Every time I share a photo of muffins, gems, or rolls, freshly-baked in one of my antique iron pans, I get the same question: "HOW do they not stick on, in that cast iron pan?"
It's a common belief that baked goods are especially prone to sticking on, when made in a cast iron pan, rather than modern aluminum, glass, or ceramic ones. This can certainly be the case, and there's nothing sadder than trying to coax a beautiful muffin out of a pan, only to have it baked to the sides so badly that it can only be extracted in a ragged state.
If you know how to bake in cast iron the 1800s way, though, you'll find that it's possible to make beautiful baked goods in your cast iron ware, and have them slip cleanly from their pans every single time.
The trick is to grease the cast iron pan well, then put it in the pre-heated oven to come fully up to temperature, before putting in your batter or dough. Once the pan is good and hot, remove it from the oven, spoon in your batter, and place it right back in the oven.
You'll find that the sides and bottom are delightfully crisp without being tough or hard, the inside will be soft, and your baked goods will slip out clean as a whistle. No coaxing or teasing required.
This trick was taught in many of the cookbooks published during the later half of the nineteenth century. As lightweight, inexpensive baking pans took over modern kitchens though, baking in cast iron fell out of fashion. The skills and methods for properly baking in cast iron are no longer just common knowledge, the way they used to be.
For anyone who's ever carefully greased a cast iron muffin pan, only to end up with hopelessly stuck-on muffins anyway, it can be easy to get discouraged and feeling like baking in cast iron is just impossible. It would probably never cross your mind the problem is putting the batter into a room-temperature pan, instead of a pre-heated one.
If you happen to have a cast iron pan that's been languishing, I'd encourage you to try baking in it again, but this time, grease and pre-heat it before spooning in your batter, or putting in your dough. One perfect batch of muffins is all it takes to fall in love with baking in cast iron, and you just might never go back!
You might also enjoy:
Anna Chesley
Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
Comments
No Comments