How to Temper Chocolate
Quick steps (30 min)
You need: heatproof bowl, saucepan or microwave, silicone spatula, instant-read or infrared thermometer, serrated knife
To temper chocolate, you melt it to erase all its fat crystals, cool it while stirring so only the stable type of cocoa butter crystal forms, then hold it at a precise working temperature, about 31–32 °C / 88–90 °F for dark chocolate. Tempered chocolate sets shiny, snaps cleanly and doesn't melt on your fingers.
Why chocolate needs tempering
Cocoa butter is polymorphic: it can crystallize into six different forms, numbered I to VI. Each has its own melting point and texture. Only form V gives the gloss, snap and slight shrinkage you want in a finished bar.
If melted chocolate just cools on its own, it sets in a jumble of unstable forms. The result is soft, dull, often streaked with grey, and it melts the moment you pick it up.
Tempering steers the crystals. Melting above 45 °C / 113 °F wipes out every existing crystal. Cooling and stirring encourages new ones to form. Gently rewarming then melts the unstable forms, which melt at lower temperatures, and leaves form V, which melts around 34 °C / 93 °F. Those form V crystals act as a template, so the whole batch sets the right way.
Tempering temperatures
| Chocolate | Melt to | Cool to | Work at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark (55–70% cocoa) | 45–50 °C / 113–122 °F | 27–28 °C / 81–82 °F | 31–32 °C / 88–90 °F |
| Milk | 40–45 °C / 104–113 °F | 26–27 °C / 79–81 °F | 29–30 °C / 84–86 °F |
| White | 40–45 °C / 104–113 °F | 25–26 °C / 77–79 °F | 28–29 °C / 82–84 °F |
Milk and white chocolate contain milk fat, which interferes with cocoa butter crystals, so they temper at lower temperatures. Many couverture brands print their own curve on the package; follow it when given.
With the seed method below, you don't need the separate cooling step. The seed chocolate brings the temperature straight down to working temperature.
Choose the right chocolate
Use real chocolate with cocoa butter as its only fat: bars or couverture discs, ideally with 31 percent cocoa butter or more. Compound coatings and candy melts use other fats and won't temper. Keep everything bone dry; a few drops of water make chocolate seize into a stiff paste.
Steps
- Chop all the chocolate finely and set a third of it aside. For 300 g total, melt 200 g and keep 100 g as seed. The seed must come from already-tempered chocolate, such as a shiny, snappy bar.
- Melt two thirds of the chocolate gently to 45–50 °C / 113–122 °F. Use a bowl over barely simmering water, not touching it, or microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between each. Use 40–45 °C / 104–113 °F for milk or white chocolate.
- Take the bowl off the heat and stir in the reserved chocolate. Wipe any condensation from the bottom of the bowl first.
- Keep stirring until the chocolate cools to 31–32 °C / 88–90 °F. That's 29–30 °C / 84–86 °F for milk and 28–29 °C / 82–84 °F for white. Stirring spreads the seed crystals through the batch. Expect 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove any unmelted pieces. Lift them out and save them for next time; they're still tempered.
- Test a smear on parchment or foil. At a cool room temperature of about 20 °C / 68 °F, tempered chocolate sets evenly glossy within about 5 minutes and snaps cleanly. If it stays soft, stir a little more seed in and test again.
- Keep the chocolate at working temperature while you use it. If it drops and thickens, warm it for a few seconds over the water or with a hair dryer. Don't go more than 1 °C or so above working temperature, or you'll melt the stable crystals and need to start again.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Streaks or grey swirls. Fat bloom from untempered or overheated chocolate. Melt it back to 45–50 °C and retemper.
- Chocolate thick and fudgy. Too cool, or it's over-crystallized from sitting. Warm by a degree or two and stir.
- Seized, grainy paste. Water or steam got in. It can't be tempered, but stir in a little hot cream and use it as ganache.
- Won't release from the mould. It wasn't tempered, or the mould was warm. Form V chocolate shrinks as it sets, so tempered chocolate pops out cleanly.
- Dull finish even though it set hard. The room or fridge was too warm or humid. Let tempered chocolate set at 18–20 °C / 64–68 °F, chilling only briefly if needed.
Storage
Keep tempered chocolate wrapped, at 15–18 °C / 59–64 °F, away from strong smells. The fridge invites sugar bloom from condensation when you take it out.
Questions
Why do you need to temper chocolate?
Tempering makes cocoa butter set in its most stable crystal form. Tempered chocolate is glossy, snaps cleanly, shrinks slightly so it releases from moulds, and doesn't melt at the touch of a finger. Untempered chocolate sets soft, dull and streaky.
What is the easiest way to temper chocolate?
The seed method is easiest at home. Melt two thirds of the chocolate, then stir in the remaining third, finely chopped, which supplies ready-made stable crystals as it melts and cools the batch to working temperature.
Can you temper chocolate chips or candy melts?
Candy melts and compound coatings use vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter, so they don't need or respond to tempering. Chocolate chips can be tempered, but many contain less cocoa butter and stabilizers, so they set less glossy than bar or couverture chocolate.
What are the white streaks on my chocolate?
Grey-white streaks or swirls are fat bloom, cocoa butter that has set in unstable crystal forms and risen to the surface. A dusty white film can be sugar bloom from moisture. Neither is unsafe, and fat-bloomed chocolate can be melted and retempered.
How can you tell if chocolate is tempered without a thermometer?
Dip the tip of a knife or a strip of parchment and leave it at cool room temperature. Tempered chocolate sets glossy and even within about 5 minutes and snaps cleanly; untempered chocolate stays tacky or sets with streaks.