Teach Soap

I currently am using a silicone bread mold. It works, but I hate that I dont get a more consistent shape out of it. looser soaps make for wider bars, thicker soap... holds shape better.

SO.... looking into molds. I know I am getting a couple for Christmas that I have to line with paper, but looking for a slab mold and a few other options along those line. I would like to get a 4/5 pound loaf out of it. I am in Canada, but I live on the US border, so I get all my stuff shipped to the states.

pros and cons of slab vs loaf? I DO know its a very personal choice... but. I would like 2 types of molds. One for my goat milk and one for non GM. Just at markets they can see the shape and know vs always reading. Price is a factor, cheaper the better... without losing the quality. I would like to stay away from silicone as I really want to do the oven process.

I find log molds easier as I have a cutter. Silicone molds should be fine in the oven. Some of my molds are silicone. Just as long as you keep the oven temp on low (170 degrees US), you should be fine.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Even at lower than 170, I get the tiny little bubbles on the top of my loaves. I was told it was due to the silicone.

I WISH I had a soap cutter. thats my dream. Cut everything by hand with a crinkle cutter or knife depending on soap design.

If I get tiny bubbles on top of the soap that means the soap is getting too hot. I don't normally get bubbles on top of my soap made in silicone molds.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

It took me a while to figure out the tiny bubbles I was getting with the silicone molds was due to overheating. I don't think the soaps get as hot when I use a freezer paper liner as when I use my silicone liners.

MaryLou

I have both, but pretty much only use the loaf mold. I have used silicon liners for years and don't have an issue with them. I did recently get BB's 5 lb mold with the liner and have swapped it for my old mold. I haven't had any issues with bubbles with the BB liner, and the release is better than my old silicon mold.

I find that people like the loaf slices better because they look more like a traditional bar of soap.

_________________

I love BB's 10 inch silicone mold. It does a 2 lb log. I know you said you wanted a 4 pound log, but you could get 2 of them. I CPOP and I don't get bubbles. I pre-heat the oven to around 150, then turn it off and put my mold in. I put some baking parchment on a cookie sheet and put the mold on that. I don't want the mold directly on the oven rack. I've never gotten bubbles doing this.

I'll have to try again

_________________
Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

Do the silicone bread/cake/loaf molds from ebay like these http://tinyurl.com/ld2mvvu
hold their shape, or do they bow?

_________________
Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I use a toaster oven to gel my soaps, for which I usually use silicone molds. it goes down to 150 degrees, I keep it there for an hour and turn it off. That seems to work OK. Occasionally get bubbling on the top, but I think that might be due more to non-predictable factors (at least for newbies like me, I always check FO performance on the soap scent revew bd or other forums before use, but they do not always account for extreme inexpertise

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks, Irena, just saw this. I kind of don't mind the little bubbles as long as they don't hurt anything, though (no zap.) But curious to see how things will look different if I take them out earlier.