The idea behind tempering chocolate is to:
1. Heat the chocolate to melt and break apart its crystal structure.
2. Wait until the warm chocolate cools down to around 85 degrees.
3. Bring the chocolate back up to 88 degrees and use.
Most microwave and stove top double-boiler methods will quickly rise the chocolate over 100 degrees on that first step. Ever burn chocolate in your microwave? Remember that smell? Remember how easy it was to OVER-HEAT it?
This method, from Roland Mesnier (Dessert University cookbook), lets the pilot light of a gas oven do the first two steps in one fell swoop.
He says you need a minimum of a pound of chopped chocolate for this methodology. So if you're only want to temper enough chocolate for a few truffles, he recommends that you still use 1 lb of chocolate and save off the rest for later use.
1. Coarsely chop 1 pound of bittersweet, semisweet
2. Place in large metal bowl and set in an oven with a lit pilot light.
3. Let sit overnight.
When ready to use tempered chocolate:
4. Bring 2" of water in a large saucepan and bring to low simmer. Put bowl with melted (but very thick) chocolate over water and stir until chocolate is just warm and liquid enough to work with...no higher than 88 degrees on an instant read thermometer. (see NOTE at the bottom for other chocolates.)
To test, dip knife tip into chocolate. It should set up with 1 minute.
If chocolate starts to cool and thicken up, reheat gently again over the water.
NOTE: Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking
Chocolate Tempering Temperature
Dark (no milk content) 88-90°F (31-32°C)
Milk 86-88°F (30-31°C)
White 80-82°F (27-28°C)
PS: Darn electric ovens and their abysmal lack of pilot lights. I'm going to check what my oven temperature is with the light left on.
PPS: I buy chocolate either in 1 lb bags from Wilbur Chocolates (Lititz, PA, near Hershey, PA) or 5 kg (11 lb) blocks of Callebaut from qzina.com
1. Heat the chocolate to melt and break apart its crystal structure.
2. Wait until the warm chocolate cools down to around 85 degrees.
3. Bring the chocolate back up to 88 degrees and use.
Most microwave and stove top double-boiler methods will quickly rise the chocolate over 100 degrees on that first step. Ever burn chocolate in your microwave? Remember that smell? Remember how easy it was to OVER-HEAT it?
This method, from Roland Mesnier (Dessert University cookbook), lets the pilot light of a gas oven do the first two steps in one fell swoop.
He says you need a minimum of a pound of chopped chocolate for this methodology. So if you're only want to temper enough chocolate for a few truffles, he recommends that you still use 1 lb of chocolate and save off the rest for later use.
1. Coarsely chop 1 pound of bittersweet, semisweet
2. Place in large metal bowl and set in an oven with a lit pilot light.
3. Let sit overnight.
When ready to use tempered chocolate:
4. Bring 2" of water in a large saucepan and bring to low simmer. Put bowl with melted (but very thick) chocolate over water and stir until chocolate is just warm and liquid enough to work with...no higher than 88 degrees on an instant read thermometer. (see NOTE at the bottom for other chocolates.)
To test, dip knife tip into chocolate. It should set up with 1 minute.
If chocolate starts to cool and thicken up, reheat gently again over the water.
NOTE: Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking
Chocolate Tempering Temperature
Dark (no milk content) 88-90°F (31-32°C)
Milk 86-88°F (30-31°C)
White 80-82°F (27-28°C)
PS: Darn electric ovens and their abysmal lack of pilot lights. I'm going to check what my oven temperature is with the light left on.
PPS: I buy chocolate either in 1 lb bags from Wilbur Chocolates (Lititz, PA, near Hershey, PA) or 5 kg (11 lb) blocks of Callebaut from qzina.com