Pizza Launching Technique

Ingredients

• Pizza dough (Amount not stated; estimated at approximately 500 g for one 16-inch pizza.)
• Flour for coating the dough (Use enough to coat both sides, then shake off most of the excess.)
• Semolina flour, flour, or cornmeal for the peel (Use a light layer before placing the stretched dough on the peel; semolina is recommended in the source.)
• 0.5 cup Pizza sauce (Amount specified for a 16-inch pizza.)
• Pizza cheese (Type and amount are not stated; add cheese after spreading the sauce.)

Steps

1. 1

   For a normal indoor oven, use a wooden pizza peel. The source recommends a wooden peel because the pizza can be assembled directly on it; a metal peel may be used outdoors, but a wooden peel is still preferred.

2. 2

   Cover both sides of the pizza dough with plenty of flour. Coat it evenly to prevent wet spots and reduce the chance of tearing, then shake off most of the excess flour.

3. 3

   Stretch the dough while watching for very thin spots. Avoid creating areas where sauce could seep through onto the peel, since moisture on the peel increases the likelihood of sticking.

4. 4

   Before placing the dough on the peel, sprinkle the peel with a light, even layer of semolina flour, flour, or cornmeal. Semolina is the preferred option in the source, and the layer should not be excessive.

5. 5

   Lay the fully stretched dough onto the prepared wooden peel. Move the dough around as needed so it settles into a round shape.

6. 6

   Add approximately 1/2 cup of sauce for a 16-inch pizza. Start in the center and push the sauce outward in a circle, spreading it quickly so it does not pool heavily in the middle.

7. 7

   While adding the toppings, give the peel a few gentle shakes to confirm that the dough is still moving freely and has not begun to stick.

8. 8

   Add the cheese to the sauced pizza.

9. 9

   Before launching, shake the peel again to make sure the topped pizza is sliding freely.

10. 10

    Approach the oven with the peel nearly flat and only slightly angled. Shake the peel until the pizza begins sliding forward, then pull the peel out from underneath the pizza. Use a low-angle shake-and-pull motion rather than a steep angle, which can cause the toppings to slide off.

Notes

The transcript explains how to prepare and launch the pizza but does not provide a dough recipe, cheese quantity, oven temperature, baking time, or baking instructions. Those details must be supplied separately. The source specifically recommends assembling the pizza directly on a wooden peel and checking repeatedly that the dough remains loose.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pizza
• Italian
• vegetarian
• oven-ready
• wood-fired technique
• launching technique