Learning Objective: Understand the tempering process by using both the tabliering method and the seeding method.

Assignment: Learn to Temper Chocolate

by Hand and by Seeding

This assignment has two parts. In Part 1 you will practice tempering chocolate by hand using the tabliering method. In Part 2, you will practice tempering using the seeding method. We have given you a three week period before the assignment is due so you can choose to do the different parts of the assignment in one session or break it into two sessions or optimally practice more than once.

As this is a double assignment, make sure and read the whole page thoroughly before you start.

Please understand we do not expect you to master tempering in just one session. You will note the Assignment doesn't ask you if you were successful or not. We simply ask that you report on the results of one of your tempering sessions. There is only one way to master tempering and that is with PRACTICE, PRACTICE and more PRACTICE.

Equipment and Supplies for both parts of the assignment

You will need the following equipment and supplies to complete this assignment:

Dark Chocolate - You will need to practice each tempering technique using a good amount of chocolate so that you understand the technique of tempering a large mass of chocolate and can make batches of chocolates in the future.

The minimum you use for each technique, outlined in Part 1 and then Part 2 of the assignment, should be 1 Kilo (approximately 2 lbs) and we prefer you try each technique with 1.5 Kilos (approximately 3 lbs). After you have finished Part 1, the chocolate can be melted and tempered again for Part 2 (and again) with only a slight variation in viscosity as long as:

• you don't add anything such as crumbs or bits of nuts
• or heat the chocolate above the recommended temperatures
• or expose the mass to even the tiniest bit of water or steam. 

The ideal temperature of your workshop should be approximately 68°F (20°C) or a close as possible.

A cool surface - for Part 1 such as a granite or marble counter or slab - the object in this technique is to cool the chocolate as quickly as possible while you are working it. If your climate is warm and you don't have an air conditioner, it will help to either put your marble slab in the refrigerator to cool or lay a bag of ice on the slab or counter to cool it. Again be careful with moisture by making sure to thoroughly dry the surface of the slab or counter before you ladle on the chocolate.

Bowls to contain the chocolate - either plastic (if you are using the microwave) or the metal bowl of your bain marie.

A method to heat the chocolate using either a Microwave or Double boiler/Bain-marie - See my discussion on the use of the microwave in the Tempering Lectures in this Module.

Pallet Knife and/or Bench Scraper (see Supplies list for examples)

Parchment Paper or Acetate Sheets - cut into approximately 8 in or 20 cm squares. Tip from Andy (a student): if you use one of your acetate sheets in place of parchment for the tests, you'll be able to see how your test will perform in a mold. Once the test patch has hardened turn it over to check out the shiny side that was face down on the acetate.

Rubber or Silicon kitchen scraper - for clean-up

Thermometer

If you run into problems refer to the section at the end of this assignment called Frequently Asked Questions About Tempering

Part 1: The Tabliering Process

Step 1 - To melt all fatty acid crystals

Very, very carefully melt the dark chocolate using whatever method you prefer: microwave or double boiler. Stir the chocolate mass as much as possible to keep it from getting too hot as it comes in contact with the bottom and sides of the pan in either method.

Temper check - look for the chocolate mass to feel warm (but not hot) when you touch it with your fingers to make sure all chocolate crystals are thoroughly melted. It should be smooth and shiny.

Test 1 - place a small amount (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml) of chocolate on the parchment paper or acetate sheet. Label as Test 1, note the time and allow to stand at room temperature.

Ecole Chocolat Note: Why this test? As you have not yet started the tempering process, this test will show you what happens to chocolate that has been melted to a liquid state and then left to harden without tempering.

Step 2 - To form seed crystals

Ladle or scoop approximately 2/3 of the warm chocolate mass onto your marble slab. You'll note that this is a bigger amount than the 30 - 40 percent normally used by a chocolatier as we note in the lecture Tempering by Hand. As a novice and because you are using a small total amount of chocolate (most chocolatiers will work with much more than the minimum 1 kilo) you will find the larger mass easier to work with.

Multitasking Note: You need to keep the reserved chocolate left in the bowl warm - either on your bain marie or by warming in the microwave periodically or using a heating pad around the outside of the bowl (try putting the heating pad in a bigger bowl and then nesting the smaller bowl in that). Make sure this small amount of reserved chocolate does not get too hot or you will run the risk of burning it or raising the temperature of the tempered chocolate out of temper when you add it later. Periodically stir the mass in any method you chose to use so the chocolate stays warm all the way through. If you are using a bain Marie, move it between a folded tea towel (the bowl will lose heat if you put it on the bare counter) then either back onto the bain marie for a few minutes (or into the microwave if you are using that method) to reheat slightly while you are going through the tempering process.

Mix the chocolate mass on the marble slab by stirring in a circular motion using either your hand or pallet knife (try it with your hand at least once to develop the feel). The circular motion pulls the chocolate from around the edge of the puddle into the center and ensures that the chocolate mass on the marble slab is in constant motion as it cools rapidly.This technique takes a while to perfect but the idea is to keep the chocolate on the edges from hardening before the center of the mass by keeping everything moving.

If your marble slab is big and wide you can use a side to side motion where you spread the chocolate in one direction and then scrape it back into the center and then spread it out in the other direction and scrape it back. See the Module 2 lecture: Technique: Tempering Chocolate by Hand which has a video of this technique.

Tempering should only take a few minutes to accomplish if your marble slab is cool and your workshop the correct temperature (see above).

Temper check - after a few minutes you will feel a very recognizable thickening and cooling of the mass with your fingers or knife.

Test 2 - place a small amount (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml) of chocolate on the parchment paper or acetate sheet next to Test 1. Label as Test 2, note the time and allow to stand at room temperature.

Ecole Chocolat Note: Why this test? If you have been successful with tempering the chocolate, you should see a very different result from Test 1 once the chocolate is hardened.

Step 3 - Prepare mass for holding

If your temper check has indicated that your chocolate mass is tempered then scrape the mass into a clean, warm bowl or the chocolate coated bowl you used to melt the chocolate to save on clean-up (from which you would use the chocolate for molding or dipping in a normal situation). Have that bowl slightly warm so you don't cause the tempered mass to start hardening in contact with a cold bowl.

An easy method for the transfer if you have a stand alone marble slab is to pull the marble slab to the end of your counter or table so that 2 inches (or 6 cm) of the slab protrudes over the counter.

Hold the bowl under the edge of the marble slab and scrap the chocolate across the slab, over the edge and into the bowl below.

Step 4 - Melt any unwanted crystals and retain temper over a 20 minute period

To complete this assignment, you will need to retain the temper of chocolate mass in the bowl for a 20 minute period - testing your temper periodically. First warm the tempered mass a degree or two to melt the unwanted crystals by:

additions of chocolate from the warm reserved chocolate mass that you have kept warm either in your bain marie or by warming in the microwave. As we mentioned earlier, make sure the reserved chocolate does not get too hot or you will run the risk of raising the temperature of the tempered chocolate out of temper.

or putting the bowl into the microwave periodically

or putting the bowl over the heat on your double boiler

or using a heat gun to warm the surface of the chocolate mass in the bowl.

IMPORTANT NOTE: After you add heat, from any source, it is crucial to stir the tempered mass thoroughly (not vigorously), to make sure that the heat has been properly incorporated and not left concentrated in one area - making it possible to knock some of the chocolate out of temper.

You need to continue to stir your mass over time. Also if you let it get too cold, the mass will become overtempered so keep adding warm chocolate or heating it to keep the texture workable over time. Refer to the Module 2 lecture:Technique: Tempering Chocolate by Hand for a more detailed information on this step.

Test 3 - after 10 minutes of working, place a small amount (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml) of chocolate on the parchment paper or acetate sheet with the other test amounts. Label as Test 3, note the time and allow to stand at room temperature.

Test 4 - at the end of 20 minutes of mixing, place a small amount (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml) of chocolate on the parchment paper or acetate sheet with the other test amounts. Label as Test 4, note the time and allow to stand at room temperature.

Ecole Chocolat Note: We understand this last 20 minutes of mixing is very boring but if you were enrobing centers or making decorations, you would need to be able to hold the temper for at least that long. These tests will let you know if you were successful - they should each give you similar results to Test 2 (again assuming you were successful with tempering).

Why we asked you to do those temper tests at each phase of the process? In real life when you have finished tempering your chocolate, never use it for molding or enrobing purposes unless you have done a temper test. This is done by taking a small smear of your tempered chocolate either on a piece of parchment/acetate or a utensil such as a spoon, knife or spatula. Let the chocolate harden. If perfectly tempered that solidifying should happen within minutes in a 68°F (20°C) workshop. Check that the hardening is present at the same rate throughout the smear. That will give you a good indication that the crystallization you created while tempering is uniform. Look for gloss and snap. Yes, you've heard this before - at least three times in the lectures :o)

At the end of the 20 minutes scrape the chocolate onto a large piece of parchment to harden.

Allow the mass to solidify and store. You can use your chocolate over and over again to temper. It may become slightly more viscous over time but if you have been very careful with not overheating the mass, it will still temper perfectly.

Do not wash your marble slab with soap as it will leave a residue (even with a good rinse) that will flavor your chocolate. Just scrape the slab clean or if you can't stand to put it away stained - then use a cloth with very hot water to melt and release the chocolate residue. Dry thoroughly afterwards.

Regardless of whether you were lucky in producing a great temper the first time, you should practice this technique a few times to make sure you can achieve a temper consistently.

Chocolatier Note: as we mention in the lecture: Technique: Tempering Chocolate by Hand, this is the professional chocolatier's acknowledged best method of achieving the perfect temper. Once you have the "feel" of this technique for the assignment, feel free to incorporate a thermometer into your practice to ensure you have reached the correct temperature at each stage. Refer to the manufacturer's temperature specifications for the particular chocolate you are tempering as the correct temperatures vary slightly from chocolate to chocolate. Even though we all move to tempering machines for optimum commercial production, there will be times when you will rely on hand tempering for smaller batches or decorative products.

Part 2: Practice Tempering by Seeding

For this assignment you will use the seeding method to temper your dark chocolate.

Step 1 - To melt all fatty acid crystals

Weigh the dark chocolate to be tempered and if not in wafer or pistole form, chop into hunks.

Then prepare your "seed" chocolate and set aside:

• Determine what amount of chocolate would be 20% of the mass of chocolate you are planning on tempering. In our example that would be 1000 gm (1 kilo) x 20% = 200 gm.
• Weigh out that 200 gm amount to use as seed. If not in wafer or pistole form, grate into small bits. Set aside.

Melt the 1 kilo of chopped chocolate hunks or pistoles using either the Microwave or Double Boiler (Bain-Marie). For details, refer to the Lecture Working with Chocolateearlier in the program curriculum Table of Contents.

Temperature check - using a thermometer, check that the temperature of the melted chocolate until it is between 104 - 115° F (40 - 46° C). Make sure to stir well before you stick in the thermometer and don't let the temperature creep above 115° F (46° C).

Test 1 - place a small amount (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml) of chocolate on the parchment paper or acetate sheet. Label as Test 1, note the time and allow to stand at room temperature.

Ecole Chocolat Note: Why this test? As you have not yet started the tempering process, this test will show you what happens to chocolate that has been melted to a liquid state and then left to harden without tempering.

Step 2 - Add seed crystals to promote crystallization

Remove the bowl of chocolate from either the microwave or the bain-marie and stir to cool it slightly. Add your seeding chocolate to the melted chocolate.

Stir in the seeding chocolate bits continuously until the desired temperature is reached and they have dissolved completely. Your chocolate should now be tempered.

Temperature check - using a thermometer, check that the temperature of the dark chocolate is now between 88 - 90° F(31 - 32° C).

Test 2 - place a small amount (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml) of chocolate on the parchment paper or acetate sheet next to Test 1. Label as Test 2, note the time and allow to stand at room temperature.

Ecole Chocolat Note: Why this test? If you have been successful with tempering the chocolate, you should see a very different result from Test 1 once the chocolate is hardened.

Periodically you will need to heat the chocolate either in the microwave or in a double boiler with water at a temperature of approximately 88 - 90° F(31 - 32° C) to hold the temperature of the chocolate while you are working. Make sure to stir the tempered chocolate and check the temperature during the time you are using it for enrobing or molding. Refer to the Module 2 lecture:Technique: Tempering Chocolate by Seeding for a more detailed information on this step.

Step 3 - Melt any unwanted crystals and retain temper over a 20 minute period

To complete this assignment, you will need to retain the temper of chocolate mass for a 20 minute period testing your temper periodically. First warm the tempered mass a degree or two to melt any unwanted crystals. As it tries to cool and solidify, the chocolate mass will need to be continuously mixed and kept at a temperature of 88 - 90° F (31- 32 ° C). Refer to the Module 2 lecture: Technique: Tempering Chocolate by Seeding for a more detailed information on this step.

Test 3- after 10 minutes of mixing, place a small amount (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml) of chocolate on the parchment paper or acetate sheet with the other test amounts. Label as Test 3, note the time and allow to stand at room temperature.

Test 4 - at the end of 20 minutes of mixing, place a small amount (approximately 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml) of chocolate on the parchment paper or acetate sheet with the other test amounts. Label as Test 4, note the time and allow to stand at room temperature.

Ecole Chocolat Note: Why these tests? Again, we understand this last 20 minutes of mixing is very boring but if you were enrobing centers or making decorations, you would need to be able to hold the temper for at least that long. These tests will let you know if you were successful - they should each give you similar results to Test 2 (assuming you were successful with tempering).

At the end of the 20 minutes scrape the chocolate onto a large piece of parchment and allow to solidify for storage and to be used again.

The technique of tempering by seeding and using a thermometer to control your temperatures is relatively straight forward so you only have to go through the tempering process once to complete this part of the assignment. We do recommend that you practice the technique a few times to make sure you can temper chocolate consistently using this method.

Complete the Assignment - Report on your findings and observations.

To complete this assignment:

• Whether you were successful in tempering or not, submit the results of your best group of tests, by describing the tests appearance and feel. Also let us know whether your best test was accomplished using the tabliering or seeding method.

In the same report, answer the following questions under a heading of: Lessons Learned.

• What did you think of each of the tempering techniques?
• Was there anything surprising about the techniques?
• Having gone through the experience, do you think it is important for chocolatiers to know how to temper by hand and by seeding - in this age of affordable tempering machines. Why?
• Was there any other lesson you learned from the experience?

Ecole Chocolat Note about this Lessons Learned section. We want your observations on the techniques you just practiced - I've given you some suggested questions to answer but feel free to simply give us your feelings and observations. Take time to think about the processes and results.

Note on your report content: what we are looking for is a concise report on your research or practice coupled with a thoughtful response to our questions. We are grading strictly on content - not how well or how much you write. There is a maximum of 1500 words allowed in the box but we are in no way expecting or want you to fill it.

Click on the "Add Submission" button below to submit your assignment.

When you click on the "Add Submission" button - a text submission box will appear at the bottom of the page. You may have to scroll down to see that. You have a choice of typing your report directly into the box and then clicking the "Save changes" button below it to submit.

OR WE VERY, VERY HIGHLY SUGGEST that you create your assignment report in another editor in your computer and save that.Then copy and paste the text in your saved report into the submission box and click the "Save changes" button to submit. This process makes sure that you have a saved copy of your report in case something happens when you submit.

Confirming your assignment submission and viewing grades:

Once you've submitted your assignment, A message appears that says "Your changes have been saved". Also you will see under the Assignment Due Date a new line that starts with"Last Edited....". That confirms that your assignment has been submitted and when.

Don't forget to be generous and share a copy of this assignment report with your classmates by posting it to the Chef's Table in the appropriate assignment discussion.

Tempering is difficult to master. Some students may report that they did not end up with a perfectly tempered chocolate sample, i.e. a sample that sets up quickly with a satiny finish and hard snap while completing the parts of this assignment. As we say at the beginning of this assignment, we are not concerned whether your tempering session was successful - we want you to be familiar with the process (and what can go wrong). You will want to continue practicing the technique periodically during the course of the program and beyond until you do feel confident with the techniques.

We wait until after the Assignment due date (see below) to start grading the assignments - you can expect to see your grade posted within 10 working days after the due date has passed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tempering

Help! Why am I having problems with this technique?

There are a number of reasons why your tempering isn't successful: 

Air temperature and humidity - if it was warmer or cooler in the room during your practice session then you will have to adjust for the room temperature in how you temper - the amount of seed needed in the seeding method; reduction of the temperature by making the cool water bath or marble slab a little colder; keeping the warm water bath stable when you try to maintain the temper. Too much humidity or too dry a climate also can effect temper.

Your thermometer - as you are checking very minuscule temperature changes from one degree to the next, you need make sure your equipment is used properly and functioning correctly. You will want to take the temperature after stirring the chocolate mass thoroughly (not when it has been sitting for a while as such a thick mass will develop hot and cool spots).

Agitation - did you continually stir the mass throughout the process. If you leave it on the slab or in the bowl without stirring you run the risk of the part of the mass that is up against the cool marble slab solidifying or the chocolate up against the hot bottom of the bowl falling out of temper by becoming too hot. Again since we are talking only differences in one or two degrees, you have to be careful with the process.

Over-tempered or Over-seeded chocolate - As you stir the chocolate mass over time, you create more V-form crystals which makes the chocolate mass thicker until it is hard to work with - even though it is still in temper. To combat this you need to melt some of the excess V-form crystals by either the addition of warm chocolate at 115° F (47° C) or heating the edges of the chocolate mass with a hair dryer or over hot water. Make sure you thoroughly mix in the warmed chocolate into the mass. You need to have the seeding chocolate hot but be careful not to raise the temperature of the whole mass to much - which will throw it out of temper. Testing for the temper periodically is always a good idea.

Too thick a coating - chocolate prefers to cool evenly so a thin coating is resistant to bloom. If your chocolate is too cool and you end up with a thick coating, the outside cools first and looks fine as it sets up - but the inside is still warm which may produce bloom as it cools slowly.

Shocking the chocolate - this can occur when the center you are enrobing is too cold or has moisture on it. It can also occur from the putting the enrobed centers into the fridge too long - where again cold and moisture can form.

Ok, I've finished an unsuccessful tempering session, now what do I do with a mass of untempered chocolate?

You can re-temper the chocolate over and over with the only downside being an increase viscosity, IF (and that is a big IF) in an earlier session you haven't overheated the chocolate to the point of possibly burning and IF you haven't gotten any foreign substance in it such as water, ganache or nut bits. If you think the mass was compromised in any way then start your next tempering session with new chocolate. You can use the compromised mass for recipes such as truffle centers so it isn't wasted.

Once I have finished my work, I let the bowl of tempered chocolate harden for storage - why does it harden with bloom when the chocolate was tempered?

This happens because of the large mass of chocolate - the heat from the center can't dissipate as you aren't agitating it anymore. So it retains the heat and cools slowly. In that process some of the cocoa butter molecules release and rise to the surface. Don't worry if this happens as you are going to have to heat the mass again to either temper it or use it in a recipe - which will mix the cocoa butter back into the mass.

When you remelt untempered chocolate to temper it again, you need to melt all the unstable crystals that were formed and solidified. Heat the mass of untempered chocolate to 115° F (46° C) for dark chocolate and to 110° F (44° C) for milk or white chocolate.

Note that a slight hint of bloom can also happen if you are molding very thick bars, suckers or 3D shapes and don't cool them quickly. The molded side will be fine, shiny and tempered, but the exposed part of the chocolate may have very light rings or speckles - which may or may not be a problem for you. You can overcome this problem by experimenting with using layers of chocolate to fill the mold instead of just one pour.