Melting Sugar: How to Melt Sugar in 4 Steps

Melting sugar is similar to caramelizing sugar. Both processes involve boiling a sugar and water mixture until it becomes syrup. You have to melt sugar to make homemade caramel; however, not all melted sugar becomes caramel.

Depending on whether you are making solid candies, sugar glass, or syrup out of your caramelized sugar, the proportions of water to sugar and cook times may be different. Nevertheless, there are a variety of uses for melted sugar, from glazing doughnuts to topping flan.

Follow this simple tutorial to make melted sugar:

• Measure the sugar. Measure out the cups of sugar you want to melt using a measuring cup or scoop measures. It's best to use regular table sugar because the fine granules are the easiest to melt. The proper ratio is to use two parts sugar to one part water. Stick to less than two cups of white sugar so that you can melt the ingredient evenly without burning it. Pour your sugar into a thick-based pot or saucepan and add half the amount of cold water. Melt large quantities of sugar in small batches to avoid burning.
• Melt in a pot. Place the pot with the sugar and water mixture on the stovetop. Turn the burner on to low heat to ensure your sugar won't burn or turn to caramel syrup. Using a wooden spoon, continuously stir the sugar in the pot, breaking up any clumps and making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan until the sugar melts. The cook time is only a few minutes, so monitor it at all times. Use a wet pastry brush to wipe any sugar crystals off the pan’s sides.
• Remove from the heat. Remove the mixture from the heat once it reaches its boiling point. Using brown sugar will result in a brown liquid, so it's important to keep an eye on the mixture as you won’t be able to tell if it’s turned to caramel just from the color.
• Continue to boil for caramel. If you want to make caramel, leave the mixture to boil for longer. The mixture will start to bubble and thicken as the caramelization process begins, and it will turn from clear to golden brown to dark brown. This process will take a total time of 6 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture takes on a dark amber color, it has become caramel.

Here are just some of the ways you can use melted sugar:

1. 1. Caramel candies: Making the base for caramel candies simply involves boiling sugar and water for a longer period than you would for a sauce or syrup. Add lemon juice to the mixture to turn the sucrose molecules into glucose when making caramel, which will speed up the process. Once your caramel sauce is the right thickness, you can mold it, shape it, and let it set into candies.
2. 2. Caramel sauce: To make a caramel sauce, melt some sugar in water over high heat, at first stirring while the sugar crystals dissolve. After the crystals dissolve, allow the melting sugar to cook over high heat, stirring occasionally. You can use this as a flan topping or a syrup for ice cream.
3. 3. Cocktail sweetener: Making melted sugar in a specific portion gives you simple syrup, a common sweetener in cocktail recipes. Just a dash of simple syrup can sweeten any cocktail.
4. 4. Doughnut glaze: Use melted sugar to glaze doughnuts. Melted sugar makes the perfect sweet glaze for a warm doughnut, adding an extra layer of sweetness.
5. 5. Sugar glass: You can use melted sugar to create a hard candy sugar glass. Simply add a little corn syrup to the mixture and pour it onto a baking sheet. Leave it to harden for a few hours, which will yield a transparent sheet that you can smash or cut into shapes to use for windows for a gingerbread house.
6. 6. Sugar syrup: You can drizzle clear melted sugar over cakes, cheesecakes, or fudge or use it as a sweet glaze that will dry hard. Melted sugar can be overly sweet, so consider adding it to tart or bitter desserts for balance.

Become a better baker with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Dominique Ansel, Joanne Chang, Gordon Ramsay, Chef Thomas Keller, Mashama Bailey, and more.