Sicilian pan seasoning difficulties

[PizzaioloCow]

Hi all,

Hope everyone here’s doing well. I’ve been experimenting with some Sicilian pies lately using a Paderno blue steel pan (same thing as this, though I have the 50cm version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VH70WM/?tag=pmak-20). I’ve run into some trouble, and I’d appreciate the forum’s guidance.

Before baking for the first time in it, I seasoned it six times with flaxseed oil. I applied thin coats on both the inside and outside of the pan each time, then baked it for an hour at 550 F.

I’ve baked maybe 4 or 5 pizzas in the pan since then, always lining the inside of the pan with EVOO before stretching the dough. As I’ve baked more, I’ve noticed small amounts of seasoning coming off. Now the seasoning on the inside of the pan is splotchy, particularly in the middle where there are significant patches of bare metal. Although I’ve been able to get the pizzas out in one piece, it takes some coaxing and the pan isn’t to the point where I’d call it “non-stick.” In addition, the bottom of the pizza becomes overly tough/chewy in the parts where it’s just bare metal, while it has a nice crispy fried texture in the parts of the pan where there’s still seasoning.

After each pizza, I scrape any burned-on crud out of the pan with either a plastic or wooden spatula.

Looking back, I wonder if maybe my first coat or two of seasoning was too thick, messing up the process.

Is there anything I can do to correct the issue with the seasoning coming off/becoming patchy? I’ve heard of people running pans through the cleaning cycle to burn off the seasoning and just start over. I’m not sure if that’d be possible with this pan without significantly warping it in the process. I appreciate any guidance anyone can offer on this.

Thanks!
Jake

[Pizza_Not_War]

I tried flaxseed oil and didn't like the results. You can remove existing coating with oven cleaner, well ventilated area is best. I've had better luck with thin coats of beeswax oil mixture as sold on Amazon. It's easier to get a thin coat that way. Also having pan upsidedown in the oven lets oil drip out.

And yet I still have one steel fry pan that fights me all the time.

[Pizza-Face]

I also bought the Paderno blue steel 40X30cm, I seasoned with olive oil as recommended. It stuck on the 1st bake, but only slightly in the corners, was able to lift out -no damage to either the pie or the pan. Now I ordered 2 of the detroit pans (10X14 & 8X10) *unseasoned* as seasoned was out of stock mid 2020. On one I used vegetable shortening (mixture of soy oil, and palm oil and hydrogenated for thickness) I think I did 5 VERY THIN coats at 445F (just under the smoke point of soy oil)  -this one went immediately into service, same sticking story as the Paderno blue steel, only once, no sticking after that.

The other I did that "scientific" flax seed oil seasoning, finding the least refined oil I could -it even requires refrigeration after opening.
This pan sat in an airtight box for about 4 months in a dry closet, then I took it out for a bake as it's size was 8X10 for that experimental bake.
It seemed to spot up as you mentioned, as I looked at it thru a magnifying glass, it seemed to be developing SURFACE RUST UNDER THE SEASONED COATING! -ergo sticking it would.
I took it and using hot water, NO SOAP, and a plastic scrubber, took out all the surface rust.
Then I used the vegetable shortening 5 VERY THIN coats at 445F (just under the smoke point of soy oil).
to make a long story short, IT NEVER STUCK EVEN ONCE. Ever!
I think seasoning oils resistability to moisture is the key to a killer seasoning, as the palm oil in the vegetable shortening is a high smoke point oil with the fatty acids that are easily solidified, nearer to..... say BEESWAX, and resist moisture ergo tomato sauce, steam, and of course oily cheeses.

[jsaras]

I never did ANYTHING to my Paderno pans except bake in them and they work fabulously. 

[Puzzolento]

Pork fat works great, and it smells nice instead of burning your eyes with blue smoke like vegetable oil. Olive oil also works. You might try 450 or 500.

[Pizza-Face]

Pork fat works great, and it smells nice instead of burning your eyes with blue smoke like vegetable oil. Olive oil also works. You might try 450 or 500.

I'm sure pork fat will work too, I do my woks with that.
I'm talking about going *below* the smoke point of each of these oils/fats, then no weeping or sneezing or smoke, well less anyways there is always some aroma from seasoning.