A butter dish is a specialized dish in which butter is served. It would normally have a base with a separate fitting lid with its own handle. A typical measurement is 8 inches by 5 inches. Butter dishes are commonly made of stainless steel, silver or porcelain. The metal examples tend to have within them a glass base to protect the metal from the corrosive effects of salt within the butter. An alternative to a standard butter dish is a French butter dish, also known as a butter crock.