If you don't break hard enough, it might still be the recuperation doing its work.

Car producers can and do resolve this, e.g. iirc Audis don't use recuperation for the first breaking of the day. That way you don't have to remember to use the no-recuperation/break cleaning mode or break unnecessarily hard every now and then.

The manual recommends putting the car in neutral and then braking every once in a while to keep the brakes in good working order. Putting the car in neutral disables the recuperation and makes sure you really use the friction brakes.

(When I say "the manual", I mean both the manual of my previous car which was a hybrid Toyota Auris, and my current car which is a fully electric Volvo XC40.)