Tempering Chocolate at Home
Tempering is not about the brand of chocolate you buy, but about how you manage the heat. If you skip this, your chocolate will bloom with white streaks and melt the moment it touches your skin.
Control the environment and keep water away.
Chocolate is sensitive to moisture; even a single drop of steam can cause it to seize into a grainy mess. Work in a cool, dry room and keep all your bowls completely bone-dry.
- Digital instant-read thermometer
- Large stainless steel bowl
- Medium saucepan
- Rubber spatula
- Offset spatula
What goes in.
- 1 lbCouverture chocolate (discs or finely chopped blocks)
Controlled Cooling
You melt the bulk of the chocolate, then stir in unmelted 'seed' pieces. This forces the molten chocolate to align its molecular structure with the stable crystals already present in the solid pieces.
The method.
Melt the base
Place two-thirds of your chocolate in a dry bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water. Stir constantly until the chocolate reaches 115°F (46°C).
Seed and cool
Remove the bowl from the heat. Gradually add the remaining one-third of solid chocolate. Stir slowly to avoid creating air bubbles while the temperature drops to 82°F (28°C).
Reheat to working temperature
Place the bowl back over the warm water for a few seconds only to bring the temperature up to 88°F-90°F (31°C-32°C). It should now be fluid and ready to use.
Test the temper
Dip the tip of a knife into the chocolate and set it aside. If it sets within three minutes and appears glossy without streaks, your temper is successful.
Other turns to take.
Dark Chocolate
Follow the standard curve, aiming for a final working temperature of 88°F-90°F.
Milk or White Chocolate
These require lower final working temperatures, usually between 84°F and 86°F, due to the milk solids.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never let the chocolate temperature exceed 120°F or you will burn the milk solids and ruin the texture.
Use a marble slab if you have one; pouring the chocolate onto cool stone and working it with a spatula is the most reliable way to cool it evenly.
If the chocolate starts to thicken before you are finished, briefly hit it with a hairdryer or return it to the bain-marie for five seconds.
The ones that keep coming up.
What does it mean if my chocolate has white streaks?
Those streaks are called bloom. It happens when the cocoa butter separates and rises to the surface because the chocolate wasn't tempered correctly or was stored in a warm place.
Can I use chocolate chips from the grocery store?
Avoid them. Most commercial chips contain stabilizers intended to prevent melting, which makes them nearly impossible to temper properly.