Find an article
Our categories
Fresh from the blog View all
The Baeckeoffe dish in Soufflenheim pottery is not...
Returning from Alsace and looking for the perfect...
Rain in Alsace? No panic! The region offers a...
Homemade gingerbread is one of the finest gifts you...
Gewurztraminer is undoubtedly the most expressive...
Our favourites View all
Featured View all
Explore by topic
Worth reading
Just a few kilometres apart in northern Alsace, Soufflenheim and Betschdorf embody two pottery traditions as distinct as they are complementary. Both share the same label - the Geographical Indication "Poteries d'Alsace Soufflenheim-Betschdorf", registered by the INPI on 11 March 2022 - and the same deep roots in Alsatian craft heritage. Yet almost everything sets them apart.
Pottery in Soufflenheim is among the oldest in Alsace. In the 12th century, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted the village's potters an exceptional privilege : the right to extract clay freely from the imperial forest of Haguenau - a right that has endured, in essence, to this day.
Made in France
Master Potter
Made in France
Master Potter
Free Shipping
Soufflenheim Pottery
Kougelhopf mold Soufflenheim Blue Brush Daisies 21 cm
Already 2 sale this month
Made in France
Master Potter
Free Shipping
Soufflenheim Pottery
Kougelhopf Mould Blue from Soufflenheim Daisies 23 cm
Already 12 sale this month
🔥 1 person recently added this item to their cart, join them!
-3%
Product bundle
Made in France
Master Potter
Soufflenheim Pottery
Salted Kougelhopf Preparation Kit with Uni Kougelhopf Mould 21 cm
Already 1 sale this month
🔥 1 person recently added this item to their cart, join them!
The secret of Soufflenheim pottery lies in its material : an exceptional refractory clay, extracted from the subsoil of the Haguenau Forest. Rich in alumina, it gives the pieces remarkable heat resistance and slow, even heat distribution - precious qualities for oven cooking. After firing at 950-1000°C, it reveals a characteristic yellowish tint with slight surface irregularities - the mark of 100% handcrafted production.
Made in France
Master Potter
Free Shipping
Made in France
Master Potter
Free Shipping
Made in France
Master Potter
Free Shipping
Soufflenheim Pottery
Baeckeoffe Terrine Blue Soufflenheim Brush Daisy 37 cm
Already 10 sale this month
Made in France
Master Potter
Free Shipping
Baeckeoffe Mussel and Terrine
Large Baeckeoffe Terrine Blue of Soufflenheim Heart 47 cm
Already 5 sale this month
🔥 1 person recently added this item to their cart, join them!
Soufflenheim pottery is instantly recognisable by its signature colours : Soufflenheim Blue, Brush Blue, Red, and hand-painted floral or polka-dot patterns. The shapes are generous and functional : kougelhopf mould, baeckeoffe terrine, flammekueche dish, casserole. Every piece is unique - hand-thrown and hand-painted by a craftsperson.
Made in France
Master Potter
Free Shipping
Made in France
Master Potter
Soufflenheim Pottery
Soufflenheim Daisy Blue Breakfast Cup
Already 10 sale this month
🔥 1 person recently added this item to their cart, join them!
Made in France
Master Potter
Made in France
Master Potter
Soufflenheim pottery is above all kitchen pottery : oven-safe, microwave-safe, barbecue-compatible and dishwasher-safe. It is ideal for slow-cooking, baking, gratinating and serving the great dishes of Alsatian cuisine - and it is passed down from generation to generation as both a cooking tool and a decorative object.
At the beginning of the 18th century, potters from the Westerwald (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) settled in Betschdorf, bringing with them their knowledge of salt-glazed stoneware. Village registers first mention a potter in 1706. At its peak in 1865, the village counted no fewer than 60 workshops employing 400 people.
What makes Betschdorf stoneware unique is its firing technique : salt-glazing. Near the end of the firing, at 1,250 to 1,300°C, sea salt is thrown into the kiln. The salt reacts with the clay to form a naturally transparent glaze, waterproof and acid-resistant - with no artificial coating. The result is stoneware of exceptional density and impermeability.
Betschdorf pottery is recognised by its two emblematic colours : the natural grey of the stoneware and the cobalt blue of hand-painted decorations - close to Sèvres blue. Motifs - flowers, birds, stylised foliage - are traced by hand before firing. Each piece is a unique work, sober and refined. Today Betschdorf pottery is primarily decorative.
| Soufflenheim | Betschdorf | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Earthenware clay | Salt-glazed stoneware |
| Firing temperature | 950-1000°C | 1250-1300°C |
| Glaze | Coloured enamel | Natural salt glaze |
| Colours | Blue, red, multicolour | Grey and cobalt blue |
| Main use | Culinary and decorative | Primarily decorative |
| Key pieces | Kougelhopf mould, terrine, casserole | Jug, pot, vase, pitcher |
| Label | PGI "Poteries d'Alsace Soufflenheim-Betschdorf" (2022) | |
Since March 2022, both traditions are protected by the Protected Geographical Indication "Poteries d'Alsace Soufflenheim-Betschdorf", issued by the INPI. The label covers around twelve workshops in Alsace. Every certified piece carries an authenticity certificate and a hallmark on its base.
Choose Soufflenheim if you love vivid colours, generous shapes and functional kitchen pottery. Go for Betschdorf if you are drawn to the sober elegance of grey and blue, and the decorative and heritage value of a stoneware piece. Either way, you bring home a living piece of Alsatian craft heritage.
Explore our selection of Soufflenheim pottery on decoalsace.fr - delivery across Europe.
Log in to post comments
Obernai Christmas Market
ChronoPost Shop2Shop Parcel Point Delivery
Original Corporate Gifts - Alsatian Specialities and Crafts for Business Committees
Narjis by Trésors d'Argan, La Beauté au Naturel since 2004
Gb
Français
Deutsch
Nederlands
Your opinions View all