Instruction manual
Page 39
Tempering Chocolate
Tempering allows the right crystal structure to form from the cocoa butter
in chocolate, making the texture smooth, shiny and crisp.
Step One: Melt the Chocolate. Set up the Proofer with wire rack in
place and the thermostat at 115F/46C. The water tray may be placed
underneath the rack, but make sure it is completely dry. The entire
Proofer should be dry to prevent the chocolate from seizing.
Place about 3/4 of the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, setting aside the
other 1/4 to use as “seed” chocolate. Your chocolate can be white, milk
or dark, but it should be real chocolate containing cocoa butter, not palm
oil or other non-chocolate fats (candy melts or some brands of white
chocolate should not be used for tempering). It is not necessary to chop
the chocolate, but smaller pieces will melt faster.
Place the bowl on the wire rack in the Proofer and allow the chocolate to
melt slowly and safely. Four ounces (113g) of chocolate will be completely
melted in 60 minutes or less, larger quantities may take longer.
Step Two: Adjust the Proofer Temperature. When the chocolate is
completely melted, remove it from the Proofer and lower the thermostat
to the correct holding temperature, normally about 90F/32C for dark
chocolate or 86F/30C for milk or white chocolate. Leave the top open
briey so the Proofer will cool.
Step Three: Seed the Chocolate. While the Proofer is cooling, add
a piece (or pieces) of the reserved, un-melted chocolate to the bowl to
provide seed crystals for the cooling chocolate. Stir continuously as the
seed chocolate melts, and continue stirring until the temperature of the
chocolate cools to 91F/33C for dark chocolate or 87F/30C for milk or
white chocolate.
To check if the chocolate is tempered, dip a spoon into the melted
chocolate and place in the refrigerator until rm. The chocolate should
be hard and smooth with no streaking. If this test is a success, place
the chocolate back into the Proofer to hold at the right temperature to
maintain the temper. If the chocolate is streaked, the tempering process
may need to be repeated.