Tempering Chocolate 101

A little about chocolate: There are two types of quality dipping chocolate: couverture chocolate and compound chocolate. Couverture chocolate is real chocolate is made with chocolate liquor and cocoa butter. Compound chocolate substitutes these two ingredients for cocoa powder and oil. These substitutions allow compound chocolate to set up without tempering. The differences in flavor are not as noticeable, unless you taste them side-by-side. If you want less work and stress, use compound chocolate.

Tempering chocolate may sound intimidating and may turn you away from couverture chocolate. But when you taste the high quality of this chocolate, you will realize it is a notch above all other dipping chocolate. I want to guide you through the simplest method of tempering chocolate, so you can see just how easy it can be and choose couverture chocolate as your dipping chocolate every time!

This simple method is called the “seed” method in the microwave and involves controlled cooling and stirring. This method uses the least amount of time, uses the least number of specialized tools, and allows the most control over your melted chocolate.

Tools You Need for Tempering Chocolate:

Microwave Safe Bowl: The bowl can be plastic or glass. If it’s glass, be sure it doesn’t get hot from microwave use. If the container is too hot to touch, it’s too hot for chocolate!

Infrared Thermometer Gun: This is a simple tool to measure the temperature of the melted chocolate without touching it. Cocoa butter crystals form and melt at specific temperatures. It’s necessary to know the correct temperature of the melted chocolate in order to temper it correctly. This tool can easily be purchased at a hardware store, Home Depot or Lowe’s, or Amazon.

Spatula or Spoon: Since your chocolate does not get very hot, any style spatula or spoon will work. It’s just important to be able to stir your chocolate well and often.

Ingredients Needed for Tempering Chocolate:

Couverture Chocolate: This is a label placed on a high quality chocolate which contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than compound chocolate. Therefore, the cocoa butter crystals needs to be rebuilt correctly so as the melted chocolate hardens, it will have the perfect shine (without white cloudiness—or bloom—on the chocolate), a crisp snap when you bite into it, and will harden quickly. Callebaut and Guittard are among my favorite dipping chocolate brands. You can buy couverture chocolate in huge 10 pound bars or a’peels wafers.

How to Temper Couverture Chocolate:

Melting the Chocolate:

• Pour 2/3 of your chocolate wafers or chopped pieces of chocolate (reserve 1/3 for later) in your microwave safe bowl. Melt at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir (even though the chocolate will not look melted).
• Continue to melt chocolate at 50% power for another minute. Stir and test the temperature of the chocolate.
• Continue to melt the chocolate at 50% power and 1-minute intervals, with stirring, until the chocolate reaches the following “melt to” temperature:

*Takes longer to melt because of milk solids

Adding the “Seed” and Cooling the Chocolate:

• Add seed (the 1/3 chocolate wafers or chopped chocolate you reserved) while slowly stirring the melted chocolate. It crucial to continue to stir while the seed is melting so the cocoa butter crystals disperse and create a stable tempered chocolate. Make sure you are thoroughly stirring along the sides.
• Continue to stir the chocolate until the temperature of the chocolate reaches the “cool to” temperature. If the seed has not completely melted, remove the unmelted pieces and store on wax paper for later use.
• TEST. Dip the tip of a scraper or a knife into the chocolate. Test that it hardens within 2 minutes and that it has a uniform sheen. If so, it is tempered. If not, repeat steps again by melting to the “melt to” temperature and then cooking with more seed to the “cool to” temperature.
• You may need to periodically heat the chocolate slightly (about 15 seconds at 50% power) in the microwave to keep a constant dipping temperature (for dark chocolate—between 86-92° F (30-33°C)). You don’t want to get it too hot, or it will lose temper.
• Continue to stir often, between each dipped chocolate, to keep the cocoa butter crystals dispersed.

A few things to know:

• Dipping chocolate in a kitchen that’s between 65-72° F (18.5-22° C), with low humidity, is ideal for hardening chocolate easily.
• Always use tempered chocolate (the chocolate wafers or bar you bought at the store) as your seed.
• Do not let water get into your chocolate. It will seize the chocolate (making it lumpy).
• Do not heat chocolate over 120° F. Chocolate can burn! Even overheating the chocolate will change the flavor.
• White and milk chocolate need to be stirred even more frequently because of the addition of milk solids.
• Tempering chocolate is only needed for dipping candy. If you use it for ganache, mousse, creams, or baking, no need for tempering!
• Chocolate picks up the flavor of foods nearby, so when storing your chocolate, protect it from strong smells.

Recipes that can use Couverture Dipping Chocolate:

References for more information and other methods of tempering chocolate:

Orson Gygi at www.gygi.com

Callebaut Chocolate at www.callebaut.com

Guittard Chocolate at www.guittard.com