Seasoning Your Baking Sheets to Improve Browning

[@thehangmansdaughter1120]

This is why my Nana's roasting dish made a better roast than mine. When she died I got all her baking sheets and roasting dishes. Suddenly my roasts tasted just like hers. I hadn't been doing it wrong, I just needed 40 year old pans.

[@Hrnakshi]

the old pans were also thicker at the base

[@thehangmansdaughter1120]

@@frankyoualot Well of course experience and skill is still a huge part of cooking, but the right equipment is also important. Roasting dishes are much like teapots in that regard, long use improves results. It's not like I didn't know how to cook a roast for heaven's sake! I raised twins, making almost everything they ate myself, 3 meals a day, week in and week out for 15 years, everything, right down to the crackers they ate after school. I was more than capable of producing a delightful roast. But there was a deeper flavour that came from my Nana's roasting pans, so much so my son has asked if he can have my (and thus Nana's) kitchen equipment after I'm gone. I've told him he must share with his sister, twin life relies on complete fairness.

[@meganwilliams2962]

@@thehangmansdaughter1120 My original baking pan (from when I first got married) is now perfect....it's 38 years old and 4 children later i.e many baked dinners later :-)

[@aidanpoulter9514]

And I remember as a kid seeing bacon fat sit in the frying pan forever at room temp after they last cook. No washing, just scrape out the bits. Probly they did the same with roasting tins. My grandma's food still rings with her love even though shes gone ahead 25yrs ago. We will cook together in nasty, uncleaned, beautifully black baking sheets for eternity.

[@meganwilliams2962]

@@aidanpoulter9514 See you there with my Nanna and her old roasting tins....

[@michaelolsen7000]

As a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, a student of high end chefs, and now a chef myself... I can tell you that not a damn one of us even talks about this to each other. It's just not something I think any of us think about, and now I can tell a friend of mine why his pastries aren't coming out like he's used to. He just started a new restaurant and the owner bought brand new everything (as normal) so none of it has any seasoning to it. Thank you for this video!

[@sewgatormomm]

@@frankyoualot What an abrasive comment. No one was insulting home cooks.

[@vyvoomvoom9641]

You all missed what he was trying to say. 2 of my brothers graduated from CIA & totally got it..

[@blacksorrento4719]

That’s what friends are for. I hope his pastries improve. It’s the little things in life, these gems we find on KZbin. 👍😁

[@simon-515]

Well.... he took the time to be appropriately educated to cook. Yes, there are levels of chef training. Why would he not be proud if that? Silly abrasive remark about him calling himself high end. Unless you seriously would like to go to an expensive restaurant that had a cook with McDonald's training. I do not. Nor do I want to go to a restaurant that the cook has only had training cooking for their family.

[@michaelolsen7000]

@@blacksorrento4719 His pastries are improving, yes. Now that they come out of the oven with the proper browning, he can accurately address other things that need fixing, like taste and texture.

[@spoonyvixen]

My anxiety and embarrassment of not having perfectly silver sheet just left my body and I feel 100 times more relaxed after watching this video, thank you for this!!!

[@deendrew36]

I always thought they were dirty and would replace them periodically. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@lindafletcher1628]

I have some half sheets that are black and they make the best browned pizza, I use lots of oil and basically fry the crust...they work great

[@danw6887]

Same! After I use my sheets, I'm going. How clean do I need to get them, now I don't. There better nice and dark.

[@isabelgomes6118]

My husband always want to scrub them clean. and I yell at him to leave them alone. One time he sprayed oven cleaner on mine.

[@tic857]

And all my roommates said I was being lazy and gross for not scrubbing until silver, and only soaking and doing a light soap and water scrub! I knew I had something good going on!

[@rosenebong]

I remember my dad who owned a bakery telling me when I was a kid, not to wash the baking sheets, just wipe clean. I see that’s true for baking but not if you use them for other things like roasting veggies, unless you use parchment

[@tic857]

@@rosenebong I typically do a soak, light scraping and soap and water after a roast, but I rarely ever sat there and scrubbed a pan until it was silver. I Also bake with the same pan and on those days it's brush the crumbs and flour into the bin and put the sheet away.

[@flowerchild777]

@@rosenebong parchment is cheap enough but a great baking pan is invaluable💖

[@yazdhenab.]

@@rosenebong my Mother used to tell me to not wash her pans, Just wipe it with a absorbant paper and store it.

[@tic857]

@@Em-qc2dm pretty sure they were your basic aluminium pans

[@Carrie82157]

I just thought my old baking sheets were dirty, no matter how much i scrubbed, they never got shiny again. Now I know they are just seasoned. :)

[@debbyd5729]

Same! I was ready to toss them out!

[@allenussher5884]

Same here! I was embarrassed to have them. Now I know they're better and a badge of honor. :)

[@leemclaurin9761]

@@Em-qc2dm Either way, you can spray them with easy off oven cleaner, and they will look new again.

[@dm4859]

I foind a copper scrubber took the residue with hardky any effort - definitely copper, not the steel ones. I'd never put parchment directly on an oven rack. That surprised me. I love parchment paper. Saves everything.

[@BiancaHorkan]

Same! The more you know!!

[@shermanhofacker4428]

My baking sheets are stainless as are my cake pans. My mother cleaned my kitchen one day and I came home to shinning utensils instead of the painstakingly seasoned brown surfaces I had worked so hard to achieve. This from the woman who taught me to NEVER scrub cast iron skillets!

[@epowell4211]

dying inside - bless her heart lol

[@JT-91]

send her to an old folks home

[@sammi-joreviews1135]

😬😱

[@shermanhofacker4428]

@@JT-91 Unfortunately, she shuffled off the mortal coil some time ago and I'm now old enough for the old folks home. I have tried to pass on the things she taught me, by good examples and bad.

[@ts4686]

My mother is a clean freak and thinks any browning means dirt. It frustrates me so. Everything must be shiny and hyper clean, but all great cookware mostly needs that seasoning to make your dishes delectable and perfect 🥰 Exactly like cast iron does. I'm glad your passing on all that knowledge you have gained through generations. This type of knowledge is a treasure trove and invaluable 💕 I LOVE this type of shared knowledge.

[@PsychoKupcake]

Idk what I expected when I clicked on this but I ended up being fascinated and oddly enough I felt calmed. I think the calming was her voice. Very soothing. Great diction. And now I want to bake.

[@TheLadybughug]

I just want her pastries 😂

[@taniaburton7559]

She's great, isn't she?✌️

[@HickoryDickory86]

I want Helen to read me bedtime stories. Her voice is that wonderful. 🥰

[@almantaite]

Jeez, I ve always thought that brown, grimy sheets is the sign that the chef doesn't like cleaning and today I learned that it is done on purpose, thank you for educating us!

[@Ottawajames]

TBH, it's probably both... There's a reason that Kitchen Stewards and Dish Washers exist in a commercial kitchen and it ain't because cooks like to clean lol.

[@silinacae]

Same here! I always felt ashamed of my loyal yet "not-well-washed" baking sheets. Now I can show them off in pride.

[@justsaying8358]

Even if you clean it well eventually there will be built up, it's normal

[@Hrnakshi]

@@Ottawajames in a commercial setting mostly chefs and line cooks don't have time for cleaning. It's not about laziness. They have to supply orders so promptly and continuously so they don't have time to do the dishes. They may however assist the kitchen stewards at the end of their shift or after the restaurant closes for the day. However dishes are to be done throughout the day. It's not laziness - it's just about the time factor. As a person who has worked in a commercial kitchen there are two things I need to mention - there's no time to be lazy and there's barely enough time even for a lunch break. Secondly where I worked the baking sheets weren't black... so I'm not that sure about it....

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

I don’t know why my old half sheet has been starting to get rust in certain spots. :(

[@HayleyJeffs]

I love this lady so much! I like the way she speaks, so calming and clear and warm and friendly. I like how informative she is, explaining the why and how of it all but without overcomplicating anything. I love her accent and she is a pleasure to look at with her warm smile. I am so grateful that she timestamps in the description and sets chapters. Just everything!

[@PastelKenshi]

Totally agreed, I'll even marry her if she takes me haha

[@valerieneal2747]

She's wonderful....I adore hed😊

[@h0yj0y]

Agreed!!

[@najmehsadeghi]

I wanted type same comment, first video of her watched now.

[@benclyde3496]

Same. Sure, the info about browning was interesting -- but what really makes the video is the warmth of the presentation.

[@sarahkleimeyer3792]

Yes indeed. My husband's grandmother taught me to make her country buttermilk biscuits. After showing me how she made the dough and told me she began learning to make them as a child. She said all of that was important experience but the biggest secret of her biscuits was the blackest baking pan I ever saw! She told me I should have a dedicated baking sheet for the biscuits and that it would become like hers very quickly! And it did! She told me I did not need to wash it but.I just couldn't not wash a pan. She seemed to know I was on the fence about that so she said wash carefully and never scrub it. I still have my pan and still use it. Best secret ever!

[@bintz1823]

This lady is a genius and an amazing teacher. Everything was so well explained. This is like a well written essay. God bless.

[@izafaizal7019]

She reminds me of Mr Rumchev a russian professor during my uni days

[@MayThereBeWorldPeace]

No, she is rude and arrogant. Chefs are not keeping these details a secret. I don't like how she uses the word fu**.

[@bellenesatan]

​@@MayThereBeWorldPeaceShe literally says in the start that it's not a secret, just not a conscious choice and more of a byproduct of constant baking. Pay better attention next time.

[@MayThereBeWorldPeace]

@@bellenesatan She is obnoxiously arrogant.

[@Kittel_]

Amazing! Isn't it crazy that these solutions seem obvious based on our knowledge of woks, and yet here we are with nobody thinking of it

[@sammi-joreviews1135]

Woks & cast iron pans. 👍🏼☺️

[@blacksorrento4719]

Yes, definitely. This is random out of left field. You should watch “Wok of Love”. It’s a Korean series about a second chef who gets kicked out of a hotel. He takes his own SEASONED wok and ladle with him. If you don’t mind the subtitles, it is very good and you learn a lot about Asian cooking. It is all about the old tried and tested ways of cooking, love, working as team, life and human frailties. Excellent series.

[@corejacehome]

This is one of the best videos I've seen on KZbin. Your voice and professionalism.

[@lisarobinson9621]

I better have a long hard talk with myself about my “need” to maintain baking sheets to look brand spanking new (my Cuisinart cookware too). I attribute this obsession to the many hours of Martha Stewart programming I’ve watched through the years and my mother’s indoctrination that a kitchen and home should look like it came out of a magazine. I have an unnatural amount of Barkeepers Friend and various cleaners and polishers for my bakeware and cookware. This was a thirteen minute video that was truly eye opening and will possibly change how I managed my time in my kitchen (as one would imagine, it takes a lot time and elbow grease to keep baking sheets looking new). Thanks for this very useful and indispensable information.🕊

[@trae4529]

I agree! Every other cooking show and You Tube cooking video shows sparkling, shiny pans. I wish they’d take notes from Helen.

[@marthahoushar5428]

Yes, we have been Martha Stewart shamed into such compulsively clean cookware. Clearly she’s not as smart as she thinks she is. Much bs out there.

[@Un1234l]

@@marthahoushar5428 Depends. Clean cookware is better for breads and pastries, deserts. Stuff that you DON'T want a browned bottom.

[@msr1116]

I once saw a TV segment about deep dish Chicago pizza, and it was noted that all the round pans were darkened by years of buildup on the outside, which made the thick dough and filings bake properly as well as create its crust.

[@joelre6240]

I had never heard of seasoning baking sheets, but it makes so much sense. Actually I changed my making sheets with my mom, mine were brand new but I liked her black almost nonstick 20+ yo sheets better 😂

[@pastrie42]

You could always buy a dark sheet instead.

[@annabelgrace1267]

@@pastrie42 It depends. The colouring choice or glaze, can contain lead. Really good stainless steel is better. Just season.

[@ccMomOfJays]

Yes!! I love my moms baking sheets, cupcake pan etc..

[@tiasimonita6803]

😂🤣😱

[@briardan9226]

I could listen to this accent for hours!

[@LocumRex]

This is a good one. I used to work at a Foodservice Equipment Mfg. and we did quite a bit of food testing for our products. To test for inconsistent heat we would use sugar cookie dough. They were the absolute best at reacting and browning. Also, I’d agree on the Vollrath. We used those half sheets for decades and long before I ever got there. Most other manufacturers also use the Vollrath as well. I never realized how valuable our old sheet pans were until we had chefs who literally offered to buy them all from us, as the pans were already seasoned, but without a lot of dents because we were not a commercial kitchen abusing the product regularly. So yeah, if you season your pans a few times (we would do about 3x) that worked perfectly for us. We would do that every time we got a new case of Vollrath pans to make them consistent.

[@feralbluee]

thank you. good to hear from someone who has so much experience. keep safe. :) 🥘🍰🍪🥞🥐

[@r.vancil129]

I knew it! I'm just a home cook, but I've refused to scrub the years off my baking sheets, and now I am vindicated. Thanks!

[@IDontWantThisStupidHandle]

This is the kind of kitchen experiment we need more of: following the Scientific Method with a clearly defined and provable hypothesis, listed variables, and a control group. ;)

[@nickbownz]

It's a good video but let's not get carried away here, it's far from scientific.

[@yazuak]

@@nickbownz What does the video need in order to be scientific?

[@fp5495]

Nerd talk

[@mockupguy3577]

For most pastries I put an extra empty half sheet beneath the one I am baking on. Works as a heat shield and prevents roasting the underside of the bread too much.

[@aolson1111]

@@frankyoualot You clearly don't understand what he said or what seasoning is.

[@bellenesatan]

@@frankyoualot Okay dear we totally believe you

[@furryfromfinley3602]

this is a tip i need thanks

[@Kat-vz4in]

Just get a sponge cake pan, its literally made to do that because it has a hollow center

[@consultmjp]

I use silicone baking mats (the heavy red ones) for pastry and cookies on my seasoned baking sheets. It protects the bottom from excessive browning but lets me keep my seasoning strong. I'm so glad to see validation of my pans. I always get strange looks from family at gatherings because of how they are seasoned. But they always seem to like the food!

[@SippenSomeTea]

Idk if it's a Russian accent but this women has me hooked on every word

[@danbrownellfuzzy3010]

They say in Italy it's not burnt, it's char. Char is a very pleasurable flavor to add to anything, as long as it's not overdone. Always get your pizza done, then hit the broiler element for 4 minutes at a time. Your cheese will thank you. If you break your pizza stone, I go straight to the tile department for an 18" piece of porcelain tile or travertine. The tile is thinner, it heats much faster, and they are cheap so get two so you can break one. When you try it you'll like it. My aluminum bakeware was giving me fits, I'm so glad she published this , I'm going to season that tray immediately. Thank You

[@toddhudson4550]

I have only recently discovered your channel. One of the things I have liked is your pans don't look like they are brand new. Some of the other cooking channels look like they buy a new set of cookware for every episode. Your recipes always look like they are something I could make.

[@corpsie666]

I love how you brought scientific methodology into cooking and presented it all so clearly

[@joanfordham1305]

Thank you the hours and hours scrubbing baking sheets to their original shine ha ha ha never again !!

[@DioJeans]

i knooooowwwwww me too😭😭😭

[@The_Beach_Lady]

I know right?!

[@lowreedman]

It's all about what you want and need. If you do a lot of pastry and don't want the bottoms burned, then scrub away.

[@guadalupeguedea6643]

Soaking in Clorox mixed with dish soap overnight...lol. 🙂 Never again! Thank you for sharing. 💖

[@chanceDdog2009]

@@guadalupeguedea6643 try oven Cleaner if you want to clean it easier. Just wipes off grease . Though depending on how you will be using the sheets...

[@applejacks2]

My mother told me this when I was young, so i thought this was normal all along. It's great to have this explanation!

[@candicehawkins2676]

I just got 2 new ovens and have been playing with them daily. My old oven was so bad that when I started with my new ovens everything burnt since when cooking in my old oven I had to jack the temperatures up so high that I forgot how to bake in a decent oven. Now I've figured it out. But I bought all new baking sheets and kept running into poor browning. This video has helped me immensely. I'm sure by June I'll have the system figured out. Sorry family I'm a slow but steady learner.

[@shadowbeagle]

No one taught me to cook or bake. I just subscribed. Thank you. You have no idea how much you have helped me.

[@GolDreadLocks]

Thank you for clearing this problem up for us! It is a question that needed to be answered and until now, no one had! I must say that for many of us, we didn't realize that we had been working against ourselves by SCRUBBING off the very necessary and important 'patina'! Well my scrubbing days are over, and I have a New respect for those brown areas on my baking sheets!

[@lucasandrileysadventure]

She is genius. Now I have to season my sheets and keep them forever. You save me from buying new one. (But now New baking sheets is thinner compared 20 years ago.)

[@Gil2727]

Years ago a friend asked to borrow a bunch of baking sheets from me, she brought them back all sparkling front and back with a big grin on her face for how well she scrubbed them. I said "Oh no, all the seasoning is gone now." One plus side, she doesn't ask to borrow any kitchen equipment anymore. ;)

[@silinacae]

The thing is that without all this great explanation, I would have done the same. Every time I see my baking sheets I think that they deserve a "real" cleaning. Fortunately, I can rest now hehe.

[@Ardoxsho]

That's exactly what a friend visiting from Scandinavia did to a friend's traditional Italian coffee maker. You never scrub them, only wash them gently, because they acquire and impart an increasingly intense coffee-y flavour. Now his treasured coffee maker smelled of detergent instead! No greater offense to an Italian.

[@amberjean4044]

@@Ardoxsho I'm so happy to hear this. My Italian coffee maker is nicely seasoned & I always get compliments on my coffee when friends visit. But at times I've looked at it feeling bad that I haven't cleaned it well enough. No more guilt. Thank you!

[@Ardoxsho]

@@amberjean4044 you're welcome. Spread the word!

[@carcard8033]

At least they came back. I hate when people don't return things.

[@jljanicelavergne9367]

It is not only the Pro Chefs that hold back critical information. My mother always had gunked up frying pans and baking sheets. They were far from pretty. Everyone loved to eat at our house and she was prepared to handle droppings. No one learned to cook at our house. The only help she wanted was cleaning up. So one Mother’s Day I took her biggest cast iron frying pan and cleaned it completely inside and out. That was the day I learned about seasoning pans. Not only do you have A charming delivery but with KZbin I can pass this on to my husband and let him season everything. We have a find grate that fits inside our half sheet. We place spatchcock chicken on top and roast them in the oven. It doesn’t brown very impressively. Do you think a darkly seasoned half sheet wood have any effect? Since the chicken is elevated.

[@RonLeblanc]

Wow! This feels like real "insider" information. Thank you so much for doing the research. I can't wait to make my next pizza.

[@traceyluvscraft]

You truly made my day! Quick back story, I am the lead in a high school food service kitchen. Been the lead here for 5 years. Last summer someone new came in while I was off, the scrubbed ALL the years of seasoning off my pans, I was devastated! I’ve tried this whole year to repair them. I just watched your video I am going to try this process TODAY! Thank you so much!!!!

[@toswingonastar]

Wow, this is not something I ever would have thought about!

[@marthahoushar5428]

@Robert Hunt Why? Why wouldn’t a good chef do this?

[@riccardodemedici7116]

Thank you for this video. I have spent years worrying why my sheet pans never look new like those in some cook’s videos on KZbin and television and why I could never clean them. It seems as if I was doing it right all along! I feel much better now knowing they either have an enormous budget for sheet pans or pay someone enormous sums for hours of work with steel wool to remove the goodness from their pans. I can now watch videos and not be impressed with shiny new pans every time they bake! Now, if you can just research and discover why I do not have to get on my knees to clean an oven, I can be an even happier man! Big hugs to you!

[@helenrennie]

On most cooking shows the pans are donated by the companies who are sponsoring the show -- they want their products to cook attractive. You should go see what restaurant pans look like :)

[@mojitomomma]

Bon Appetite has an article on “How to clean sheet pans and get rid of that brown gunk”. Baking soda and white vinegar. Nope not doing it 🥺

[@benlutz1974]

I've got a couple of steel sheets at least thirty years old. They look like seasoned cast iron. All I do is sand the "bumpiness" down smooth once in a while.

[@ccccclark2605]

WOW! Tks for bringing info true cooks knew hundreds of years ago, but was not passed down to next generations. 👍🇨🇱🇺🇸✝️🙏❤️

[@paulalarsen7697]

This is the first time I've ever seen a video by you and OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOU! Thank you so much for providing everyone with the brownin half sheet seasoning info and that little pizza trick. My husband needs gf pizza crusts and it's far better when they are crispy and browned, which is harder to do with gf than one might think. From now on I'll just bake his pizza directly on the rack with the parchment paper. Genius!

[@ThomasKelly-p2p]

I'm very impressed with your ability to explain the simple "science" behind your recipes, techniques, and cooking utensils. Most media chefs either don't know or don't bother! You Rock, Helen! 😍

[@VC-zk1kv]

And "temperature shock" will warp most pans and baking sheets instantly. Don't ever put a hot pan/baking sheet in, or under cool or cold running water as warping will happen 99% of the time.

[@Iknowonlywhatimtaught]

I use glass for pies. Pre heat oven to 425 and bake for 40 minutes at 35 minutes I cover pies with a sheet of aluminum. I do not tuck the aluminum sheet. My pies bake beautifully. I have had my baking pans for 45 years. They are now black from years of baking. Your correct, the darker the better. Metal is metal. Cast iron is no different. Mine are over 85 years old. Mine are seasoned well. I do wash my cast iron but not soap. I scrap them clean with a plastic bottle cap. I drilled a hole in the cap and put a small wood screw in a piece of wood for a handle. Works great in corners of pots and pans. Doesn't hurt the seasoned metal. I polish my half sheets that I make pastries with with aluminum polish and clean after polishing with soap and hot water. We cooks have to work smarter not harder. Thanks for video. I'm glad you spread the word. I been telling people for years to season the pans, but who am I. Sometimes it takes someone with a following to finally get them word out for people to listen.

[@adedow1333]

It never occurred to me to season my baking sheets! I never thought it would be desirable in my case. I'm going to h e to give this some more thought

[@tripsaroundthesun]

You are one of the best instructors on KZbin - who the hell even talks about this?! Truly unique information, clearly explained, thoroughly tested. Love your content!

[@catherinejohnson9976]

This is exactly why I love this channel! I had purchased Nordic Ware to replace old pans and had noticed they performed differently than my old ones but hadn’t really investigated. Then, this video answers all questions! Thank you so much Helen.

[@Timurlane100]

It's 11pm. I've had several glasses of Cab Franc and the engineer in me is enthralled by this video. Bien fait!

[@mymomsayshi]

Sounds like a great sunday!

[@martinnyberg9295]

Over here 🇸🇪 the baking sheets (usually 3) and the baking tray (usually 1) that are included when we buy our stoves are almost always enamelled in a dark colour. No seasoning required. 😊👍🏼

[@benedettobruno1669]

Most baking sheets I have seen here in Italy are black.

[@georgH]

I think this is the most common in Europe

[@benedettobruno1669]

@@georgH Yeah, that's probably because as Europeans we have been cooking for quite a number of centuries :-)))

[@poonamabbi7448]

@@benedettobruno1669 I have seen the same in the USA too. At least the ones I got were

[@ignominia]

@@benedettobruno1669 I fear they are teflon covered sheets and I am replacing them with alluminium or steel ones now, not an easy task

[@En2Hair]

One of my Aunt's used to say this same thing about the oven, she always said a "dirty" oven cooks better! She would clean anything that spilled over, but the grease season she would leave.

[@ThePotThickens]

Thanks for this video! I make toast points from my day old baguettes using my new full sheet pans. Imagine my horror when I dolloped the tray with oil and rubbed my sliced bread into the oil in my pan and they all turned grey just like your paper towel. Time to get seasoning.

[@shaunasugar]

I learned a lot of this when my boyfriend got a new cast iron skillet but there’s also so much in this that I had no clue about. I love how informational this is!!!!

[@saratakkoush6109]

This video is incredible!!!! Soo informative and useful!! I've been scrubbing my baking sheets with steel wool thinking it would help keep them clean and elongate their life..I've been wrong this whole time ! Thank you Helen!

[@blacksorrento4719]

We are family of hoteliers, my uncle is a chef, we were visiting, it was a busy time in the kitchens, the sink was full so mother and I hopped in to help, mother was washing and I was drying. Mother had left the baking pans until last and she was just about to attack his Yorkshire pudding pan with steel wool. I said I wouldn’t do that If I were you, it looks to me like Uncle wants it that way? Nonsense, it’s all brown, said mother. My uncle must have heard, he appeared out of nowhere, whipped it out of her hand sent water flying. Berated mother severely telling her she knew nothing about the basics, shiny wasn’t always good and a few other choice words, he could have been the forerunner to Gordon Ramsay on words, goes with the job I think!! 😁 It was a lesson I never forgot, I have been seasoning baking tins ever since. Thank you for the upload. It is something that everyone needs to know.

[@rafaelluciano]

You have no idea how much my life has changed after this video! I was about to throw away my baking sheets.

[@Shelsight]

I’m sending this to my mum. You have no idea how many times she’s told me to get rid of my Nordicware sheets as they are ‘dark’ and she equates that with dirt! She won’t believe me, but I’m certain she’ll believe Helen... :)

[@kimjohnson5400]

How did KZbin ‘know’ that I was wondering about my VERY dark baking sheets!

[@solarpony]

I've been throwing mine away for years once they start getting unsightly 😅😅

[@dale3404]

Same here!

[@carolynlevy3786]

I was ready to throw mine out until I watched this video

[@annh3599]

I have my grandmother's 70 plus year old baking sheets and I love them. They're very dark and cook great. My husband wanted to throw them out and buy me new ones. I dared him to touch them. I have her cast iron skillet as well. A treasure!

[@mrsjanhannah]

My husband tried to clean my yorkshire pudding tins. I think my screeching let him know it was wrong.

[@blacksorrento4719]

I have not long listed a little story about my uncle who was a chef and his Yorkshire pudding pan. Similar to yours, definite No no.........sacrilege 🤣

[@ladyjade6446]

Lol

[@sammi-joreviews1135]

Sounds like the day I caught my husband & daughter halfway thru ‘steel wool’ scouring my best two biscuit pans. He took my best 30+ yr old biscuit pan after getting his hands on some lead for fishing weights. I was livid, asking him if he had any idea how many years it took for that pan to bake the best biscuits. Not only was it nonstick from decades of use & had the best browning of any biscuit pan I’d ever had... it was the perfect size whether I was baking canned biscuits or biscuits from scratch (biscuit making here is more an art than science. I’m not being vain or overly patting myself on the back). The pan was the perfect size for the number of biscuits I made from scratch & there was plenty of room for the ‘bumper snake’ you roll to keep the biscuits uniformed in size, particularly height. I’ll have to try Helen’s seasoning on my newer sheets to see if it improves them more as I’ve only been baking with the newer pans a handful or so of years. Sadly, I haven’t been able to find the same size pan as the one hubby swiped. I don’t even remember where I bought it or if it was a gift. 😕🤷🏽‍♀️

[@blacksorrento4719]

@@sammi-joreviews1135 He probably thought it was the worst pan there, and was doing the right thing. Men god love them, half the time they have no idea☹️

[@sammi-joreviews1135]

@@blacksorrento4719 That is exactly why he grabbed it, tho it’s beyond me how it didn’t cross his mind that it was the ONLY pan I baked biscuits in. Like sweet iced tea & grits, biscuits are a southern staple often incl’d in two if not three meals a day. That being said, it’s been yrs since I’ve served biscuits at all three meals. My ‘old country boy’ has learned to enjoy yeast rolls, Japanese milk bread buns; I’ve managed to add pita, flour tortillas, & variety of artisan breads, baguettes, & such in place of biscuits. Other than homemade biscuits, I used to regularly make what my family has always called flatbread. I’m Native American & this was another staple bread that I grew up with. It’s cooked in a cast iron frying pan. Perfect straight from the pan served with fresh-churned butter & fruit jams or preserves. I love it best w blackberry jam.

[@OutSidrQQn]

Her voice and accent is so beautiful to listen too. And she is speaking my favorite subject - food stuff education.

[@anagromydal]

Thank you Helen, this was a lightbulb moment for me. Being from Germany I always wondered what I was missing with those baking sheets you all seem to be using in the US. I wondered if this was a nifty thing I should be buying too (glad I did not!) In Europe it seems we have a completely different system. Our baking sheets are ONLY the sheets and don't get put in the oven on racks, they slide in like drawers often into grooves or rails on the sideds of the oven. Usually they come with the oven when you buy one and usually are enamelled in a dark color from the get go. I have 3 of those and only one rack which only get's used if you put in an ovendish of some sort, it slides in like the sheets. So now I understand why you all use those half sheets and understand that I don't need them because I have what we call "Backblech" and that is our version of half sheets :D (oh and I keep mine spotless, they are dark brown enamell :D)

[@renateweisenberger4703]

Same here,love those dark enameled sheets

[@Wazupiseeyou]

You guys mean the racks?

[@anagromydal]

@@Wazupiseeyou nope... we talked about baking sheets that slide in like racks. They are not put on top of racks. Mine slide in on grooves at the side of the oven. Completely different approach :D

[@amandajane8227]

I have them in my oven but never use them. Just pull them out when I want to bake and put them back when I have finished. I love using my half sheets as they are easy to load wit the baked goods and can be swiveled easily during the baking process.

[@justRuwanthi]

I love her! She speaks what no one speaks of.

[@TheWendable]

Me too. A refreshing video 😄

[@svenleeuwen]

Thank you for including Celsius, much appreciated!

[@anotherswan]

Thank you. I'm so glad that I wasn't rich enough to get rid of my mum's stuff! I was disappointed, but not now ! 😊

[@CreaniKun]

I four this channel yesterday and it's amazing to me how systematically you approach every problem that you face yourself, and I love the way you explain and talk about everything you do. Definitely one of the best, if not the best cooking channel I've encountered so far!

[@vincentphilip5754]

This is such a massive help, same issue had 30 year old baking sheets from my grandma and they worked great, a roommate threw them out thinking they were too old and the new ones were awful

[@madcitywendy]

Most important cooking video I’ve seen in a long time.

[@pragawa]

I agree, Wendy! 👍

[@richard2durant]

No unnecessarily B roll, chatter or cringy "tricks." Just to the point clear information to improve cooking. You have a new subscriber

[@rydiaemerald]

You are a gem, Helen.

[@lizyeffa7185]

I normally find these types of videos difficult to stay interested. But not this time thank you omg I was at the edge of my seat for the results no one ever considered the baking sheet thanks again for the wisdom

[@aivkara]

Damn! You just took it to a new level entirely, that is some of the best oven advice I have had in 30 years!!!! Thank you Helen :)

[@jjdawg9918]

This is great a explanation and PROOF that it works! My trick its to take my sheets out to the grill and spray oil and sugar the "backsides" and just let it completely burn until they look like cast iron pans. Not only do they work great, they look kind of cool with the all black "enameled" exterior.

[@benjwilliams5104]

Thank you so much for this! Your videos truly highlight the difference between an educator and a "content creator." I just found your channel and I'm working through your videos. So much focus on information that you have personally experienced, and deeply understand, rather than relying on being a ~KZbin Personality~

[@1122bogiewogieavenue]

I'm 23 seconds in and I'm already subscribed... This woman's voice is so soothing ❤️❤️

[@ChillinHD]

OH my god! The pizza tip at the end is life changing. That alone was worth watching til the end

[@DCsk8rgoelz]

since a good number of chefs have piped in to add their surprised affirmations, let me tell you from someone who has washed dishes in both a resturaunt and deli/catering setting, we don't get time to scrub that kind of coating off of the pans and the few times that I tried, those instantly became the least liked pans. After a while I justified it in my head as akin to pan seasoning in cast iron cookware but never thought to test it. This is flipping brilliant Helen.

[@Mt28657]

I used to use my baking sheets at 500 degrees for baking bread. As you can imagine that caused bad warping. To remedy this, I would heat up the sheet then set a heavy cast iron pot on it to re-flatten it as it cooled.

[@JenniLevenbook]

I'm a home cook who cooks pizza through the exact recipe you posted (my oven cranks to 550F so it says but an oven thermometer says under 500F) for 5-10 minutes in an ELECTRIC oven. I do parchment paper directly on the rack. It works. You said in the video that you weren't sure about electric, so I'm confirming that for you. Cheers!

[@deanmillard9853]

This is the kind of stuff I want to know about when cooking can't get a recipe book for setting up your kitchen properly. Should make a book about this

[@TobiasStorck]

And i scrubbed my sheets shiny with sweat and frustration for all these years..... Thank you so much Helen!!

[@jasline5571]

Thank you so much for this video💖! 😭 Everyone thought I was crazy when I said food cooked on brand new baking sheets/pans tasted very weird! I love old blackened kitchen ware!!!

[@srdast]

The level of detail you provide in your videos is greatly appreciated. People don't do this enough!

[@georgehoeflinger1400]

I have Chicago Metallic half sheets they are dark steel they brown beautifully.

[@negotiableaffections]

This explains so many discrepancies between package cooking instructions and the results I've struggle with for so long. I have a well seasoned wok that I use on the hob - but never considered baking sheets the same way. THANKYOU so much for one of the top 10 tips I've ever gleaned from the internet. Cheers

[@justneil176]

I was also wondering this ,I just love content like this ❤️❤️ miss, u and Adam ragusea make the most thought provoking content which is very helpful!

[@emanonfox1709]

My old baking sheets look just as black on the underside and are fabulous for roast veggies. I never realized that this was also making my cookies and rolls brown too fast on the bottom! Will definitely be getting a shiny new set to reserve just for baking. So informative, thank you!

[@robinsuewho9430]

Wow! Thank you so much. I never knew that a baking sheet would need seasoning. I use a lot of Pampered Chef stones and their baking sheets but I always use parchment paper on the baking sheets.

[@PSImage7]

@Helen Rennie: you can find seasoning for steel (valid for other metals too) used for baking with WOK seasoning. It is eye opening. Try to heat the sheets first, oil them as being warm and insert them in the oven. It seasons more even because by heating opens "pores" that are "filled" with oil and and then seasoned.

[@jdgower1]

This is why 'hand-me-down' cookware is always better than new. Not that there is anything wrong with the new stuff - except the fact that it is new. LOVE videos like this!

[@shortpockets9408]

Always had a hand me down from a family member well seasoned one. I thought it was dirty and needed replaced at some point but couldn't justify it cause there was nothing wrong with it. I didn't know it was seasoned and awesome! Imma go give that pan some love and bake something! Thanks for the info

[@pragawa]

Sweet. What did your bake, Short Pockets? It's 3:18AM in India and I'm hungry. What should i bake? 😊.

[@shortpockets9408]

@@pragawa 3 am? Cookies if you have some softened butter it is pretty quick to make....

[@wentoneisendon6502]

I could listen to Helen for hours. Thank you for the content

[@irenel1119]

This explains my constant struggle. Thank you!!

[@marialacona]

I want to cry, I always feel guilty that I was never able to completely clean my baking sheets, this explain so much.

[@orellaminx3530]

And here I am, trying to scrub them shiny with the rough part of a sponge lol

[@PattiWinker]

Thank you, Helen! I have stopped scrubbing the dickens out of my baking sheets! I can now embrace my well-loved grungy looking baking sheets! 😅

[@thescranline]

This is incredible!

[@coreyg7364]

an incredible way to ruin your pan...yes...yes it is.

[@janicemaceachern1004]

Priceless information! I've been cooking and baking for over 40 years now and didn't know this. Hubby and I sold everything, including my bakeware, and retired to Ecuador. I was wondering why I couldn't get things just right! Thank you for this information.

[@tinagriffith841]

Hi there! This was the first time visiting the channel. I'm so glad to see that and compare your cooking sheets to mine are well seasoned on both top and bottom. I always thought too they had to be shiny clean. So I'm feeling much better knowing this was just a well seasoned pan and not me getting it clean. Thank you so much!😊

[@The411]

Helen, you just solved one of my biggest frustrations, THANK YOU! This vid is a goldmine of baking info.

[@labyrinthwomb]

Why, why did I just scrub my pan with Barkeeper's Friend? 😂Great video, as usual. ❤️

[@melodybrookeboyett175]

You are an amazing teacher. Thank you for sharing your gifts, especially with us that can't attend your classes. I am so glad I found your channel. Your curiosity is so inspiring. Thank you so much. Love and peace from South Georgia

[@Cloudnerd]

Thank you for this! I am in the middle of looking for new baking sheets so this was very helpful!