Molding

Getting the batch into a shape it can set in, and the decisions that decide what the cut bar looks like.

Two kinds of mold

Loaf molds, poured as a block and cut into bars. Efficient, and the cut face is the front of the bar, which is what makes swirls possible.

Cavity molds, one bar per cavity. No cutting, consistent weight, and the design has to be on the surface rather than through the block.

Silicone is the default for both: flexible, non-reactive and it releases without lining.

Wood molds need lining and hold heat, which makes gel more likely.

Lining

Freezer paper or a purpose-made liner for a wood mold, shiny side in, creased sharply into the corners.

A sloppy liner gives wrinkled sides on every bar in the batch, which is the most avoidable cosmetic fault there is.

Silicone needs no lining, and a silicone loaf mold in a wooden sleeve is the arrangement makers often end up with, because silicone alone bulges.

Pouring

From a low height, into a corner, letting the batch flow rather than dropping it, which reduces air pockets.

For a design, pour in the planned order without hesitating: the batter is thickening the whole time.

Scrape the container out properly. The last of a batch is soap and it is a meaningful fraction of a small batch.

Tapping and topping

Tap the mold firmly on the bench several times to release trapped air, which otherwise shows as holes in the cut face.

Then top: smooth flat, or texture with a spoon or a spatula, which is decided now and cannot be revisited.

And decide insulation before you walk away, because the gel decision is made in the next ten minutes and not later.

References