The time rule to remember when baking with cast iron

Cast iron is a highly valued cookware for its durability, and once you master its use, it delivers consistent results. It's perfect for making cornbread, green shakshuka, or crusty bread, among other sweet and savory treats. However, the key to baking with it is to keep cooking times short.

A common misconception is that cast iron conducts heat well. In reality, it's not a good conductor, but it does retain heat well. This means it takes a while to heat up, but it maintains a constant temperature because it also takes a while to cool down. It's preferable to heat it in the oven rather than on the stovetop, as this distributes the heat more evenly.

Because it retains so much heat, baked goods reach a golden color more quickly, so it's best to remove them a few minutes early. This doesn't affect the inside, because cast iron takes a long time to cool and distributes heat evenly, so the food continues to cook gently until it's removed from the pan or until the pan cools down.

Cast iron doesn't need to be preheated every time, although it depends on the desired result. For soft edges, like pancakes cooked in a cast iron skillet, preheating isn't necessary. For crispy edges, a little more cooking time is all it takes. When greasing the pan, regular olive oil and butter can burn due to their low smoke point, so it's best to opt for clarified butter. Ghee, which is dairy-free, is a hybrid of oil and butter with a much higher smoke point.

To remove baked goods easily, first loosen the edges with a butter knife and then turn them out onto another tray or plate. The pan should be greased beforehand so the food doesn't fall apart or stick. Running a spatula underneath is also possible, but this method is more abrasive and can scratch the cast iron.