Is it okay to use cornmeal for pizza? You will always hear people asking this question, and the answer is that it’s okay for you to use the cornmeal on your pizza.
When you use the cornmeal on your pizza’s surface, it will help you release the pizza from the pizza peel to your oven.
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So then why do we use the cornmeal on the pizza?
To put it simply, cornmeal will help to slide the pizza from the baking steel.
You don’t want the dough to stick on the pizza peel or even your baking pan, so you better use the cornmeal flour.
I know you can also use other flours as you will see below.
Note though that aside from creating a nonstick property for your pizza, you will have other essences.
That’s why you find some people only choose the pizza that particularly has this dusting.
Cornmeal is unique since they give you great and distinct flavors but also the texture. It also blends right with the dough.
Some customers who look for the best and tasty pizza require that the pizza also has cornmeal flour beneath the crust.
They do this since they feel like it adds some unique flavor to the thin crust of a pizza.
I don’t argue with this because I know that how it tastes depends a lot on your taste buds. So then it adds some textures and flavors.
Can I use another substitute for Cornmeal?
For some people, there’s the question of ‘why use cornmeal yet it interferes with the whole taste of the pizza dough?’
But if you asked me, it just tastes perfect.
If you don’t like the cornmeal, you ought to have other alternatives that will make sure the pizza doesn’t stick.
The following are the few options you could use in place of the cornmeal.
Wheat flour
This is one of the most common flours that you can use with the baked goods.
It works great when you have bread and cakes. You can use the flour to make delicious doughs.
Generally, you do know the dough usually has flour and yeast. Therefore, you can use it and set it on the pizza peel to prevent sticking.
The good thing is that it too has a bland taste and will not alter your dough or crust taste either.
Besides, it will never develop the bold texture that the cornmeal does. And it lets the pizza be just what it is pizza.
Some complain that the dough may still stick in the presence of the flour.
This only happens if you didn’t prep your dough right. It will also mean the gluten will then release from the flour.
Notice then that the dough will sometimes stick, which is why you should try using the following dough too.
Semolina
If you know semolina, you will most likely already know that you do eat it with some milk.
Also, you can use it with some milk mixture that you add with sugar. Sometimes though, you can even add the halwa.
So semolina is versatile, and it works perfectly when you also use it to dust the pizza peel. This then will work the same way the cornmeal works.
The good thing, though, is that it has no unique flavor so that you can eat it.
You can use parchment papers.
Remember, you will also use the parchment papers for other baking products.
If you, therefore, lack other options, you can use the parchment papers.
Set it on the pizza peel and then set your pizza dough and mount it.
This will prevent burning, but it also makes sure it doesn’t stick on the oven surfaced.
It’s ideal for you to set the baking temperature just right, and it will not burn the paper. If you also overcook the pizza, you will burn and stick on the pizza crust.
More reading: Butcher Paper Vs Parchment Paper
Here are the tips to prevent your dough from actually sticking to the pizza pan
If you don’t want to use the flour, but you still don’t want the dough to stick on the pan, you can use the following tips.
When you are making your dough, do so on a different work surface. So then you should roll the pizza on the silicon mat before you set it on the pizza peel.
So the essence here is not to spread the dough with your hands on the pizza peel or baking steel.
Don’t forget to use a lot of flour to make sure it will never stick on the surface. Just coat your pizza peel with the floor before you can set the pizza on.
Don‘t let the dough stay on the peel for long. If it takes too long, then it will start to stick. So set it on the peel only when you are ready to use it.
Remember to shake the pizza on the peel periodically as you continue to set all the toppings and cheese.
So then you do this to make sure the pizza is still moving. If you like, you can add some more flour to the pizza peel to keep it from sticking.
Act fast. Only set it on the peel when you are ready to add everything you need in a few minutes and then set it on the stone or the baking steel. No wasting time on the pizza peel.
FAQS
There’re instances when you can use the breadcrumbs to replace the cornmeal, but that doesn’t include the use on your pizza crust.
If you do, then the breadcrumbs are going to burn. The bread crumbs can’t stand that high and dry heat; it will always burn.
Why do some people hate the cornmeal flour on the pizza?
Those who don’t like it don’t work because of its coarse texture.
And some people claim that it has some influence on the crust tastes. I don’t think so because it’s just bland. All said, this is just a matter of preference.
Must you use cornmeal flour?
If you don’t have the other substitutes we mentioned above, then yes.
It will help ensure that the pizza dough or crust is forming though soft will not stick to the pizza peel or oven floor.
