How Do I Temper Chocolate?

“I’ve never tempered chocolate before…do you have a step-by-step guide?”

-Margaret

Margaret,

Yes, we do have a step-by-step guide on how to temper chocolate. We received this guide from the experts at Guittard.

Double Boiler Method:

Step 1:  The first step is to break the couverture chocolate into pieces. (Unless, you have purchased chocolate that doesn’t need to be broken).

Step 2:  Melt your chocolate in the top pan of the double boiler over water that is 130℉. Use a rubber spatula in a gentle sweeping motion to stir the chocolate continually until about 2/3 of the chocolate is liquid and 1/3 of the chocolate is soft lumps. The temperature of the liquid chocolate at this point will be about 95℉.

Step 3:  Take the top pan full of chocolate off the pan with boiling water and continue stirring to cool the chocolate down until the soft lumps become liquid. The temperature should be brought down to 89℉ (87℉ for milk chocolate).

At this point, the chocolate should be tempered and ready to use.

Microwave Method:

Step 1:  Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds, then stir.

Step 2:  Repeat Step 1, until 2/3 of the chocolate are liquid and 1/3 is soft lumps. The temperature of the liquid chocolate should be about 100℉.

Step 3:  Take chocolate out of microwave and stir chocolate to cool it down until the soft lumps are liquid. The temperature should be cooled to 89℉.

Now, it’s tempered and ready to use.

Hopefully, this tempering guide helps you! You can always make your life easier, by tempering using a machine.

We also now have a Chocolate Mini Guide to help with all things chocolate.

-The Orson H. Gygi Team

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