The Strategy
Launching a freshly topped pizza onto a hot stone is a dance that requires a little confidence and a dust of semolina. Those tiny grains of semolina act like little wheels, helping your dough slide right off the peel without sticking. Keep your toppings light so the crust stays nice and crispy instead of getting weighed down and soggy.
Technique Summary
Launching a fresh pizza off the peel and onto a piping-hot stone is a culinary dance that yields a perfect, bubbly crust. Keeping your toppings simple allows the natural flavors of sweet basil and melted cheese to sing.
Chef’s Checkpoints
- Give the peel a gentle shake; the raw pizza should slide freely across the surface before launching.
- Look for the cheese to be fully melted, bubbling, and dotted with golden-brown spots.
- Look for the bottom crust to show charred, blistered spots when lifted with a metal spatula.