How long for tempered chocolate to set

Sure, you can melt chocolate chips or those melting discs you see at the store and coat things, but the flavor and texture aren't quite what true chocolate apprecianados are looking for. Kind of like dating the brother of the guy you're really interested in.

The part of chocolate that allows it to melt so sumptuously in your mouth is cocoa butter, and it's made of a family of crystals six types altogether. What makes working with chocolate tricky is each type of crystal forms or sets at a different temperature, and some of those forms aren't very stable; they can change over time and in storage.

When chocolate gets too warm, but not warm enough to melt, some of the cocoa butter crystals can migrate to the surface; this dusty-looking chocolate has "bloomed. The percentage of chocolate represents the combination of chocolate liquor [chocolate cacao solids] and cocoa butter, but fails to differentiate between them.

Chocolatiers like this method because it's efficient, and they get an immediate feel for how the chocolate is behaving. Tabling is a wonderful method to use, provided you have lots of space and a large block of marble hanging around. Moving it around is kind of hypnotic. There's also an approach typically reserved for those with lots of experience working with chocolate: it's called the direct melt method.

By very carefully melting and stirring the chocolate and keeping it within specific temperature ranges, chocolate can be kept in temper the whole time.

It's tricky to do, and takes some practice. For many home bakers though, the most practical method of tempering chocolate is a process called seeding. Even the renowned pastry chef Roland Mesnier joked about the tabling method, saying "Who has time for that these days? Seeding is simple once you know the basic tenets and temperatures to guide your work. Let's dive in. An accurate digital thermometer is important. A bowl, a spatula to stir with, a saucepan with an inch of water in it, or a microwave to melt the chocolate.

Parchment paper to place your cooling chocolates on. Depending on your project, you may want dipping tools, molds, parchment paper cones for writing with melted chocolate , or an offset spatula for spreading tempered chocolate on the back of a baking sheet or transfer sheet. In a nutshell, seeding can be shown and explained in just a few pictures and steps.

The short version: Get the chocolate hot but not too hot and melted. Add chunks of unmelted chocolate. This is the seeding part. Stir and cool, take out the unmelted leftovers, test to see if it sets properly, then dip, dip, dip. The real key, though is in the details of the temperatures you need to achieve. For a full chart on specific melting temperatures for different kinds of chocolate, see our chocolate tempering temperatures table.

Melt the chocolate: Chop the chocolate with a knife or chocolate chipper. Or, use our disks, which are already in an easy-to-melt shape and don't need any chopping at all. It's best to have a pretty healthy amount: at least a pound to start with.

Two is better. The more volume you have, the better it will hold the temperature where you need it to stay to be workable. It's typical for chocolatiers to work with pound batches at a time.

Remove the bowl from heat once you have reached the right temperature. Spread a small spoonful of chocolate on a piece of wax paper. If it looks dull or streaky, re-temper the chocolate, starting with step 2.

If it dries quickly with a glossy finish and no streaks, the chocolate is in temper. Once melted chocolate has been tempered, it must be used before it cools and sets. If it has completely cooled and solidified, it should be re-tempered. Heat it for 5 to 10 seconds at a time, stirring and checking the temperature before reheating. If you keep your chocolate within these temperature ranges, it will stay in temper and be liquid enough to use. Several products exist for those who do not want to temper chocolate.

They are called confectionery coatings, coating chocolate, summer coating, or chocolate bark coatings. They are usually made of vegetable fats that melt smoothly and set up quickly to a finish that is very similar to tempered chocolate. They may not contain actual chocolate. Nothing can perfectly duplicate the taste and mouth-feel of tempered chocolate, but quality coatings can be good substitutes. They can be cooled and reheated quickly, and as often as necessary.

These crystals of tempered chocolate act like magnets, attracting the other loose crystals of fatty acids to begin the crystallization process that results in well-tempered chocolate. Ready to start? I suggest you have at least 24 ounces grams of chocolate when you start to temper.

I know it sounds like a lot, and a big monetary commitment, but this amount gives you enough to work with when you are dipping or molding. Also, it is much easier to control temperatures and not overheat when you have a mass of chocolate. At my former shop, "au Chocolat," we sold our bulk chocolate in one-pound g round bars so I could easily show that a one-pound 16 oz.

That is not a lot of chocolate mass in which to dip something. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. The smaller the pieces, the quicker your chocolate will melt and temper. Set aside about 25 to 30 percent of the chocolate. There is no need to be exact on this measurement, as you just want enough unmelted, tempered chocolate to start the seeding process.

Place the remaining 70 to 75 percent of chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on half-power, being very careful to stir the mixture every minute until it is almost completely melted, which should take about four to five minutes. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the microwave and stir to cool it slightly. Removing the bowl before all the chocolate is completely melted will help prevent over heating. Those last bits of solid chocolate will melt as you stir.

Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the melted chocolate - it should be between:. Start adding handfuls of the grated chocolate you set aside to the melted chocolate. Stir in the seeding chocolate bits continuously until the desired temperature see below is reached and the bits have dissolved completely.

This could take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the temperature of your environment. Your chocolate should now be tempered. Make sure to stir the tempered chocolate and check the temperature during the time you are using it for dipping or molding.

Pour the chocolate onto a marble or other cool, smooth, non-porous surface. Using a spatula, scrape and stir the chocolate across the surface to smooth and cool it.

Place over hot, not boiling, water. Remove the top pan of the double boiler. Melting chocolate doesn't have to be a challenge. With the proper technique, it can be a smooth operation, and you'll have a velvety pool of luxurious Ghirardelli chocolate in no time.

Double Boiler Break chocolate into small pieces, and place in top pan of double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Allow chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Place chopped or broken chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat and stir constantly to avoid scorching. Remove from heat when only small lumps of chocolate remain, and stir until completely melted.

Microwave Place chocolate in microwave oven in a heatproof glass bowl or container and heat at medium power 50 perfect for second intervals. Remove and stir each time before returning to microwave and repeating.

Each microwave is unique and affects the chocolate differently so please monitor closely.