turning peel while pizza in oven and out of oven then put it on the wood peel to cut and serve. Your videos are great thanks for all the info.
Absolutely that is the right way to do it, and I’m by no means a pro. Usually in a proper pizzeria they will have tons of peels too to rotate. I do have a turning peel but I’m still getting confident using it. Thanks for the feedback man, I really appreciate you like my videos. Thanks for watching. Tv
When taking your pizza out place it on a wire baking rack for around a minute. It allows the steam to escape and then put it on your wooden serving peel
Great video Tom! I'm just starting my pizza oven journey. Using the Camp Chef two burner stove with their pizza oven. A lot different than OONI but still works great. Been struggling with getting the pizza off the wooden peel but getting better with every try. Using semolina and regular flour mix under the pizza and on the peel. I noticed in the comments below that someone said that if the dough is too cold it may stick more and if you take too long it may stick more. Guilty on both counts! Thanks again for the quality video, commentary, editing and information. New sub here!
Thanks dave for the great feedback, i hope you're enjoying your pizza journey! I have a couple more tips to help with the sticky dough on your peel..... Firstly, try not to leave the pizza on the peel too long, make the pizza on a work top and only use the peel to move it from the top to the oven. Also, make sure your pizza peel is cool, I often find they stick to the dough if they have been in the oven a while and are still hot! Hope this helps.
Pizza "season" is year round. I just built a 10X10 (feet, not meters) wooden (metal roof) grilling pavilion. Keeps the rain and snow and sleet off whilst grilling--as I said, year round.
I think the purpose of the peel is to release the flour or cornmeal release agent through the perforations before you launch. This lets you put less of the release flour into the oven where it burns. So with he perforated peel you can use lots of cornmeal or flour and shake it out before you launch. Try using two peels one for launching and one for removing. This way the launch peel will not warm up.
Not sure why that is happening for you? Maybe a really moist dough. The perforations help me eliminate a lot of the excess flour. I’ve begun using semolina and it works even better than corn meal for me. My dough is about 60-65% hydration
I lived in the Naples area in the late 1970s and put away some pizza. The turning peel is what the oven guy used to manipulate his pizza. He didnt goof around and chat or walk away either, he was jonny on the spot for that 90 seconds or so. And a Neapolitan pizza should have a bit of char to make it right. Its part of the flavor makeup that makes them special.
I've tried quite a few different peels and honestly the one item that makes it all easier in my experience is using semolina flour for stretching and dusting. Also, taking the pizza straight from the oven to a cooling rack does wonders for preventing soggy pizza and keeping the peel dry. That being said, I'd pick the wood or perforated for launching and the turning for turning and removing.
Thanks for the comment! Its nice to have the choice of peels, i ended up keeping them all that i bought to make this video, although we had a small issue with the bamboo peel, its still my favourite for how great it looks to serve pizza on!
Hi Tom, many thanks for the videos, they've been a great help as I'm a complete novice to all of this! I cooked my first two pizzas this afternoon on my newly acquired Ooni Karu 12, and as my wife is away at the moment I ate both, so now have that 'need to lay down and digest' feeling! I was very fortunate that I managed to buy a hardly used, second hand model that came with a bit of kit including an Ooni bench and two peels as well as a few other bits and pieces. The peels that came with the oven was a bamboo one and a plain aluminium one. I was interested to watch your review, particularly of the perforated peel, as that was the one that I would have bought if I hadn't found my 'bargain'! My first pizza worked perfectly but my second stuck on the peel and ended up in a bit of a heap in the oven, so now I'm wondering if I had the perforated peel that issue might not be repeated. Many thanks again, the videos are a great help, and very informative.
Hi Jonathan, Thanks so much for the comment! I tend to find the perforated peel is the nicest for weight, but its not necessarily better at reducing peel sticking. Just make sure the peel is dry and cool, not hot out the oven. and make sure you use plenty of flour, and don't leave the pizza on the peel too long
Thanks for the great video, Couldn’t I just drill some holes in the solid metal peel? Just seems like a simple / cheap solution to getting some air under the pizza.
Thanks for the comment! Glad you like my videos! I’ve seen lots of videos before where people make their own perforated peel by drilling holes. I guess it would be fine as long as you make sure there am holes are nice and clean with no shards of metal left over
Id be interested to hear what happens if you used a pizza steel vs. stone. My bottoms with a steel in a kitchen oven are way better than any stone was. They rebound much faster too. Just heavy.
@@TomVoyageuk when I decided to go steel, I went to the local metal recycler center and bought a piece of mild steel plate that was large enough to cut a 14 inch circle from and then cleaned it up and seasoned it like a cast iron skillet and it was super cheap that way. A handful of bimetal blades and a jig saw would get the job done tool wise of you arent set up to cut steel with fire.
Thanks for the feedback! It’s great to know my videos are helping people! I think the sweet spot for me on the stone temperature is about 440-460c (830-860f)
I’ve just purchased the perforated and turning peel today. I’m starting to think the turning peel is going to be tricky. Do you think I should cancel this from my order? I did get it at a discounted price so winning there.
Hi Kam, Thanks for the comment! The turning peel does take a little while to get used too, but i love having it to save taking the pizza out the oven. Plus it looks cool to your guests when you master how to use it!
When cornmeal bakes on the pizza stone it becomes gritty. Semolina is far superior to sprinkle on the peel - make sure to use enough. When we place the shaped pizza dough on the peel, we keep it close to the leading edge of the peel so that the distance it has to travel at launch is shorter. If you don't have the budget or space for multiple peels, you can get by with one wooden peel to launch and remove the baked pizza. Use tongs to life the leading edge of the pizza, then slide the wooden peel under it to remove it from the oven. Given the perforations in that slotted peel, it must allow flour to fall out on the floor and counter space making extra clean up.
Hi Johhny , thank you for great advice . I have one more question , how coarse semolina and how much, mine is very coarse.Dough still burns on bottom and I can see its semolina , I'm using mix of charcoal and wood with ooni karu. 420C up to 450 I think but it varies. When I throw semolina onto stone it's charing in about 4s.
@@addictum4119 We use a medium or fine grind semolina so that we can use it in pasta too. If the dough is burning on the bottom the stone is too hot. Monitor the stone temp and launch at a lower temp maybe by 35-50 degrees. It may take multiple attempts to find the sweet spot. I bake @ 650 degrees F for about 4 to 4 1/2 minutes
Thank you for this! I am using the same ooni perforated peel and it works well. If you look at the underside of the front edge, has the metal ground down at all from sliding on the stone? Mine has some noticeable wear after only a dozen pizzas. Maybe that’s normal?
You're welcome! and thank you for watching my videos! I think any wear and tear on the metal is to be expected as scraping against a stone a few times is going to cause a few scratches, i guess it adds to the character! Unless Ooni bring out a super hard solid platinum peel.... i wouldn't put it past them ;)
I use the ooni perforated peel to launch (because it came with my pizza oven) and I can't get the pizzas to launch properly. It is constantly sticking, so my pizzas are misshapen. I have resorted to using my wilton stainless steel cake lifter, which works perfectly except it has no handle so I burn my hand every time. I am SO disappointed in this peel and am trying to find a stainless steel one that will fit the 12" of my oven. So far I can only find 13". Just an fyi, I've been making pizzas for 20 years.
Thanks for the comment, 20 years wow! i should be asking you for tips! 😎 One thing i find that helps is to make sure the peel is cool. I tend to have issues with sticking when the peel is warm or damp, and also if i leave the raw dough on the peel for too long. (which happens quite a lot when filming these reviews)
@@TomVoyageuk Thanks for your response! I have tried many different variations for the dough as well and yes, the peel is cool and dry while I very quickly build the pie. I have also tried putting flour on the peel to help, but most of it falls through the holes and makes a big mess. Unfortunately nothing has worked. I have purchased an inexpensive wooden peel and it works fine. I use the ooni peel to remove the pizza from the oven. Oh well...
Thank you! IM glad you like my video! The table in this video is called a Keter Unity XL. If you give that a google you can find it most places, as long as it's sold in the country you live? I'm in the UK, and i see them in garden centres most of the time.
The Ooni products maybe expensive but they are top quality. I have a lot of their stuff and bought some cheaper versions off Amazon first and the Ooni stuff is just better quality. In this case you do get what you pay for with Ooni.
Thanks for the comment, for the price of the ooni stuff I really like the quality! And I think it also goes for how much you use it. If it’s 1/2 times per year, it’s quite a lot but I use my oonis’ like every week! So I get a lot of value from them
It’s hard to say for me as I’ve never cooked on the Ooni Karu 16 (yet) or the Ooni pro. I do have a Koda 16 however, and that works with the 16 inch peel very well! So I assume the same would go for all the 16” models
Have you got the technique on using the turning peel that it really turns the pizza to the direction you want? 🤣 Uugh. Hahaha. Thanks for this great review. 💯
Thanks for the comment! Glad you enjoyed it! As you can probably tell from this video... I'm still learning :) But it does get easier the more times you do it!
This guy has no clue how to load a pizza. You don’t put the tip at the beginning of your oven and slide the pizza forward like this guys does. You place the tip where you want the back of the pizza to wind up and you gently jerk the peel backwards toward you to release the pie.
I’m not paid by Ooni, non of these videos are paid promotions. I’m affiliated with Ooni, meaning I can use their links to direct customers to their website.
Found your vids and have been watching them all getting ready for pizza season. I've been cooking with my Ooni Pro for 2 years now. When it's outdoor pizza night, I tend to make a LOT of pizzas (6 to 20) ... people just start showing up. Anyway, I'm a solid 2 peel guy ... build and launch on the bamboo, use the solid metal for turning and taking it out. No need for a dedicated turning peel - those are of more use in giant restaurant size ovens, where you have to move multiple pies around the floor. Key to the bamboo is to rub a bit of flour on the thing first, and if you're using high-hydration dough, don't let it sit on the peel too long (ie, build that pizza quickly) - if you have to, give it a couple of shimmy's every so often while assembling, so it doesn't stick. After 5 or 6 pizzas, I usually rub the bamboo peel down again. Cornmeal is find for a couple of pizzas, but it will accumulate and burn if you use too much, so I avoid it.
Thanks for the tips mate! Some sound advice there!
Thanks also for checking out my videos, glad you like them!
Just got my Ooni Karu so I’m watching all of your videos! Love all your additional tips you add that doesn’t come in the manual. Thanks!
Thanks so much! Glad you like the videos!
Did you get the 16 multi? I'm on the verge of pulling the trigger
Watching the pros at pizza shops, On pizza peels your suppose to only launch the pizza in with peel and then use the turning peel to turn and take the pizza out. That way you don’t heat up, dirty up, or get it greasy/moisture on the peel you need to launch the next pizza. Use perf peel in, turning peel while pizza in oven and out of oven then put it on the wood peel to cut and serve. Your videos are great thanks for all the info.
Absolutely that is the right way to do it, and I’m by no means a pro. Usually in a proper pizzeria they will have tons of peels too to rotate. I do have a turning peel but I’m still getting confident using it.
Thanks for the feedback man, I really appreciate you like my videos. Thanks for watching. Tv
Very good vid, thoughtful remarks. Much appreciated! (from the Colonies!)
Thanks for watching 👍🍕
When taking your pizza out place it on a wire baking rack for around a minute. It allows the steam to escape and then put it on your wooden serving peel
Good Advice, Thank you
This is a must!
Great video Tom! I'm just starting my pizza oven journey. Using the Camp Chef two burner stove with their pizza oven. A lot different than OONI but still works great. Been struggling with getting the pizza off the wooden peel but getting better with every try. Using semolina and regular flour mix under the pizza and on the peel. I noticed in the comments below that someone said that if the dough is too cold it may stick more and if you take too long it may stick more. Guilty on both counts! Thanks again for the quality video, commentary, editing and information. New sub here!
Thanks dave for the great feedback, i hope you're enjoying your pizza journey! I have a couple more tips to help with the sticky dough on your peel.....
Firstly, try not to leave the pizza on the peel too long, make the pizza on a work top and only use the peel to move it from the top to the oven. Also, make sure your pizza peel is cool, I often find they stick to the dough if they have been in the oven a while and are still hot! Hope this helps.
Pizza "season" is year round. I just built a 10X10 (feet, not meters) wooden (metal roof) grilling pavilion. Keeps the rain and snow and sleet off whilst grilling--as I said, year round.
Very helpful to see the side by side comparisons. Thanks for the great info!
You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful!
I think the purpose of the peel is to release the flour or cornmeal release agent through the perforations before you launch. This lets you put less of the release flour into the oven where it burns. So with he perforated peel you can use lots of cornmeal or flour and shake it out before you launch. Try using two peels one for launching and one for removing. This way the launch peel will not warm up.
Thanks for the tips Michael! Im a fan of a multi peel approach to cooking too!
The holes are not big enough to release the flour. I tried the shaking and all of it. It just helps with the sticking
Not sure why that is happening for you? Maybe a really moist dough. The perforations help me eliminate a lot of the excess flour. I’ve begun using semolina and it works even better than corn meal for me. My dough is about 60-65% hydration
I lived in the Naples area in the late 1970s and put away some pizza. The turning peel is what the oven guy used to manipulate his pizza. He didnt goof around and chat or walk away either, he was jonny on the spot for that 90 seconds or so. And a Neapolitan pizza should have a bit of char to make it right. Its part of the flavor makeup that makes them special.
I've tried quite a few different peels and honestly the one item that makes it all easier in my experience is using semolina flour for stretching and dusting. Also, taking the pizza straight from the oven to a cooling rack does wonders for preventing soggy pizza and keeping the peel dry. That being said, I'd pick the wood or perforated for launching and the turning for turning and removing.
Thanks for the comment! Its nice to have the choice of peels, i ended up keeping them all that i bought to make this video, although we had a small issue with the bamboo peel, its still my favourite for how great it looks to serve pizza on!
I guess I'm kind of off topic but do anybody know of a good place to watch new movies online ?
@Vihaan Ayaan Flixportal :)
@Ramon Bodie thanks, signed up and it seems like a nice service :) Appreciate it!!
@Vihaan Ayaan no problem :D
Hi Tom, many thanks for the videos, they've been a great help as I'm a complete novice to all of this! I cooked my first two pizzas this afternoon on my newly acquired Ooni Karu 12, and as my wife is away at the moment I ate both, so now have that 'need to lay down and digest' feeling! I was very fortunate that I managed to buy a hardly used, second hand model that came with a bit of kit including an Ooni bench and two peels as well as a few other bits and pieces. The peels that came with the oven was a bamboo one and a plain aluminium one. I was interested to watch your review, particularly of the perforated peel, as that was the one that I would have bought if I hadn't found my 'bargain'! My first pizza worked perfectly but my second stuck on the peel and ended up in a bit of a heap in the oven, so now I'm wondering if I had the perforated peel that issue might not be repeated. Many thanks again, the videos are a great help, and very informative.
Hi Jonathan, Thanks so much for the comment! I tend to find the perforated peel is the nicest for weight, but its not necessarily better at reducing peel sticking. Just make sure the peel is dry and cool, not hot out the oven. and make sure you use plenty of flour, and don't leave the pizza on the peel too long
Excellent explanation of the pros and cons of these peels.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great video, Couldn’t I just drill some holes in the solid metal peel? Just seems like a simple / cheap solution to getting some air under the pizza.
Thanks for the comment! Glad you like my videos! I’ve seen lots of videos before where people make their own perforated peel by drilling holes. I guess it would be fine as long as you make sure there am holes are nice and clean with no shards of metal left over
Hi Tom, great review. My Ooni metal peel did come with my Ooni 12 so that is a no brainer. I will get the turning peel though, it looks usefull.
I recommend it! It's a fun bit of kit to use, but a little tricky at first.
Thanks for the video Tom. You have a great way about you.
Thanks Todd, I appreciate that!
as far as i know the perforations on the peel are just there to get rid of excess semolina or flour, it doesnt make the pizza slide better....
Fair point, maybe the two work together??
Id be interested to hear what happens if you used a pizza steel vs. stone. My bottoms with a steel in a kitchen oven are way better than any stone was. They rebound much faster too. Just heavy.
Thanks for the comment, that would actually be a great idea for a video! :)
@@TomVoyageuk when I decided to go steel, I went to the local metal recycler center and bought a piece of mild steel plate that was large enough to cut a 14 inch circle from and then cleaned it up and seasoned it like a cast iron skillet and it was super cheap that way. A handful of bimetal blades and a jig saw would get the job done tool wise of you arent set up to cut steel with fire.
Thanks for the video very useful I think I will go for the ooni perforated one it looks like a good investment
Good choice!
Great videos they are a big help with the learning curve. What temperature of the stone do you think works best?
Thanks for the feedback! It’s great to know my videos are helping people! I think the sweet spot for me on the stone temperature is about 440-460c (830-860f)
Love your video hubby also as he is the pizza chef. What size oven are you using? We have the smaller one.
Hi Shelagh, Thanks for the comment and the kind words! In this vide we're using the Ooni Koda 12, 12" pizza oven.
I’ve just purchased the perforated and turning peel today. I’m starting to think the turning peel is going to be tricky. Do you think I should cancel this from my order? I did get it at a discounted price so winning there.
Hi Kam, Thanks for the comment! The turning peel does take a little while to get used too, but i love having it to save taking the pizza out the oven. Plus it looks cool to your guests when you master how to use it!
Sucked it up and ordered the OONI peel, great video--thanks!
Good choice my friend! It’s my go to peel!
i like your video, but if i may give you an advice, you should avoid pinching the crust while puting yout dough on the peel ^^
Thanks for the advice!
@@TomVoyageuk you're welcome ^^. you can either gently put your finger under and slide it on the peel or just take the pizza with the peel directly ^^
When cornmeal bakes on the pizza stone it becomes gritty. Semolina is far superior to sprinkle on the peel - make sure to use enough. When we place the shaped pizza dough on the peel, we keep it close to the leading edge of the peel so that the distance it has to travel at launch is shorter. If you don't have the budget or space for multiple peels, you can get by with one wooden peel to launch and remove the baked pizza. Use tongs to life the leading edge of the pizza, then slide the wooden peel under it to remove it from the oven. Given the perforations in that slotted peel, it must allow flour to fall out on the floor and counter space making extra clean up.
Thanks for the tips John! Great advice there! Also, thanks for checking out my video!
Hi Johhny , thank you for great advice . I have one more question , how coarse semolina and how much, mine is very coarse.Dough still burns on bottom and I can see its semolina , I'm using mix of charcoal and wood with ooni karu. 420C up to 450 I think but it varies. When I throw semolina onto stone it's charing in about 4s.
@@addictum4119 We use a medium or fine grind semolina so that we can use it in pasta too. If the dough is burning on the bottom the stone is too hot. Monitor the stone temp and launch at a lower temp maybe by 35-50 degrees. It may take multiple attempts to find the sweet spot. I bake @ 650 degrees F for about 4 to 4 1/2 minutes
Thank you for this! I am using the same ooni perforated peel and it works well. If you look at the underside of the front edge, has the metal ground down at all from sliding on the stone? Mine has some noticeable wear after only a dozen pizzas. Maybe that’s normal?
You're welcome! and thank you for watching my videos!
I think any wear and tear on the metal is to be expected as scraping against a stone a few times is going to cause a few scratches, i guess it adds to the character! Unless Ooni bring out a super hard solid platinum peel.... i wouldn't put it past them ;)
Thanks!!
Nice review. This information helps to make a decision and I’m leaning towards the generic aluminum peel.
Its a good all rounder! Served me well for years before i got the Ooni one!
Absolutely helpful information! Thank you
I use the ooni perforated peel to launch (because it came with my pizza oven) and I can't get the pizzas to launch properly. It is constantly sticking, so my pizzas are misshapen. I have resorted to using my wilton stainless steel cake lifter, which works perfectly except it has no handle so I burn my hand every time. I am SO disappointed in this peel and am trying to find a stainless steel one that will fit the 12" of my oven. So far I can only find 13". Just an fyi, I've been making pizzas for 20 years.
Thanks for the comment, 20 years wow! i should be asking you for tips! 😎
One thing i find that helps is to make sure the peel is cool. I tend to have issues with sticking when the peel is warm or damp, and also if i leave the raw dough on the peel for too long. (which happens quite a lot when filming these reviews)
@@TomVoyageuk Thanks for your response! I have tried many different variations for the dough as well and yes, the peel is cool and dry while I very quickly build the pie. I have also tried putting flour on the peel to help, but most of it falls through the holes and makes a big mess. Unfortunately nothing has worked. I have purchased an inexpensive wooden peel and it works fine. I use the ooni peel to remove the pizza from the oven. Oh well...
Would you use a 16" peel with a 16" oven? or a 14" peel with a 16" oven?
I mai my use my 14” peels with my Karu 16, the 16 inch peel isn’t perforated and can be a bit heavy too
Great video, where did u get that table unit from?
Thank you! IM glad you like my video! The table in this video is called a Keter Unity XL. If you give that a google you can find it most places, as long as it's sold in the country you live? I'm in the UK, and i see them in garden centres most of the time.
Another great video. Thank you Tom, I was having second thoughts about one of the peels but after warching this I think I made a good choice.
Im really glad you found my video useful! Thanks for watching! :)
Always launch with the wooden peel with a touch of flour then turn and take out with the solid aluminium peel. Both non ooni brand .
I find launching works just fine with the metal peels
The Ooni products maybe expensive but they are top quality. I have a lot of their stuff and bought some cheaper versions off Amazon first and the Ooni stuff is just better quality. In this case you do get what you pay for with Ooni.
Thanks for the comment, for the price of the ooni stuff I really like the quality! And I think it also goes for how much you use it. If it’s 1/2 times per year, it’s quite a lot but I use my oonis’ like every week! So I get a lot of value from them
Would you use a 16 inch peel for a karu 16 or ooni pro 16? Or is that too tight?
It’s hard to say for me as I’ve never cooked on the Ooni Karu 16 (yet) or the Ooni pro. I do have a Koda 16 however, and that works with the 16 inch peel very well! So I assume the same would go for all the 16” models
@@TomVoyageuk So in this video, you used an Ooni Koda 16, but you used 12 inch peels, correct? Thanks!
@@joshland6145 no this was a Karu 12 and 12 inch peels
Have you got the technique on using the turning peel that it really turns the pizza to the direction you want? 🤣 Uugh. Hahaha. Thanks for this great review. 💯
Thanks for the comment! Glad you enjoyed it!
As you can probably tell from this video... I'm still learning :)
But it does get easier the more times you do it!
Good comparison!
thank you!
Wooden peel works better if you sand off the varnish.
Ah that’s an interesting point! And now you mention it I can see why!
Thank you.
You're welcome!
This guy has no clue how to load a pizza. You don’t put the tip at the beginning of your oven and slide the pizza forward like this guys does. You place the tip where you want the back of the pizza to wind up and you gently jerk the peel backwards toward you to release the pie.
You need to say you are paid by ooni!
I’m not paid by Ooni, non of these videos are paid promotions. I’m affiliated with Ooni, meaning I can use their links to direct customers to their website.