Tempering
Cooking Skills: Chocolate 2
Chapter 1 · Tempering
Skill goal
Temper chocolate so that it is glossy and snaps, and use it for bark, curls and shards.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Chocolate contains cocoa butter, which can set in several different crystal forms. Tempering is warming and cooling chocolate so that it sets in the right form: the one that is glossy, snaps cleanly and doesn't melt at once on your fingers. Untempered chocolate, melted and set without care, is often dull, soft and streaky (it may also bloom). In Cooking Skills: Chocolate 1 you melted chocolate gently for coating and baking, where tempering doesn't matter. Here it does.
What to know
- Melt, cool, rewarm. Heating destroys the unwanted crystals; cooling grows the right ones; rewarming melts any that are too large so only the right ones remain.
- The seed method uses chocolate that is already tempered (a good bar) to start the right crystals, and is the simplest way at home.
- Temperatures are small and exact. Use a digital thermometer and stir constantly.
- Different chocolates need different temperatures. The figures here are for dark chocolate (about 70%). Milk chocolate is usually 1 to 2°C lower throughout and white a degree or two lower again. Follow the packet if it gives numbers.
- Test a streak before every use, and keep the chocolate at working temperature.
| Chocolate | Melt to (approx.) | Cool to (approx.) | Work at (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark | 45 to 50°C | 27 to 28°C | 31 to 32°C |
| Milk | 40 to 45°C | 26 to 27°C | 29 to 30°C |
| White | 40°C | 25 to 26°C | 28 to 29°C |
These figures are general guidance and vary between makers: use them as a start, and rely on the test streak.
Thermometer, steam and tempering
Thermometer: use a digital probe thermometer, and clean it between uses. Temperatures for chocolate are small differences, so a degree or two matters. The figures in this course are approximate: if the chocolate packet gives its own temperatures, follow them.Steam and hot bowls: a bowl over a pan of simmering water gets hot and steam burns. Use oven gloves or a cloth to lift it, keep your face back when you lift it off, and keep children away from the hob.
Tempering: shop-bought chocolate bars are usually already tempered, so melt only two thirds of it and stir in the rest to bring it back into temper (the seed method). Chocolate that has been overheated, or has gone dull or streaky, has lost its temper and needs to be melted and tempered again. Good tempered chocolate is shiny, snaps cleanly and doesn't melt on your fingers straight away.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
The seed method
Tempering makes chocolate shiny, snappy and stable. The seed method is the easiest: melt two thirds of the chocolate, then stir in the last third, chopped small, to cool it and give it the right crystal structure.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 300 g good-quality dark chocolate bar (about 70%), chopped
- 1 digital probe thermometer
- 1 sheet of baking parchment, for the test streak
- Weigh out 200 g of the chocolate to melt and keep 100 g of it chopped small for the 'seed'. Melt the 200 g gently in a bowl over barely simmering water, stirring, until it reaches about 45 to 50°C.
- Take it off the heat and stir in the seed chocolate a handful at a time. Keep stirring until it has melted and the chocolate has cooled to about 31 to 32°C.
- Do a test streak on parchment. If it sets glossy in about 5 minutes, it is tempered: work at once, keeping it at 31 to 32°C by warming the bowl for a few seconds over the hot water if it cools.
Thermometer, steam and tempering
Thermometer: use a digital probe thermometer, and clean it between uses. Temperatures for chocolate are small differences, so a degree or two matters. The figures in this course are approximate: if the chocolate packet gives its own temperatures, follow them.Tempering: shop-bought chocolate bars are usually already tempered, so melt only two thirds of it and stir in the rest to bring it back into temper (the seed method). Chocolate that has been overheated, or has gone dull or streaky, has lost its temper and needs to be melted and tempered again. Good tempered chocolate is shiny, snaps cleanly and doesn't melt on your fingers straight away.
Steam and hot bowls: a bowl over a pan of simmering water gets hot and steam burns. Use oven gloves or a cloth to lift it, keep your face back when you lift it off, and keep children away from the hob.
The test streak: before using the chocolate, smear a little on a piece of baking parchment. Properly tempered chocolate sets glossy and firm in about 5 minutes at room temperature. If it stays soft or sets streaky and dull, it is not in temper: warm gently and stir, or start again.
Level 1 · Quick
Microwave tempering
A quick way to temper a small amount. Melt most of the chocolate in 20-second bursts, then stir in the rest as the seed. Stir between every burst: microwaves heat unevenly.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 150 g good-quality dark chocolate (about 70%), chopped
- 1 digital probe thermometer
- 1 microwave-safe bowl
- Put 100 g of the chocolate in the bowl and microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time, until about 45°C and nearly all melted.
- Stir in the remaining 50 g of chopped chocolate until it has melted and the temperature is about 31 to 32°C.
- Check with a test streak on parchment. Use it quickly, and if it cools and thickens, warm it with a 5-second burst and stir.
Thermometer, hot bowl and tempering
Thermometer: use a digital probe thermometer, and clean it between uses. Temperatures for chocolate are small differences, so a degree or two matters. The figures in this course are approximate: if the chocolate packet gives its own temperatures, follow them.Gentle heat: chocolate scorches easily and turns dull and bitter. Melt it in a heatproof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time. Take it off the heat when it is mostly melted and stir until smooth. Milk and white chocolate burn faster than dark, so use lower heat for them.
Tempering: shop-bought chocolate bars are usually already tempered, so melt only two thirds of it and stir in the rest to bring it back into temper (the seed method). Chocolate that has been overheated, or has gone dull or streaky, has lost its temper and needs to be melted and tempered again. Good tempered chocolate is shiny, snaps cleanly and doesn't melt on your fingers straight away.
The test streak: before using the chocolate, smear a little on a piece of baking parchment. Properly tempered chocolate sets glossy and firm in about 5 minutes at room temperature. If it stays soft or sets streaky and dull, it is not in temper: warm gently and stir, or start again.
Level 2 · Spread
Tempered bark
The same bark you made in Cooking Skills: Chocolate 1, chapter 2, but tempered, so it is shinier, snaps cleanly and stays firm. Work quickly: tempered chocolate begins to thicken as it cools.
Ingredients (10 portions)
- 1 batch tempered chocolate (seed method, above)
- 50 g mixed toppings (dried fruit, seeds, sprinkles, chopped nuts)
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes (optional)
- 1 tray lined with baking parchment
- Temper the chocolate and test a streak. Pour it onto the lined tray and spread thin with a palette knife, about 4 mm thick.
- Scatter the toppings and salt at once, pressing them lightly.
- Leave at cool room temperature for 20 minutes until set (don't put it in the fridge), then break into pieces.
Thermometer, toppings and storing
Thermometer: use a digital probe thermometer, and clean it between uses. Temperatures for chocolate are small differences, so a degree or two matters. The figures in this course are approximate: if the chocolate packet gives its own temperatures, follow them.Toppings: sprinkles, nuts, dried fruit and seeds should be dry and small. Whole nuts and hard sweets are a choking risk for very young children, and nuts are a serious allergen: keep a nut-free tray if anyone has an allergy.
Storing finished chocolate: keep it wrapped in a cool, dry place (about 15 to 18°C), not in the fridge unless it has a cream filling. Cold and damp make it dull and spotty (bloom), which is harmless but not pretty.
Allergens: chocolate contains milk (except some dark), and often soy (lecithin) and sometimes nuts or traces of them: check the label and the 'may contain' line. Cream, butter and many coatings are dairy, and cookies and biscuits contain wheat and often egg. Dairy-free dark chocolate and coconut cream can replace the dairy in many recipes, but the texture changes.
Level 3 · Curls
Chocolate curls and shards
Curls and shards are elegant decorations for cakes and desserts. Curls are scraped from chocolate that has just set to a soft, pliable state; shards are simply thin chocolate broken into sharp pieces. Timing is everything: too soft and it smears, too hard and it splinters.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 1 batch tempered chocolate (seed method)
- 1 cool baking tray or marble slab
- 1 palette knife and a sharp, wide scraper or metal spatula
- Temper the chocolate. Spread a thin, even layer, about 3 mm, on the cool tray, with a spare patch of parchment for shards.
- Leave at cool room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is set but still slightly soft when you press the edge with a finger. Hold the scraper at an angle and push it firmly along the chocolate in a smooth stroke, so it rolls into curls.
- For shards, let the parchment piece set fully for 20 minutes and break it into sharp, thin pieces by hand. Store both in an airtight tin.
Sharp tools, cool surfaces and storing
Knife safety: chop chocolate on a stable board (a damp cloth underneath) with a large knife held firmly, and keep your guiding fingertips tucked back. A serrated knife grips a hard bar better than a smooth blade.Cool surfaces: for curls and shards, a cool (not cold) tray or worktop is best. A tray from the fridge makes the chocolate set too quickly and crack. A warm kitchen above about 24°C makes tempering hard, so choose a cool day or room.
Storing finished chocolate: keep it wrapped in a cool, dry place (about 15 to 18°C), not in the fridge unless it has a cream filling. Cold and damp make it dull and spotty (bloom), which is harmless but not pretty.
Small children: whole nuts, hard lumps and frozen pieces can be a choking risk for very young children, so keep pieces small and sit with them while they eat.
Experiments
Experiment
Tempered or untempered
Snap, gloss and bloom.
- Melt a small amount of chocolate and spread half straight onto parchment without tempering. Temper the rest and spread it alongside. Compare the gloss, snap and set time, and look again after a week.
Look for: The tempered chocolate is shiny, snaps and sets in minutes; the untempered is dull, soft and slow, and may develop bloom. This is what tempering is for.
Experiment
Room temperature
Cool and warm.
- Temper and spread a streak in a cool room and another in a warm one (or next to a warm oven).
Look for: In the cool room it sets quickly and glossy; in the warm one it stays soft and may set dull. Choose your working conditions.
Experiment
Cooling speed
Slowly or fast.
- Cool one bowl by stirring in the seed slowly, and another quickly by standing the bowl in cold water.
Look for: The slowly cooled batch is smooth; the quickly cooled one thickens at the edges and can become lumpy. Stir steadily.
Experiment
Test streak
Reading the signs.
- Test a streak when the chocolate is 36°C, 32°C and 28°C.
Look for: At 36°C it is thin and stays soft; at 32°C it sets glossy; at 28°C it is thick and sets dull and lumpy. The streak tells you where you are.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed method | ||||
| Microwave method | ||||
| Tempered bark | ||||
| Curls and shards | ||||
| Tempered or untempered | ||||
| Room temperature | ||||
| Cooling speed | ||||
| Test streak |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dull, streaky chocolate | Not in temper, or it set in a warm room | Melt again and temper; work in a cool room |
| Soft, sticky set | Too warm when poured | Cool to working temperature and test a streak |
| Thick, lumpy chocolate | Too cool | Warm by a few degrees over hot water, stirring |
| White spots after a week | Bloom | Harmless; keep it cool and dry |
| Grainy lump | Water got in | Rescue with warm cream for a sauce; start again for tempering |
| Curls crumble | Chocolate too hard | Wait until just set and slightly soft |
Thermometer, steam and allergens
Thermometer: use a digital probe thermometer, and clean it between uses. Temperatures for chocolate are small differences, so a degree or two matters. The figures in this course are approximate: if the chocolate packet gives its own temperatures, follow them.Steam and hot bowls: a bowl over a pan of simmering water gets hot and steam burns. Use oven gloves or a cloth to lift it, keep your face back when you lift it off, and keep children away from the hob.
Allergens: chocolate contains milk (except some dark), and often soy (lecithin) and sometimes nuts or traces of them: check the label and the 'may contain' line. Cream, butter and many coatings are dairy, and cookies and biscuits contain wheat and often egg. Dairy-free dark chocolate and coconut cream can replace the dairy in many recipes, but the texture changes.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can say what tempering does.
- I can temper chocolate by the seed method.
- I check a test streak every time.
- I can make curls and shards with the right timing.
- I store tempered chocolate cool and dry.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Chocolate 2, chapter 2 is Moulds and Shells: moulding solid and hollow chocolates.