Techniques › Baking and pastry
Tempering chocolate
Advanced Baking and pastry
Tempering chocolate is melting and cooling chocolate to exact temperatures so it sets glossy, snaps cleanly and doesn't streak.
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How do you do it?
- Chop good chocolate finely. Melt two-thirds of it gently to about 115-120°F (dark) or 105-110°F (milk or white).
- Stir in the remaining third, unmelted, a little at a time to cool it down.
- Keep stirring until it reaches its working temperature: about 88-90°F for dark, 86-88°F for milk, 84-86°F for white.
- Test it: smear a little on foil. Tempered chocolate sets shiny and firm in about 5 minutes at cool room temperature.
Why does it work?
Cocoa butter can set in several crystal forms, and only one gives shine and snap. Melting erases the old crystals; the unmelted chocolate seeds the right kind, and holding it just warm enough keeps the wrong kinds from forming.
What are the common mistakes?
- Letting it get too warm after tempering: it loses temper and sets dull and streaky.
- A drop of water or steam: the chocolate seizes into a thick paste.
- Using candy melts or chips: they're made to hold shape, not to temper.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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