Baking Dishes

Polish pottery baking dish guide

Which size

10 x 8-inch rectangular (shape 370) is the everyday dish: a casserole or baked pasta for four, a pan of brownies or cornbread, a fruit crumble, roasted vegetables for a weeknight, or a small lasagna. It is close to the 11 x 7 pan that recipes call a "2-quart dish", so those recipes fit it, and it takes up less room in the oven and the dishwasher than anything larger.

12 x 8.5-inch oval au gratin (shape 350) is two and a half inches deep and is built for gratins, scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese, a whole roast chicken on a bed of vegetables, baked ziti, or a bread pudding. The oval shape gives more browned-top surface per serving than a rectangle, which is the whole point of a gratin, and it looks right in the centre of a table.

18-inch rectangular with handles (shape 1345) is the lasagna pan. It holds a full box of noodles in three layers, a Thanksgiving dressing for the whole table, enchiladas for a crowd, or a sheet of roasted vegetables for eight to ten. The handles are part of the body, so you can lift it hot with oven mitts without reaching under it. Measure your oven: 18 inches is the outside length with handles, and most ovens take it, but a compact or countertop oven may not.

Why stoneware

Metal pans heat fast and unevenly, so the edges of a casserole dry out while the centre is still cold. Thick stoneware warms gradually and evenly, which means a lasagna cooks through without a burnt rim, a gratin browns all over, and brownies bake level. It holds that heat afterwards: a dish taken out at the start of the meal is still hot when seconds go round. It also goes straight from the freezer to the fridge to a preheated oven (never from the freezer directly into a hot oven), so a casserole can be made ahead in the dish it bakes in.

Care

Oven safe to 480°F (250°C), and microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe. Put the dish into a preheated oven from room temperature or the fridge; sudden shock is the one thing stoneware does not forgive, so never set it on a burner, under the broiler, or on a cold wet surface straight from the oven. Cut and serve in the dish; the glaze will not scratch. Baked-on cheese lifts off after a soak in hot water, and the glaze does not stain or hold the smell of garlic or fish.

Choosing a pattern

Traditional stamps (Peacock 56, Nature 41, Polka Dot 42, Daisy Dreams 120, Holly Berries 242, Floral Peacock Fiesta 912, Poppy Garland 1115) are the entry price; the "a" patterns (Star Flower 221a, Blue Blossom 1154a, Blue Diamond Dream 217a, Floral Peacock 166a, Floral Peacock Swirl 1085a, Blue Serenity Swirls 1073a, Timeless Daisy Delight 1144a, Cornflower Cloudscape 1219a, Cherry Blossom Bliss 1363a) are more detailed; the DU studio patterns (Mosaic Flower DU60, Woodland Garden DU116, Sweet Violet DU121, Floral Swirl Celebration DU126, Spring Swallow Serenade DU182) and the signed Unikat dishes (Regal Bouquet 148ar, Floral Butterfly 149ar, Poppies 150ar, Garden Meadow 296ar, Floral Garden 312ar) are hand-painted. Holly Berries 242 on the 10 x 8 is the one to give at Christmas with a pan of brownies in it.

Frequently asked questions

What sizes do the baking dishes come in?

Three: a 10 x 8-inch rectangular dish, a 12 x 8.5-inch oval au gratin dish that is 2.5 inches deep, and an 18-inch rectangular dish with handles. Sizes are outside measurements across the rim.

Which one is the lasagna pan?

The 18-inch rectangular dish with handles. It takes a full box of lasagna noodles in three layers and feeds eight to ten. The 10 x 8 makes a small lasagna for four.

Can I take it from the fridge to the oven?

Yes, into a preheated oven, up to 480°F. Do not go from the freezer straight into a hot oven, and keep the dish off burners and out from under the broiler.

Is it dishwasher safe?

Yes. Dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe, and the glaze does not stain or scratch when you cut in the dish.