Lodge Cast Iron 5 Quart Seasoned Double Dutch Oven / Bread Oven

Perfect size for baking large, round, crusty country loaves. You preheat in the oven with the frying pan top on the bottom, and the dutch oven on the top. Carefully remove top, drop in the shaped loaf, score, and put the dutch oven bottom back on as a top. The steam from the loaf inside the pot creates a great oven spring. After 20 minutes, remove top to let the crust brown until loaf is done.

I've had my cast iron dutch for a few years now. Two pans in one -- love it! I use the lid ALL the time for just about everything; browning meats, cooking bacon, burgers, chicken, frying, it even fits a chicken pot pie using pre-made pie crusts perfectly. Though this comes pre-seasoned, I would still recommend re-seasoning the pot a few times or at least cooking some naturally greasy meats in it at first, such as hamburger or bacon. I made the mistake of preparing a pork tenderloin in a red wine sauce in my new dutch, first use. Bad idea! I wasn't thinking.... the acid from the wine stripped that pre-seasoned coating and my meal was ruined. I then had to re-season the pot a few times to repair it. So be careful with acids at first (wine, tomatoes, etc). Once you build up a better seasoned coating, those food items should no longer be a problem, however I now choose to cook acidic meals in an enameled pot instead. Same prep plan for the lid, do some burgers and bacon in it at first. After some uses, the surface smooths out and becomes non-stick (develops a patina). It is then that it performs beautifully. Make sure you know how to care for your cast iron, VERY important: hand wash, hot water, scrubby sponge is fine (or nylon scraper if necessary), no soaking, hand dry, place on the stove to thoroughly dry it (low-med heat), then oiled paper towel to rub on a new thin coat to the inside, leave on heat a few more mins, then turn off and leave it to cool. I do the oil step probably every third use, you'll notice it looking dry when it needs this. Overall, this product is a great price, an exceptional value, provides outstanding performance, and... it's made in the USA!