I rarely see bundt pans made out of clay. Perhaps because of the conical center opening it just doesn’t occur to a lot of potters to try this form, but it’s actually surprisingly fun and simple to make. The purpose of the tube in the center isn’t merely decorative, it allows the cake to bake evenly from the center as well as the perimeter.

1 Center and spread your clay out into a mound about 8 inches across, then open up the center all the way to the bat.2 Open up a channel in the doughnut, leaving only ¼ inch of clay on the bottom since you won’t be trimming a foot.

3 With your left hand on the inside, pull the inside wall of the doughnut up into a cone.4 Pull the outside wall up and out, similar to throwing a bowl. Collar the center cone in.

5 Smooth the inside surface with a soft rib. Cut the center cone to just a bit shorter than the outer wall.6 Mark the exterior rim evenly for fluting using an MKM Decorating Disk, or simply by sight.

7 Using two fingers inside and one out-side, create the flutes. You can go back once or twice to refine the flutes.8 Trim excess clay from inside the cone and a little at the base of the outer wall. Use a sponge to smooth the exterior.

9 The trimmed and completed, fluted-rim bundt pan ready to dry slowly prior to bisque firing.

From the Pottery Making Illustrated November/December 2015 issue.

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Topics: Functional Pottery, Wheel Throwing Techniques
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