Why is my pizza dough sticking to the peel?Updated 7 months ago

If your pizza dough is sticking to the peel when you try to launch it into the

oven, follow the tips below:

**Tip 1. **Make sure you're putting enough flour or semolina onto your peel

and dough ball

* For best results, use semolina.

Tip 2. Make sure your peel isn't wet

* Wet peel = sticky dough.

* Keep a dry towel handy so you can give your peel a wipe down to remove any moisture before you launch / prep your pizza.

**Tip 3. **Make sure your dough isn't too wet

* The higher the hydration in your dough, the stickier your dough will be.

* If using a high hydration, make sure you add more flour or semolina onto your peel and dough ball.

**Tip 4. **Make sure you're doing the 'shoogle'

* Before adding your toppings, pick up your peel and give it a shake - your entire pizza base should move freely.

* If any edges are sticking, add more flour / semolina underneath.

**Tip 5.** Make sure your toppings are kept light

* Heavy toppings will weigh down your dough, making your dough more prone to sticking.

**Tip 6.** Make sure your toppings aren't too wet

* Wet toppings = sticky dough.

**Instead of using:**| **Use:**

---|---

Regular mozzarella| Low-moisture mozzarella / fior di latte

Watery tomato sauce| Thicker tomato sauce (follow our [_Classic Pizza Sauce

recipe)_](https://ooni.com/blogs/recipes/classic-pizza-sauce)

Oily toppings| Toppings you've patted dry

**Tip 7. **Make sure you're doing the 'hovercraft'

* After adding your toppings, lift up one edge of your pizza base and give a gentle blow of air.

* This creates air pockets underneath your pizza and spreads excess flour to any areas that might be sticking.

**Tip 8. **Make sure your pizza doesn't sit for too long before you launch it

into the oven

* The longer your uncooked pizza sits on the peel, the stickier it will get.