Who would not crave pizza? It is the go-to food for food lovers, food connoisseurs, and those who are just hanging out with friends’ crowd. It can be in its simplest form with only the tomato sauce on top of the pizza dough, or it can be in its most grandiose form with all the trimmings and expensive ingredients that one can dream of putting on top. Just its scent is gently touching our noses, and we start to crave it. Its picture can launch a thousand cravings and more. But not all of us know how to make a pizza paddle.
Why People Love Pizza
Pizza has become such a very popular meal for everyone that many have tried to answer its call. Pizza restaurants and mini-stores have sprung up everywhere, with some being just around the corner beside each other in the malls and other confined spaces where food is part of the attraction for customers. Some bakeries would even carry a few pizza flavors on their menu.
Other pizza lovers have opted to make their favorite pizzas themselves. Starting with ready-made pizza crusts, they slowly made their way to making their own dough and designing their own toppings to cooking them in their very own pizza ovens! If you’re a pizza lover and want to make your own, having the tools such as the pizza paddle is necessary.
How Important is a Pizza Paddle
One of the most sought-after tools by pizza lovers, pizza makers, and cooks is the pizza paddle. Its iconic image makes it easy to identify what a person holding it is making. Like the pizza oven, the pizza paddle symbolizes the love for an Italian creation that continues to transcend generations, taste buds, and pocket capacity. Many people have been more than happy to take a picture of themselves, holding it close to them like the pictures of well-known pizza makers.
What is a pizza paddle? It is a tool with a shape like a shovel. It has a very long handle and a flat carrying surface. It is used to slide the pizza in and out of the oven without burning your hands or arms. The pizza paddle allows the person manning the pizza oven to slide the pizza deep into the oven for more flavorful and thorough cooking. Once cooked, you can pull the pizza out of the oven with ease using the pizza paddle and carried to the customer’s waiting plate. But do you know how to make a pizza paddle?
Wood is the key material in making a pizza paddle. However, changing times, tastes, and the convenience of its users made it possible for new designs and new materials. Aside from the wooden pizza paddle, there are also paddles made of metal and of different sizes and kinds. They make most metal pizza paddles out of aluminum that is lightweight but conducts heat better and is easy to handle.
Before the pizza paddle is used to slide the pizza inside the oven, it is first sprinkled with flour or other materials to prevent the pizza dough from sticking to its surface. Some cooks have sprinkled corn mill instead of flour. A pizza peel is another name for a pizza handle.
Things to Remember When Making a Pizza Paddle
We can buy wooden pizza paddles and even metal ones from a store. Specialty stores are also available for those who would like to own personalized pizza paddles compliant with their own specifications and made from materials they have chosen. Others have gone further by choosing to make their own pizza paddles, making it more personal and closer to them.
The first thing to do in making a pizza paddle is to choose the wood to use. Keep in mind that you will use the paddle from the start till the end of cooking the pizza. Thus, make sure it can withstand the intense heat coming from the inside of the oven since placing the pizza deeper into the belly of the oven can take time. Most makers of pizza paddles choose acacia wood as the best wood because it answers the requirements. We know Acacia for having high heat resistance.
Once you choose the wood, the next thing to do is to clean it and make it smooth. Measure the flat surface and the length of the handle before cutting it. The good thing about how to make a pizza paddle is it is customizable. For those with deeper ovens, or afraid of the heat, perhaps they can measure out a long length of wood for the handle. If the wood cannot accommodate the flat carrying surface in one cutting, you can cut it into different sides then joined with glue.
After putting together the different sides of the flat carrying surface, clamp them so that the fit is tight, and the glue adheres evenly to all the surfaces. Leave them for several hours until the glue has set in. Some makers would prefer using other means of connecting the handle and the wooden carrying surface, but glue is the handiest one and easily available. Clamp the pieces together to allow the glue to bind them and evenly connect every part.
Make sure that the flat carrying surface has an indented lip since this will be the part that will slide first under the pizza. Without this, sliding the pizza paddle can be difficult. You can use a belt sander to make the indented lip. And once everything has in its proper place that it won’t fall off at the first touch or use, we can polish the pizza paddle with mineral oil for a professional finish. You can ask for help from someone who knows how to make a pizza paddle do the job for you. Here’s how to learn more about pizza paddles.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to make pizza paddle, you can surely make the perfect pizza. Homemade pizza makers will now have the chance to live their dream of being one with their favorite food while feeling as if they have really become the best pizza maker of all time!