Tempering is the process of controlling the temperatures of the chocolate to create specific crystal in the cocoa butter that it contain. If you temper the chocolate correctly, it will have a glossly appearance to it’s surface and produce a sharp sound when broken. However, if the chocolate are not tempered correctly, it will have a dull appearance, it will be soft to the touch, and there may even be streak appearing on the chocolates surface.
The tempering of chocolate is required because the cocoa butter in chocolate can create several different type of crystals, but only one type of crystal will produce the desired characteristics of chocolate. Dark chocolate contains different compositions based off the percentage of cocoa that is contained in the chocolate. Dark chocolate that contains a more higher percentage of cocoa contains more cocoa butter and less sugar than chocolate that has a lower percentage of cocoa.
How to Temper Chocolate
Therefore, the chocolate with the higher percentages of cocoa will have a sharper snap when broken then chocolate that contain a lower percentage of cocoa. Additionally, the chocolate with a lower percentage of cocoa contains more sugar, which affect the way in which that chocolate flow and sets. Chocolate must be tempered through three different phase of heating and cooling the chocolate.
During the first phase, you melt the chocolate to destroy any existing crystal structures of the cocoa butter. During the second phase, the chocolate is cooled to promote the formation of the desired stable crystals in the cocoa butter. Finally, during the third phase, the cook reheats the chocolate slightly to allow it to become fluid enough to utilize, but still retain its stable cocoa butter crystals.
It is important to follow these steps because if the chocolate is too hot or too cold during any of these phases, the cocoa butter will form a wrong type of crystals. There are several method for tempering chocolate. One method is the tabling method, wherein the melted chocolate is spread on a cool stone.
Additionally, you can seed the chocolate by adding pieces of already-tempered chocolate into the melted chocolate. Another method is the use of the microwave to heat the chocolate in short burst. Each of these methods has the same goal…
To maintain a controlled number of stable crystals within the remaining cocoa butter. In addition to these methods, there are also environmental factors that must be avoided during the tempering process. For instance, you must avoid water making contact with the chocolate, as even a single drop will cause the chocolate to seize.
Additionally, the humidity within the room where the chocolate is tempered should be kept at 55% or lower, as humidity rates above 55% will cause sugar bloom to form on the chocolate surface. Finally, the temperature within the room should be maintained, as the room should not become too warm, as this will prevent the chocolate from reaching a proper temperature. Bloom is a sign of failure in either the tempering or storage of the chocolate.
Fat bloom occurs when unstable cocoa butter crystals move to the surface of the chocolate, leading to gray streaks on the chocolates surface. Sugar bloom, on the other hand, occurs when the moisture in the chocolate dissolves the sugar on the chocolate surface, leading to a white, dusty coating on the chocolate’s surface. Both types of bloom are preventable if the chocolate is properly tempered and store.
Additionally, another test can be performed on the chocolate to ensure that its tempering process was successful. You can crack or break the chocolate, and if it produces a loud noise and exhibit a glossy appearance, the chocolate was tempered correctly. However, if the chocolate bend or breaks apart in a crumbly way, it has not been tempered correctly.
The temperature was likely incorrect during the tempering process, or the chocolate was over-seeded during the seeding method. Following the temperature instructions that are present on the chart will ensure that the chocolate contain the correct crystals to pass the snap test.