Hello my baking friends,
I have a two year old Romertopf and have loved it! Lately, it began to stick at the bottom. I thought that it may be something that I was doing differently. Today I was really careful to make perfect batter, measuring everything, gluten developing as one should, etc.
I was dismayed when I took the 475 degree romertopf out of the oven and before I could even place it on the wooden cutting board, it cracked. When I put it down, IT BROKE! The house always gets really hot with the oven on and I believe the kitchen was 77 degrees.
Have any of you experienced this? Do I have a defective one? Should I buy a different brand to replace it?
Thank you!
I haven’t had thermal shock happened to any of my clay bakers, but it certainly can happen. I would imagine the crack initially formed a while before the base finally broke apart since placing it on a wood cutting board should not be a problem at all.
I put dough straight from the refrigerator into my 500F clay bakers and haven’t had a problem.
On the flip side, water seems to be a big issue – the glass window on my oven shattered a while back when I used the oven door/window to push a soaked bagel board deeper into the oven.
I’m sorry I don’t have advice but those are my anecdotes 
THANKS! I knocked it against the side of the sink last time I washed it. The thought occurred to me that though I could not see a crack, that may have weakened it. Interesting that you are getting away with refrigerated dough in a preheated baker. I have read others say the same and I have been afraid to try. SIGH At least I know it may have just been that knock on the sink and not something else that I did.
Have a good weekend!
Also, REALLYgood warning about water! I am nearly positive there was no water on the cutting board, but good to be vigilant about.
Also, I LOVE your recipes and videos, Melissa!
Thank you 
Have a good weekend too.
Oh, you might skip washing the ceramic bakers – just wipe any soot out. It’s not that water is verboten (some baking instructions even say to soak the baker before use) but I think there’s some speculation that uneven drying can put the baker at risk for cracking.