Tried it again tonight.

[hippywife]

Pizza peel + corn meal and that bread still ain't sliding off there without being shoved. I dunno. Anyone think whole wheat flour would be a better option?

[troubleinwinter]

1. I put some flour

beneath the corn meal with good results.

I just got parchment paper & am gonna try the method that Lucinda has had good luck with.

[hippywife]

2. Well, the parchment paper was working well for me

but then I got the pizza peel from the hubband so I'm really trying to make the dang thing work for me.

[Lucinda]

4. Make a gorgeous loaf or pizza on parchment and haul it to the table on the peel.

:rofl:

I'm thinking you need to flor the bottom of the bread and use more cornmeal.

[pengillian101]

3. Peels

I don't really know, but this guy thinks that penetrating the flour into to the peel's little grooves of wood grain might help with the sliding. Sounds like it would work to me. :hi:

http://www.ehow.com/video_2344152_tips-pizza-peel.html

[housewolf]

5. Parchment paper is your friend

Your oven likes it too, no cornmeal mess all over the oven to burn...

[kcass1954]

6. I was having trouble with that for a while, too.

Using a thicker layer of corn meal did the trick. Apparently, I was being a little too frugal. Now if only I could get the bottom of the bread crunchy...

[sazemisery]

7. The metal peel is a little harder to get used to.

Either use the parchment or use more cornmeal. Flour is harder to clean out of the oven.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. What worked for me

LOTS of corn meal. Put it near the bottom of the peel a little larger than the size of your loaf. Half the time it slides off with no problem, half the time I have to give it a nudge with a long spatula. The times it sticks is usually when I haven't made the cornmeal spot large enough.

[Tesha]

9. With the wetter dough...

the cornmeal just absorbs the liquid - to use more cornmeal or use parchment paper...

and since the paper is a cleaner alternative - I go with the paper.

[hippywife]

10. I have put tons of corn meal on the peel.

I have situated the dough towards the end of the peel so it doesn't have far to go. The corn meal flies off onto the pizza stone and the broiler pan below, and generally all over the oven. The dough doesn't even budge a centimeter.

I think I'm going to call the peel a failed experiment. Just one more in a long list of disappointments lately. WTF. :(

[NMDemDist2]

11. what I do is give it a little shake over the sink to get rid of the loose stuff

if the loaf doesn't budge, I loosen it up with the spatula till it's moving then proceed to the oven

hope that helps!

:hi:

[housewolf]

12. HW, are you proofing the bread on the peel?

If so, that could be why it's sticking

[hippywife]

15. Yes, because that's what the recipe says to do.

And what would be the sense in even having a peel if you have to proof it somewhere else? :shrug:

I think I'm going back to my dutch oven. It gave me a nice crisp crust and it wasn't this huge a hassle.

[housewolf]

16. Oh, that's why it's sticking then...

While it sits, moisture from the inside of the bread migrates to the bottom, so it gets moist and sticks to the peel, even through the cornmeal. I'm gonna sound like a broken record... parchment paper with a small amount of corn meal will solve your problem. The dough will stick to the parchment on the peel to, but the hot oven temps will cause it to release. Plus little to no mess in your oven.

Or, as you said, using your dutch oven.

[hippywife]

17. Thanx, sweetie.

I was really hoping to get away from the parchment paper because it's wasteful and it's bleached. Ah well, I imagine I can find some unbleached at WF.

Why is it I can't have everything I want?

[Tab]

18. What you might consider

is proofing it on one side of the peel, then take it off, flip the peel over, and lay it out on that. So that side will be dry, and yet you'll still get to use your peel.

[housewolf]

19. Unbleached parchemt paper is available

and it's pretty inexpensive, it's a good-sized roll in a waxed-paper-sized box. not as wide as some of the bleached parchments, but I used it for years for breadbaking and loved it. WF should have it. I used to get it at a True-Value hardware store that carried a lot of kitchen stuff.

Good luck, I think you'll find that it makes you happier, once you give it a try.

[hippywife]

20. I did see it there today but

I didn't buy it yet. I already had a cart full of yummy stuff and needed to get outta there before I broke the bank. ;)

[grasswire]

13. How about waxing the peel?

I finally solved my problem with pretzels sticking to the pan (after much grief) by using beeswax. I warm the pan and then rub it with beeswax. Is it worth a try?

[Tab]

14. I've always found

that you need an exquisitely clean pizza peel. You don't have to oil it or anything (in fact, don't) but if there's any previous dough stuck to it, you're screwed.

A reasonably (not overly) moistened dough - too much moisture, it'll stick, no matter what.

And some white corn meal (some prefer yellow, I prefer white).

But the moisture (too much of it, I mean) and any previous sticking dough will get you every time.