How to Make a Pizza Peel

A pizza peel is the professional way to keep the pizza from sticking to the pan while it bakes to perfection. One type of pizza peel is metal. You use it to loosen the bottom of the pizza from the oven tray. The other is a wooden pizza peel that transfers the pizza and it keeps the dough from sticking. You can make this peel at home.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Measuring tool
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Piece of wood
• Jigsaw
• Beveling tool
• Planer or Miter saw
• Power sander or sanding block
• Mineral oil
• Cornmeal

Instructions

Make the Pattern

1. Draw a 14 by 15-inch rectangle on paper. On the 14-inch side, find the middle point and mark 1 inch on each side of the point.

2. Use a ruler and make a line that extends 9 inches away from the edge. Do this on both sides.

3. Connect the two lines at the top. Move up the newly formed 9 by 2-inch rectangle 2 inches from the base. Mark the spot on both 9-inch sides.

4. Create a slightly inward curved line to connect the that point to the outside corner of the 14 by 15-inch rectangle. You now have a pattern for a wooden pizza peel.

Make the Wooden Pizza Peel

1. Purchase a 14 by 24 by 1 inch piece of blond alder or sassafrass. Get a piece that hasn't been chemically treated since the wooden pizza peel can transfer those chemicals to the dough.

2. Lay the pattern onto the wood and trace it to the wood piece. Prior to cutting, round out all sharp edges on the pattern. Make sure the tool feels comfortable in you hand.

3. Cut the shape out with a jigsaw. Use a plane starting from the middle of the board to the base and plane the face to form an angle ending with the bottom edge 3/8 inch thick. You can also use a miter saw and cut the top surface down. When you use a miter saw you need to cut the bottom a little bit more than 1/4 inch since there's less need to sand.

4. Round every corner first with a planing tool and sand vigorously. Sand the top of the board smooth. A power sander works the best for this. Your wooden pizza peel should have a 9-inch handle on one end, while the wide part of the board tapers down to 1/4 inch. Your sanding should have removed another 1/8 inch. Every side should be beveled and smooth.

5. Clean the board of all shavings and sawdust. The wooden pizza peel is complete. Treat the board with mineral oil and sand into the board. Allow this to dry thoroughly. Flour the wooden pizza peel well with cornmeal before use.

Tips & Warnings

• Oiling the board with mineral oil reduces the chance that the oil turns rancid.

• Do not soak the board in water or put it in the dishwasher.