Have you ever done ceramics? Even the inexpensive, decorative pieces that you paint with glaze and then have the studio fire are 'baked' at temps far, far hotter than the average home oven.

I'd still try to get the answer from the company, but I'd say that most cooking ceramics would be fine at 500--since they were probably created in a kiln that was much hotter than that.

The thing you really have to be careful about ceramic baking items is temperature change--you risk breakage if you put a dish right from the fridge or freezer into the oven; or if you drop a frozen pizza onto a preheated pizza stone. Those kinds of temperature changes can shatter even a good piece of ceramic bakeware.

Well I finally got a hold of someone at Farberware.. The gal put me on hold while she asked someone else... After about 5 minutes she came back and said that I couldn't use the stoneware in an oven any higher than 325 F

No, I don't really believe her because when the stoneware was made it was fired at 1600 F... But, rather than taking a chance, I'm thinking about taking it back to the store, unless I can find another use for it...

I read that stoneware is good for long slow cooking recipes... I also read that a lot of crockpots have stoneware liners.... Wonder if I could use my oven as a crockpot of sorts... Set the temp to, say 150 and leave the food in there all day... Hmmm, that doesn't sound healthy... lol. But what do you think?

As for finding something that will take the 500 F temperature for the no kneed bread, doesn't look like I'll find anything... I called Corning and asked about all the things they make, Visions, Pyrex, stoneware and everything else and the fella said they do not recommend temps over 450 F for any of their products... Oh well, guess I'll have to try the bread at 450...

Rita