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How to French Mill Soap at Home

French milling creates a bar of soap that is harder and longer-lasting than traditional soaps. Milling takes time, but the resulting bar has a crisp appearance and a smooth feel. When it is exposed to water, French-milled soap does not quickly get soft and lose its shape You can mill soap with ordinary household equipment, but if you do it frequently you will want to reserve a grater and pot just for soap to save time on cleanup.

Things You'll Need

Kitchen hand grater
Kitchen scale
2-qt. enamel, stainless or glass saucepan
Wooden spoon
Candy thermometer
Soap molds
Rubber spatula

Instructions

- 1
  Grate the soap. If the soap compresses or you see liquid, the soap is not yet dry enough to grate. Allow it to dry longer. If you are in a hurry, it is fine to grate the outermost layer off and then allow the remaining soap to dry further. Store the grated soap in an airtight container.
- 2
  Weigh out 12 oz. of grated soap and 9 oz. of water and place them in a stainless, enamel or glass, 2-qt. saucepan.
- 3
  Stir the soap and water together.
- 4
  Melt the soap slowly. Do not allow it to boil. Occasionally, stir the melted layer on the bottom of the pan into the rest of the soap. Over-stirring will cause the soap to foam and introduce too much air. The soap will take between 20 minutes and one hour to liquefy. You may have to add a small amount of warm water, if the soap becomes to difficult to stir.
- 5
  Remove the liquid soap from the stove and stir it slowly as it cools. When the soap reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, pour it slowly into the molds.
- 6
  Tap the filled molds on your work surface to remove air bubbles. Fill the molds completely and scrape the top of the soap smooth with a rubber spatula.
- 7
  Freeze the soap in the molds for three hours or until it is frozen solid. You may freeze the soap in batches.
- 8
  Turn the molds over and squeeze them gently to remove the soap.
- 9
  Allow the soap to dry, turning it weekly to speed the process and help the bars maintain their shape. They will take several weeks to dry; the drying time will vary depending on the type of soap, the temperature and the humidity levels.

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