Tempering Chocolate

What is tempering?

Tempering chocolate is a key step in creating beautifully smooth and glossy treats. This process involves carefully heating and cooling chocolate to stabilise the cocoa butter crystals, which ensures the chocolate sets evenly and has a professional shine. Proper tempering prevents dullness and unwanted streaks, while giving the chocolate a satisfying snap when broken. It’s all about achieving that perfect texture and appearance in every bite.

When should we temper chocolate?

You will need to temper chocolate when you are using couverture chocolate (chocolate with cocoa butter) to mould or create chocolate decorations. If you are using chocolate in baking or in a ganache then you will not need to temper it.

How to temper chocolate: microwave method

This is a great method to use when you only have small amounts of chocolate to temper (say, 200-300g).

Step 1
Pour a small amount of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into a plastic or glass bowl. It is important to use plastic because glass will retain the heat.

Step 2
Place the bowl in a microwave and melt the chocolate in 30 seconds bursts – stirring in between each round in the microwave to make sure that the heat is distributed evenly throughout and to keep the chocolate from burning.

Step 3
Repeat this procedure until the chocolate has almost entirely melted. Some small pieces of chocolate should still be visible in the bowl.

Step 4
Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir the chocolate well until all the pieces of chocolate have disappeared. You will notice that your chocolate is now smooth and slightly thicker. That means it is properly tempered and ready for use.

How to temper chocolate: tabling method

This is a quick method and is ideal in the cooler months. If your room temperature is hotter than 22C then it’s best to use the microwave or other methods.

Step 1
Melt your chocolate at a temperature between 40 and 45 °C.

Step 2
Pour 2/3 of the melted chocolate onto the cool surface of your stone bench top.

Step 3
Keep the chocolate in motion by moving it about continuously with a palette knife or a scraper. The key to success here is temperature, time and movement. Continue to do so until the chocolate starts to thicken: this means crystallisation is taking place.

Step 4
Pour the pre-crystallised chocolate back into your bowl with the rest of the melted chocolate and stir until the whole becomes a smooth mixture. The chocolate is now ready to be used. Ideally, dark chocolate should be around 30-31C; milk chocolate around 29-30C and white chocolate around 28-29C