I am very glad that I finally picked up this piece!I have several Lodge pieces and they are all very important pieces in my kitchen.I would like it to be a little bit larger and was also kind of hoping it would come with some basic cooking instructions.But, since I am fairly experienced with cast iron, I didn't have a hard time figuring out the best way to use this pan.
If anybody out there is thinking about getting it, or has already purchased this pan and has yet to master it, here is what I have come up with -
1)Preheat your oven (I use 450F for cornbread).THEN, put a small amount ofbutter (or whatever fat it is that you prefer) in the wedges and kind of brush it around so that it will coat both the sides and the bottom.Put the pan in the preheated oven to get it nice and hot.
2)Meanwhile, have your cornbread batter ready to go.I found that it takes about half of the recipe that I was using in an 8" square Pyrex previously.Take the pan out of the oven (I have one of those Lodge skillet handle potholders that works great).IMMEDIATELY, spoon the batter into the wedges.I have found (through trial & error) that filling each well to about 3/16" from the top works great.Get it right back in the oven.For me, 15-16 minutes baking time seemed to be about perfect.
As long as you heat up the pan and the fat that you use in the pan (I prefer a little tiny bit of butter in each well), it will cook evenly and nothing will stick to the pan.I mean, there isn't even residue in the corners or anything.The pan looked clean when I removed the cornbread.I did this several times with identical results.
One more hint for the day If you want to additionally season the pan (I did this before the first time I used it), scrub it out and dry it VERY well.Place a thin coat of Crisco over every surface of the pan.Don't slather it on thickly, and be sure that the top surfaces don't have any excess (I gently run a paper towel over the top ridges of the pan). Preheat the oven to 400-425F.Put the pan in the oven upside down, so that there is less surface area on the oven rack, and leave it in the hot oven for at least anhour.Turn off the oven, leaving the pan inside to cool of its own accord.You will have a beautifully seasoned pan that doesn't have the residue that you get using oil.
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I love this pan.It is good for all kinds of cooking, and nice and heavy.I have wheat allergy (celiac disease), and must use special flour when I bake.I find that this pan heats more surface area and gets the job done very well with the flour I must use.The cornbread (or cake or bread) comes out in very nice wedges.I definitely would order another of these pans!
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First off, let me start by saying I'm a cast iron fan.I currently own two cast iron skillets, with plans for a third (I'll get to that in a second).I don't mind cleaning or seasoning them -it's worth it.
Second, this makes great cornbread.No real complaints there.
But this thing is ridiculous.The preformed wedges leave difficult-to-clean corners where food gets trapped and refuses to come out.Cornbread doesn't cause much of a cleaning problem, ifthe pan is seasoned and lubricated properly, but I tried making a version of a pineapple upside-down cake, and I was scrubbing melted brown sugar residue out of this thing with a toothbrush for an hour.
Granted, this is primarily a cornbread pan, so I guess it's my fault for trying something else in it (although the description does say "cornbread, scones, and more.")But I wanted to make this thing less of a one-trick-pony.
Which brings up another point.Most cornbread recipes I can find are for a 10" skillet (without partitions).Not only does that mean breaking out my high-school math book to calculate volume changes, it also means that cooking times change, particularly due to the additional heated metal of the partitions baking the cornbread from all angles.One recipe was done in half the time it was supposed to be.Granted, this can be a good thing once you're used to it, but getting there will leave a trail of blackened cornbread in your path -and several hours of scrubbing.
So bottom line: this does make some fine cornbread, but it's a unitasker if there every was one, it's tough to clean, and it will mess with your recipes.Personally, I plan on switching to a standard 10" cast-iron skillet.But if you make a lot of cornbread, don't try new recipes, and just want it done fast and easy, this will work out fine.
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I bought this pan for making scones and while I have only used it once so far, I couldn't be happier with it!The scones baked faster and came out crisper than baking them on a cookie sheet.Just a few comments on the use of this pan.According to the Lodge website, you should NOT put the pan into a hot oven.Instead you should first grease the pan, then put it into the oven at the start of the preheating, letting the pan preheat slowly while the oven does.Once the oven is hot, pull out the pan, fill being careful not to burn yourself, then put the pan back into the oven.This method was great for the scones, since they started to rise as soon as the dough hit the hot pan!
I had to run a knife around the edge of each wedge to get the scones out of the pan, but they didn't stick.I imagine as the pan gets more seasoned over time, the wedges should pop out easier.I have a cast iron bread pan that I have used twice weekly for 8 months now and all I do is tip the pan over and the baked bread just falls right out.
I cleaned this pan easily with a dish rag and hot water NO SOAP.Found the rag was easier to get into the corners than a sponge.DO NOT SOAK cast iron pans as they will rust.If this happens, as it has to me, you need to re-season the pan.To do this, first scrub off the rust with a rag or scrubber making sure todry the pan very well.Next you coat the pan with a thin layer of shortening, wiping off any excess.Then put the pan upside down into a hot oven (350 or 400 degrees) and bake for an hour.I put a sheet of foil on the rack beneath the pan to catch the shortening drips.When done, turn off the oven and let the pan cool a bit before taking out.Pan will be very hot!
I am thrilled with this pan and the fact that it is made in the USA is an added benefit!
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