Soap Dough Techniques

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I would just sub water for FO for now. If that doesn't work, then maybe try Bee's recipe, rather than reinvent the wheel.
Shoot. I should just make a big batch of pull throughs (which at least I can do!) and use the left overs for dough. That’s been working. This was my loaf recipe though, which is %50 tallow, and my pull through is %30. Hmmm
 
Shoot. I should just make a big batch of pull throughs (which at least I can do!) and use the left overs for dough. That’s been working. This was my loaf recipe though, which is %50 tallow, and my pull through is %30. Hmmm
Wait, if the pull-through recipe gives good dough, why wouldn't you make a batch of that for dough?
 
Shoot. I should just make a big batch of pull throughs (which at least I can do!) and use the left overs for dough. That’s been working. This was my loaf recipe though, which is %50 tallow, and my pull through is %30. Hmmm
Ugh, so sorry for the stressful day. Having to toss our precious ingredients is heart-breaking!

I think you and GP probably just nailed it: you changed the additives, AND you added a lot more of a hard oil that makes very hard soap. And I agree with GP that it's probably worth making a small batch of your pull-through recipe just for soap dough, since you know it works.
 
Wait, if the pull-through recipe gives good dough, why wouldn't you make a batch of that for dough?
Oooooh! Make a whole batch of pull through recipe for soap dough. Yeah. That’s what I should probably do. I’ve got a loaf recipe (%50 hard) and a pull through recipe (%30 hard). I might split the difference with a higher water content, like from %33 down to %30.
 
I have made good SD from my loaf recipe too. But it did have higher water and %5 EOs PPO.
Thanks for empathizing my frustration and loss from today. It was a learning moment. Painful, because as I often do, I got ahead of myself. I really did think it was gonna be right on! 😞
 
Oooooh! Make a whole batch of pull through recipe for soap dough. Yeah. That’s what I should probably do. I’ve got a loaf recipe (%50 hard) and a pull through recipe (%30 hard). I might split the difference with a higher water content, like from %33 down to %30.
Yes! Exactly! I'd still start with a small batch just to be sure, but let us know how it goes.
 
I have made good SD from my loaf recipe too. But it did have higher water and %5 EOs PPO.
Thanks for empathizing my frustration and loss from today. It was a learning moment. Painful, because as I often do, I got ahead of myself. I really did think it was gonna be right on! 😞

Have you tried Sorcery Soap free recipe. It’s very simple and she says it makes a great dough. It’s the one that’s 50% Lard, 30% CO, and 20% Soybean although she says you can use Olive or Castor which I would do personally.
She uses 33% lye concentration
 
Have you tried Sorcery Soap free recipe. It’s very simple and she says it makes a great dough. It’s the one that’s 50% Lard, 30% CO, and 20% Soybean although she says you can use Olive or Castor which I would do personally.
She uses 33% lye concentration
I posted that recipe above. But, I Have used my regular soap recipe before, and I’m hoping to just stick with it.
Do you think embeds made with that SS recipe will weld into my soap ok? I kind of worry about that.
 
Ugh - frustrating indeed. I'm sorry, Tasha!
I've been thinking about and following this post all day. I've been wondering: Is there a reason you want to use a different recipe from your pull-through recipe for soap dough? If you know that recipe works, why change anything - even the water amount? I'm guessing I've missed something and there's something about the soap dough from that recipe that isn't quite right...(?)

Follow those big dreams, lady!!
 
A I agree with @GemstonePony. Colorants with TD and clays, can do that. I lost a soap dough mini batch to activated charcoal as well. Hopefully you can still use it, it does seem like moisture was lost in either lack of EO vs before, or by being absorbed by any of the other ingredients (like Ac)
 
Ugh - frustrating indeed. I'm sorry, Tasha!
I've been thinking about and following this post all day. I've been wondering: Is there a reason you want to use a different recipe from your pull-through recipe for soap dough? If you know that recipe works, why change anything - even the water amount? I'm guessing I've missed something and there's something about the soap dough from that recipe that isn't quite right...(?)

Follow those big dreams, lady!!
I’d like to have some unscented, and it can take awhile for my pull rough left over batter to firm up enough. So, I’m going to try to meet in the middle given all these factors.

I've used the Sorcery Soap recipe, and it makes very nice soap dough. I think it would work as an embed in your soap. I would make sure it gels and only test a small batch to be sure though.
I don’t have any lard, so I’m going to give it another go with a variation on my regular recipes, given what I learned in this fiasco. Also, this will be a smaller batch!
I watched a tutorial recently that said to specifically prevent gelling. Like keep everything under 90F, pour into a plastic airtight bag, lay flat on a cool counter. Can you explain a bit about why you say to make sure that it does gel?
 
Now that I’ve recovered from my “Soap DOH!” experience, as the hubs called it, I’ve got a plan for a test batch. Hoping to use a variant on my regular recipe, so that I don’t have to buy new ingredients, (and so it jives with my soap, if that’s a thing).
Uncertain still about adding the sugar, and the lye %. SS recipe is %31.6.
What do y’all think?
 

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I’d like to have some unscented, and it can take awhile for my pull rough left over batter to firm up enough. So, I’m going to try to meet in the middle given all these factors.


I don’t have any lard, so I’m going to give it another go with a variation on my regular recipes, given what I learned in this fiasco. Also, this will be a smaller batch!
I watched a tutorial recently that said to specifically prevent gelling. Like keep everything under 90F, pour into a plastic airtight bag, lay flat on a cool counter. Can you explain a bit about why you say to make sure that it does gel?
I meant to gel the final soap with the embed in place. You don’t want your soap dough to gel. Sorry I confused you.
 
I guess it depends on your hand issues. I prefer kneading to using a tool I have to grip and press down on. With my Dupuytren's, kneading is actually therapeutic, whereas gripping or squeezing certain things requires me to wear padded gloves to decrease pain (which I do when I drive, for example.)
 

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