Preparing Flower Pots for Baking

Terracotta pots are excellent for baking bread, but be sure to use unglazed ones. Terracotta flower pots are readily available from garden centres. I’d suggest that you use new ones, and then set them aside for baking. Here are some instructions on how to prepare your flower pots for baking. My Sourdough Pecan, Oat and Cranberry Flower Pot Breads make 3 loaves, and so the instructions below require 3 flower pots but you can adapt this to suit your needs.

3 x Terracotta Flower Pots (10cm tall x 6.5cm at the base x 10cm diameter at the top)

100g Neutral Oil (e.g. Rapeseed, Groundnut, or Sunflower)

A pastry brush or new paint brush

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Paint each flower pot generously inside and outside with the oil. The pots will quickly absorb the oil so paint each pot 2-3 times and then plac onto a baking sheet. Put the pots into the oven for about 20 minutes, then switch off the oven and leave the pots inside to cool.

Repeat this process 2-3 more times. You can work this around your schedule and I suggest that you do it at times when you have your oven on for other purposes.

By the third repetition the pots should have become non-stick and ready to bake in.

If you have problems removing your first bread, don’t despair, repeat the oiling/baking process a couple more times and try again.

To clean the pots after baking in them: whilst they are still warm, soak them in warm water then wipe clean. It is best not to use detergent as this will dissolve some of the oil you have impregnanted the pots with. The pots should become better the more you use them.