Mastering the Tempering of Chocolate
Working with molten chocolate without tempering leads to a dull, streaky mess that never truly hardens. By manipulating the heat, you encourage the formation of stable beta crystals, which act as the structural foundation for your finished pieces.
Control the environment and the tools.
Chocolate is sensitive to moisture and sudden temperature swings; ensure your bowl is bone-dry and your workspace is cool.
- Digital instant-read thermometer
- Large stainless steel bowl
- Wide saucepan for water bath
- Offset spatula
- Rubber spatula
What goes in.
- 1 lbhigh-quality couverture chocolate (chips or finely chopped bars)
Controlling crystal growth
By melting two-thirds of your chocolate completely and stirring in the remaining room-temperature 'seed' chocolate, you force the molten mass to adopt the stable crystal structure of the solid pieces.
The method.
Melt the base
Place two-thirds of the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir constantly until it reaches 115°F (46°C). Remove the bowl from the heat immediately.
Add the seed
Gradually add the remaining unmelted chocolate to the hot bowl. Stir continuously. The goal is to bring the temperature down to 82°F (28°C) through the mechanical action of stirring and the melting of the seed.
Reheat to working temperature
Place the bowl back over the warm water for 5 to 10 seconds to bring the temperature up to 88°F–90°F (31°C–32°C) for dark chocolate, or 84°F–86°F (29°C–30°C) for milk chocolate.
Test for temper
Dip the tip of a knife into the chocolate and set it aside for three minutes. If it sets with a streak-free, matte-to-glossy finish, it is ready to use.
Other turns to take.
Tabliering
Pouring two-thirds of the melted chocolate onto a marble slab and working it with a scraper until it cools to the target temperature, then mixing it back into the remaining third.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never let even a single drop of water touch the chocolate, or it will seize into a grainy, unusable paste.
If the chocolate cools too much while you are working, give it a quick 3-second burst over the heat bath and stir vigorously.
Use a thermometer with a fast response time; chocolate temperatures change faster than you expect.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know if my chocolate is out of temper?
It will have grey or white streaks, feel soft or tacky to the touch, and will melt almost instantly at room temperature.
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