Unloading with a Peel

A baker’s peel with a 7- or 8-foot handle weighs upwards of ten pounds. Unloading 6 or 8 loaves of bread at a time from the oven increases the weight considerably. Like most other aspects of baking, this work can be done in a way to minimize exertion and maximize the baker’s efficiency. It may matter little if you are making just a few loaves, but most bakers make many dozens or hundreds each day, and cumulatively these seemingly small tasks can be rather strenuous. Even though the peel weighs less than 10 pounds, if I try to pick it up by the end of the handle, I am unable to do so, even with both hands! The closer I get to the center of gravity, or the balance point of the peel, the easier it is to hold it. At the place of balance, I can hold it with two fingers. Therefore, to minimize the unnecessary expenditure of energy, hold the peel with your lead hand, gripping it at the point where the peel and the handle meet. Not only will this require the least strength, it also provides the maximum stability. A peel full of bread is heavy, and often has a propensity to wobble due to the random distribution of the bread on the peel. By grasping the base of the peel with your forward hand, swaying is less likely to cause those fresh loaves to hit the floor before they make it to the cooling rack.