I finally figured out why my cornbread was sticking after 3 years of cooking on the same pan

I was baking cornbread in my Lodge skillet at my sister's place in Austin last Tuesday, and when I flipped it out half the crust stayed glued to the pan, so I realized I'd been washing it with soap and water instead of just scraping and reapplying oil - has anyone else accidentally messed up their seasoning by being too clean?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.jade6d ago

Gotta disagree with you here. I've been washing my cast iron with soap and water for years and my seasoning is rock solid. The whole "never use soap" thing is kind of a myth from back when soap had lye in it. Modern dish soap is totally fine as long as you dry it right away and give it a light oil rub after. Bet the real issue is you weren't getting the pan hot enough before adding the cornbread, or maybe your oil layer was too thick.

stone.thomas6d ago

Wait, have you actually tried the soap method yourself for more than a few months? Because I was in the exact same boat a couple years back. I always followed the old rules, never used soap, just hot water and a scrub brush. Then I ruined a batch of cornbread and got so frustrated I switched to soap on a whim. Honestly, my pan has never been better. I use a tiny drop of Dawn, scrub gently with a soft sponge, rinse really well, then dry it on the stove for a minute. After that, I rub a thin coat of crisco in while its still warm. My seasoning is smooth and non-stick now, way better than when I was babying it with no soap. So I think you're onto something, especially about the heat. I started preheating my pan for a solid 5 minutes before adding oil for cornbread and it made a huge difference too.