Tempering Chocolate
Raw melted chocolate dries into a dull, soft mess that melts on contact. Tempering forces the cocoa butter into a stable crystal structure, turning liquid chocolate into a professional-grade coating.
Control the heat to control the structure
Avoid even a single drop of water, which will seize the chocolate into a grainy, unusable lump. Work in a cool, dry room to keep the setting process predictable.
- digital instant-read thermometer
- double boiler or heat-proof bowl over simmering water
- silicone spatula
- marble slab or clean countertop (for tabling method)
What goes in.
- 1 lbhigh-quality couverture chocolate (chips or finely chopped bars)
Introducing Stable Crystals
By stirring unmelted chocolate into melted chocolate, you 'seed' the mixture with stable crystals, forcing the remaining liquid to adopt the same structural pattern.
The method.
Melt the base
Place two-thirds of your chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water. Stir constantly until the temperature reaches 115°F for dark chocolate, or 110°F for milk or white.
Remove from heat
Take the bowl off the pot. Wipe the bottom dry to ensure no steam or water drips into your mixture.
Seed the chocolate
Add the remaining third of chopped, room-temperature chocolate. Stir slowly and continuously until the mass cools to 88-90°F for dark chocolate, or 84-86°F for milk or white.
Test the temper
Dip a palette knife or a piece of parchment into the chocolate and set it aside for three minutes. If it dries with a smooth, firm, uniform sheen, you have succeeded.
Other turns to take.
Tabling Method
Pour two-thirds of melted chocolate onto a cool marble slab. Use a bench scraper to move the chocolate back and forth until it thickens and cools, then mix it back into the reserved warm chocolate.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Keep the water in your double boiler low; it should never touch the bottom of your bowl.
If the chocolate cools too much before you finish working, apply gentle heat for only 5-10 seconds.
If the chocolate develops streaks or blooms after drying, it was not tempered correctly; remelt and restart.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know if my chocolate is ruined?
If it looks grainy, clumpy, or stiffens instantly, moisture has entered the bowl. It cannot be fixed for tempering, but it can still be used for brownies or ganache.