Chocolate: How to temper without losing your temper
This is a follow on to the last blog post on tempering chocolate- we’ve had the why, and now the how! This is just a brief overview on the different methods; I can always go into more detail if there is a call for it!
As discussed previously, when you temper chocolate you take it through a series of temperatures to allow the crystals in the cocoa butter to set in the ideal formation. It is a three stage process: melting out any crystals present, introducing the crystals that we want, and then bringing and holding the chocolate at the correct temperature. To begin with, the chocolate needs to be melted to 45°, which ensures there are no rogue crystals that will ruin your temper. Then, we need to introduce those wonderful Beta crystals, by either working a portion of the chocolate on a marble slab until it reaches the right temperature, or by adding seed chocolate that is already in temper. By adding in the seed crystals, or adding back in the tabled chocolate, you should reach the ideal working temperature.
Things that you will need!
A clean, dry bowl (plastic or glass is fine- just remember that glass will retain heat longer than plastic)
A spatula
A microwave or double boiler
A thermometer (an instant read is best, but any good digital thermometer will be fine!)
Couverture Chocolate - recommended brands include Lindt, Valrhona, Callebaut, Cacao Barry or Republica del Cacao. Each of these brands have their own temperature curve for the recommended temperatures, so it’s best to look them up before you work with them! It’s easiest to temper chocolate when you have at least 500g! Amounts smaller than this will set up too quickly, and be difficult to work with. If you’re just getting started, dark chocolate is the easiest to work with.
A cool place to work - ideally, your workspace won’t be any warmer than about 20°.
There are two ways that are usually recommended to melt your chocolate, either in the microwave or on the stove using a double boiler. I much prefer using a microwave, on short bursts on a medium power, no more than 30 seconds at a time. By using the microwave, you’re removing any risk of water or steam getting into your chocolate, which will cause it to seize. If you prefer a double boiler, and you accidentally get water into your chocolate, don’t stress! Simply add some hot cream and a flavouring of your choice, and you have ganache!
Seeding
Seeding is the easiest way to master home tempering! The chocolate that you buy -if it has been looked after- is already in temper. Melt two thirds of your chocolate, and then add most of the remaining third, stirring until it is all melted and beautifully glossy. Check that it has reached 31° for dark, 30° for milk or 29° for white, as a general guide. If it is still warmer than this, add in small amounts of chopped chocolate until you reach it! If it is cooler than this, carefully warm the chocolate, being careful not to take it too high, which will bring it out of temper. A hairdryer is actually very useful for this! The temperature of the chocolate that you add in will dictate how long it takes to temper- the cooler it is, the quicker it will be.
Tabling
When people think of tempering chocolate, this is often what comes to mind! A chocolatier spreading chocolate on a marble slab, moving it around until it’s reached just the right consistency. If you’re not practised, this can be quite messy! Small marble slabs can be picked up from most cooking stores for around $20 if you want to give it a go!
Pour out two thirds of your chocolate onto the slab, and spread it out with an offset spatula.Once it is all spread out (being careful not to push it over the edges), scrape it all back into a nice pile in the middle of the slab using a bench scraper. This does two things- firstly, it allows the marble to cool, and secondly, it brings all the chocolate to the same temperature. Repeat this process of spreading until it reaches between 25°-27°, then carefully scrape it all back into your remaining chocolate. After a good stir, you should be right at the working temperature!
Incomplete Melting
This last one is one of the easiest options, but you do have to be very careful! Melt the chocolate carefully, stirring between each burst in the microwave, until between a half and two thirds is melted. If you haven’t warmed it too much, the chocolate that hasn’t yet melted acts at the seed chocolate! If you accidentally warm it too much, simply melt it out to 45 and follow one of the methods above.
Now it’s time to test! Use a strip of baking paper, and dip one side in the chocolate. You don't want too thick a layer, as it will take too long to set; it should only take a few minutes, but remember, the warmer the room, the longer it will take! After after 3 minutes, you should see the edge of the chocolate setting, and after 10 minutes, it should be fully set and have curled slightly. It should make a nice snap sound if you break it when fully set, and it feels smooth and silky when you run your finger over it. If it is streaky, but sets otherwise, it just needs some more stirring, and if it hasn’t set, simply melt out your chocolate again and repeat the process. It’s always better to start again then trying to work with uncooperative chocolate.
Holding the chocolate at the right temperature is tricky, which is why you see chocolatiers use specialised holding tanks! A folded tea towel under your bowl, and a gentle warming with your hair dryer if it starts to cool will help hold it at the right temperature. Check it with your thermometer to make sure it stays right where you want it!
And that’s it! It can seem daunting, but if you’re careful, ensure you have plenty of time, and stay cool, then you’ll be fine!
On chocolate, sugar and buying local.
As a chocolatier and pastry chef, I’m at the forefront of creating things that are bad for you. Everything I make is made with full fat cream and refined cane sugar, and that is not going to change any time soon.
Why?
Because my goal in the end is simple: to make things from scratch, using a small number of high quality local ingredients, to create delicious treats that you only need a small portion of to feel satisfied, to have occasionally as part of a balanced and healthy diet.
It’s the time of year where gorging yourself silly on sugar and chocolate is expected and encouraged, as eggs and bunnies fill the stores (mine included). It brings with it the inevitable articles and blog posts about how to have a guilt free Easter. This concept upsets me greatly, as it creates a mindset that you should feel guilty or shameful about anything else you eat, and having shame connected to food is so terribly destructive. With years of a turbulent and tortuous relationship with food that has negatively impacted my health, both physically and mentally, it has taken a long time to grow to love food, something that I struggle with occasionally even today. Nourishing the soul is just as important as nourishing your body!
It’s nigh impossible to keep up with food trends, with a whole range of ingredients flitting in and out of lists that say it is the best thing for you in one place, and likely to give you cancer in another. It’s little wonder people are overwhelmed and happy to listen to whomever speaks the loudest, whether or not they are correct!
But what it all comes down to is to have a very simple attitude towards food.
Eat good food, obtained locally where possible, that nourishes you both mentally and physically, in suitable amounts. It aligns very closely with Michael Pollan’s famous concept, ‘Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.’ It’s shopping around the edges of the supermarket- whole fruits and vegetables (even better from your local fruit shop), fresh meat (from your local butcher), dairy, some pasta or rice if you want them- nearly every dish starts here.
If you want to have a treat, then do it- within reason. A slice of cake, ice cream or a chocolate? Buy something locally made, very high quality, made with local ingredients and not mass produced, and consume it rarely. Find the boutique stores, the high end deli’s, the quality market stalls. Serve a portion that fits in with your kilojoule intake, and sit down and enjoy it! Focus on the way it tastes, the textures and the contentment that you get from it. Appreciate each of the ingredients that go into making it, rather than just consuming empty calories from the lolly aisle.
By changing your focus to have a treat as exactly that- an occasional indulgence- perhaps we can dispel some of the negativity that surrounds food and start to enjoy it again!