Culinary Tools 101: All About Baker’s Peel (2024)

Have you ever struggled with taking out freshly baked bread from the oven? It is always a battle to place and take out your baking goods from the oven without burning yourself. If you also find yourself in a similar position, let us introduce you to baker’s peel.

With a baker’s peel, you never have to lose your cheesy masterpiece again! A baker’s peel makes it effortless to put your dish inside the oven and take it out safely. Be it a loaf of bread, pizza, or your favorite pie; you can depend on the peel to handle them all.

In short, a baker’s peel is a baking tool that makes life easier! Have we evoked your curiosity about this baking tool? In that case, keep reading as we discuss baker’s peel in detail.

What Is a Baker’s Peel?

A baker’s peel is a shovel-like kitchen tool that makes it easier to put and take out unbaked pizzas, loaves of unbaked bread, and other baked goods. The baker’s peel includes a handle that makes it easier to control the tool.

It can transfer soft bread and pastries without deforming the structure. Typically, baker’s peel uses wood and metal as their primary materials. One of the essential purposes of the peel is to keep the baker’s hand at a distance from the hot-burning oven. Peels are available in all different sizes and shapes.

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Why Do You Need a Baker’s Peel?

If you consider yourself an experienced baker and a true pizza lover, your goal should be to prepare bread to replicate a restaurant-like experience. What’s more, a baker’s peel allows you to do that!

It reduces the hassle of getting your pizza in and out of the oven while enhancing safety while baking. The tools offer you a genuine baking experience by allowing you to do the following:

  • Reduce charring on bread and pizzas from hot spots by allowing a more straightforward turning process
  • You can impress your friends and family with your wizard-like baking skills. When you have guests over at home, they’ll be stunned looking at the perfectly baked goods.
  • It offers you an easy surface to turn your dough and ensure even cooking.
  • Furthermore, the peel lets you place the dough or raw pizza in the oven on the right hot spot. It also allows you to retrieve the baked goods safely once cooked.

Indeed, you can still make baked goods without the peel. But, if you are looking to enhance your skills and safety, this tool can go a long way. Besides, the device will add to the overall perfection of the baked goods.

What Size Baker’s Peel Should You Buy?

Do not make the mistake of tossing just any baker’s peel into your shopping basket. The baker’s peel’s surface, size, and shape are critical. Besides, the length of the handle is another factor that you should consider. You do not want to end up with a peel that does not fit your oven or something challenging to maneuver.

The goal of the baker’s peel is to prevent burns. It would be best if you bought a long peel to get the pizza out from the back of your oven. Additionally, it should have up to 5 inches of clearance space outside to keep your hands away from the heat.

You can consider the following two handle sizes of baker’s peels:

  • Long-Handed Baker’s Peels: Bakers use the long-handed peels after using the short ones. The long-handed peels make it safer and easier to place the dough and take it out of the oven.
  • Short-Handed Baker’s Peels: Most bakers use these variants to prepare the pizza. The short-handed ones are more comfortable and take limited countertop space.

Some people consider buying both variants for different purposes. Remember, you should aim to bring home a peel that gives you maximum control and safety. Moreover, the peel should be helpful in a variety of baking tasks.

How to Use a Baker’s Peel?

Each baker’s got their own method of using a pizza peel. As you continue using the tool, you’ll develop your techniques and tricks to make better use of it. One of the most common uses of baker’s peel is to prepare pizza.

In this section, we’ll walk you through how to use a baker’s peel to make some lip-smacking pizza. Here is the method:

  • Dust the peel’s surface with some flour
  • Shape the dough using some extra flour
  • Place your dough on the baker’s peel
  • Pat and gently jerk the peel to spread the dough to evenly match the peel’s shape.
  • Generously add the toppings and the pizza sauce.
  • If you want, transfer the dough to a long-handled peel. Next, place the pizza in the oven by gently sliding it from your peel.
  • Allow the pizza to bake into deliciousness.
  • Once baked, take the metal peel, slide it beneath the pizza, and take it out of the oven.

After taking it out of the oven, allow it some time to rest on the peel before cutting it into slices. Enjoy your happy time with the pizza!

Types of Baker’s / Pizza Peels

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Baker’s peel is available in three different materials – wooden, composite, and metal. Let’s help you learn about each so that you can choose wisely!

  • Wooden Baker’s Peel: Wooden peel offers an authentic Tuscan or Italian look. You can use these as a chopping board as well. You should also know that wooden peels are high-maintenance and not fireproof. Retrieval with these peels is a little trickier as they are not very thin.
  • Metal Baker’s Peel: Metal and aluminium peels are among the top choices of many bakers. Metal peels are thin and make it easy to get your pizza in and out of the oven. Moreover, the peels are pretty easy to clean and require minimal maintenance. The only downside to the metal variants is that they stick to the dough. The raw dough quickly clings to the metal surface.
  • Composite Baker’s Peel: Compared to wooden peels, composite ones are easier to maintain. You might find the composite peels to be too thick. Moreover, the handles on these peels are typically short. Wooden peels offer the same purposes while also having better aesthetics. As a result, most people prefer wooden over composite peels.
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FAQs

Is a Wooden Baker’s Peel Better Than a Metal One?

Even though both wooden and metal baker peels serve different purposes, bakers use the wooden peel to transfer the unbaked pizza into the oven. On the other hand, a metal pizza peel is a better pick for turning and taking the pizza out of the oven.

Besides, the metal peel is like a cake tester; you can check if the pizza is ready using the metal peel. It is also worth mentioning that raw homemade pizza dough might end up sticking on the metal peel. As a result, you should use a wooden peel to get the unbaked pizza inside the oven.

How to Avoid My Pizza Getting Stuck on the Baker’s Peel?

It is one of the most common situations for first-time users. If you use a metal peel to transfer your pizza into the oven, the pizza is most likely to stick on it. Firstly, you should make it a norm to use wooden peels for transferring raw pizza or any unbaked dough.

Pizza is unlikely to stick on a wooden peel owing to its rough texture. Moreover, the wooden surface also allows airflow underneath the dough. You may also choose to refrigerate the dough for a while. A chiller dough is easier to maneuver.

How to Clean a Wooden Baker’s Peel?

If you prep your baker’s peel with parchment paper, you need not clean it over and over. But sometimes, things can get messy, and that’s when you want to dip your wooden baker’s peel for a wash. Mind that washing wooden peels is not ideal.

In any case, wipe the wooden peel with a mineral block or oil to prevent warping. This step will seal the pores, and the wood will not absorb any moisture. For washing the peel, soak it in soapy water and give it a subtle scrub to get rid of any residue.

Next, you should towel dry the wooden peel to absorb the moisture. In the end, make sure to wipe it with mineral oil to reseal the open pores again.

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Wrap Up

Getting a baker’s peel will encourage you to make pizzas and bread from scratch rather than buying it from the store. By introducing a baker’s peel to your set of kitchen tools, you’ll have a safer and easier baking experience.

Moreover, you no longer have to struggle with balancing your pizza to avoid the toppings from falling while taking your pizza out. Delicious and fresh homemade baked goods await you!

About HICAPS

Over the years, HICAPS has helped bakers and businesses make delicious products by offering ingredients likeChiffonAide Cake Oil,Magic Whizk Instant Whipping Cream,Red Velvet Emulco Flavor and Color,Ube Yam Emulco Flavor and Color,andHICAPS Buttercream Prime Butter Blend.

HICAPS also provides tools and resources to valued partners such as the FREEMarketing Strategy For Bakery BusinessE-book and dealer locator that helps look forbaking supplies stores near me.

Want more free tips and tutorials? Follow us on Facebook atHicaps Mktg. Corp.and on YouTube atHicapsTV.

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