A method for producing a ceramic composite body of desired shape comprising a preform infiltrated by a ceramic matrix obtained by oxidation of an aluminum parent metal to form a polycrystalline material comprising (i) alumina as an oxidation reaction product of the aluminum parent metal with an oxygen-containing gas as oxidant, and, optionally, (ii) one or more metallic constituents, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a preform with at least one defined surface boundary, the preform being permeable to the oxidant and to infiltration by the growth of the oxidation reaction product; (b) applying a suitable dopant into the aluminum parent metal, or onto the aluminum parent metal, or incorporated within the preform, or any combination thereof; (c) heating the aluminum parent metal to a temperature between850 deg.C and 1450 deg.C to form a body of molten metal, and contacting the permeable preform with the body of molten metal at a zone spaced from the defined surface boundary such that formation of the oxidation reaction product will occur into the preform and in a direction towards the defined surface boundary; and at the temperature (i) reacting the molten metal with the oxidant to form alumina as the oxidation reaction product, (ii) maintaining at least a portion of the oxidation reaction product in contact with and between the molten metal and the oxidant, to progressively draw molten metal through the oxidation reaction product towards the oxidant so that oxidation reaction product continues to form at the interface between the oxidant and previously formed oxidation reaction product that has infiltrated the preform, and (iii) continuing the reacting until the polycrystalline material has infiltrated the preform to the defined surface boundary of the latter, at which point at least one of the temperature, oxidants, parent metal and filler is no longer favorable to further oxidation reaction beyond the defined surface boundary, to produce the ceramic composite body having a configuration of the preform.