aluminum peel sticks

I think most people find that a wooden peel works better to load and the metal works better to remove dough/breads from the oven. You could also epoxy wood veneer to a metal peel which should work for both situations.

Eric

How are you shaping your dough - on the peel? Every time I ever tried that, the dough stuck. Now I shape it in my hands, off the table and peel, and  then lay it down on a well-floured counter so it picks up some flour from the surface. Slide it on the peel and into the  HOT oven to prebake for 30 seconds or so. Pull it out, add toppings, and finish off. Never have sticking problems any more.

ClimbHi
Pittsburgh, PA

I have a metal(aluminum) peel and have no problems with sticking. I use a bit of cornmeal on the peel, and I shape and rise elsewhere and move the dough onto the peel only at the last minute.

What clearly is by far the most significant though is I use parchment paper - I proof the loaf on the parchment, then slide the peel under the parchment to pick it up and put it in the oven.

Wooden peels are a bit porous and flour works into the surface.  Then with semolina or rice flour added to the floured peel, bread will slide.  Where you don't have semolina or rice flour, the "regular" flour will help it to slide.

Pam

I started using parchment paper for both breads and pizza in my WFO. Not only does the paper provide a nice slide from the peel, but it makes the pickup from the hearth easier after cooking. In addition, I no longer stress about clearing ash from the hearth with a mop prior to baking...just scraping the ash to one side is enough when the item to be baked is on a piece of parchment. For the next oven firing, the used parchment paper works well as a kindling starter.

Incidentally, there are several online sources for parchment paper that's already cut in half-sheet pan size...and it's fabulous not to have to deal with a roll of paper every baking session.

Mike