Intro:
Hello! My name is Maggie Nielson. I am writing this blog post to share a bit about chocolate, the science behind it, the ways it is used, and even how to use it. This is quite a lengthy post, but it contains a lot of the information that was given to me while I attended baking and patisserie school in Denmark.
Knowing how to work with chocolate is essential in most Danish bakeries. Luckily, in today's world, many easy-to-work-with chocolates have been created to help people not have to put so much work and time into it. However, every professional Danish baker/pastry chef must learn and practice the things mentioned in this post.
As for me, yes, I have practiced and learned about all of the things that will follow. But, do not be fooled, I do not know nearly as much as many others and I have only been a going to Danish baking school and working in Danish bakeries for a couple of years now. I never knew baking would be an interest of mine, but it is. And more than that, I want more than anything to share the knowledge I accumulate with other people around the world. So, please enjoy this blog post!
*Disclosure: The majority of this information comes from experience and an education performed in Denmark; there may be some techniques and methods that are performed differently in other parts of the world. There may also be errors as this blog post is written and proofed by human beings and is subject to flaw.
Feel free to ask questions and/or mention mistakes or suggestions via email or comment!
100% Real Chocolate:
- ¨Real¨ chocolate, in this case, is defined as chocolate made using cocoa mass as well as cocoa butter.
It consists of:
Cocoa mass
Cocoa butter
Sugar
Vanilla
Emulisfier (that which binds it all together so the fat doesn't separate from the rest)
Not Real Chocolate:
- ¨Not real¨ chocolate, in this case is defined as chocolate that is made with cocoa powder and non-cocoa sourced fat.
It consists of:
What is left over from chocolate production
Cocoa powder
Sugar
Vegetable fats
Emulsifier
The 3 Main Types of Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Ingredients:
Cocoa mass
Cocoa butter
Sugar
Emulsifier
* Sometimes Vanilla
Milk Chocolate Ingredients:
Cocoa mass
Cocoa butter
Sugar
Milk powder
Emulsifier
Vanilla
White Chocolate Ingredients:
Cocoa butter
Sugar
Milk powder
Emulsifier
Vanilla
Other Types of Chocolate
Cocoa Powder:
- Cocoa powder is essentially just a low fat cocoa mass that has been ground into a fine powder.
- It is commonly used in many chocolate flavored products as a cheaper substitute for cocoa mass or ¨real¨ chocolate.
- Some cocoa powder has sweetener included into it to make it less bitter.
- Cocoa powder is also easier to add to liquids to make syrups and drinks, since it does not separate as easily as other chocolate, due to its low fat content and the fact that it has been pulverized.
Coating Chocolate:
- There are chocolate products made just for coating cakes, desserts and other sweet treats. These products are typically referred to as coating chocolate.
- Coating chocolate can be made with real chocolate that is modified or can be made with just cocoa powder and other ingredients.
-Often times, coating chocolate also has various nuts or colors (if it is white chocolate) added to it for more variation.
Cocoa Powder Based Coating Chocolate:
- Coating chocolate that is made of cocoa powder typically also has a different fat, which is palm oil.
- The coating chocolate still has the ability to set up and is much easier to use because it does not need to be tempered to be used and can simply be melted and then used however you would like.
-Just keep in mind that is may be more inconsistent when it comes to the finished look of it. I would still recommend not letting it get too hot as this can result in a fat bloom-like look.
- The flavor of the chocolate will be quite different from tempering chocolate since it is cocoa powder based; many say it has a similar flavor to hot chocolate.
- This chocolate is typically the cheapest type of chocolate you can buy and is commonly used when making candy bars.
Ingredients:
Dark Chocolate Coating:
- Cocoa powder, vegetable fat, and sugar.
Milk Chocoalte Coating:
- Cocoa powder, vegetable fat, milk powder, and sugar.
White Chocolate Coating:
- Vegetable fat, milk powder, and sugar.
Real Chocolate Based Coating Chocolate:
- Coating chocolate that is made with real chocolate is actually quite easy to make at home and can be performed in a few different ways.
- There are typically two basic categories for these: tempered coating chocolate and non-tempered coating chocolate.
Tempered coating chocolate is made the same as normal tempered chocolate, but you add a higher amount of cocoa butter to the tempered chocolate.
- It is important to remember that cocoa butter melts at 35 *C (95 *F), so the microwave method of tempering will not easily work when doing this.
- The additional cocoa butter will make the tempered chocolate thinner and thus be cheaper to use than just regualr tempered chocolate.
- While it is cheaper, it is still the most expensive of the coating chocolates.
Non-Tempered coating chocolate is quite simple to make, but does need to be stored in a cool place in order to not melt after it has set up.
- To do this you simply add a neutral flavored oil (I recommend sunflower oil) to your chocolate and heat it up to around 45 *C (113 *F), while mixing it throughly throughout the heating process. From there, the chocolate is ready to use however you like as a coating.
How Chocolate Is Made
Chocolate Production:
- Chocolate comes from the cocoa fruit.
- The fruit contains seeds.
- The seeds are fermented and then dried to create what we know as the cocoa bean.
- The beans are cleaned, roasted (between 100-150 *C), then crushed into a finely ground mass.
- This mass then is used for two things:
1. The mass is pressed to extract fat called cocoa butter.
- What is left from being pressed is like a puck and it is ground up to make cocoa powder (it only contains 22-24% fat).
2. The mass is mixed with sugar, if ground down very fine, and used for chocolate production.
- To make various types of chocolate, other things can also added: lecithin, vanilla, milk powder, and cocoa butter.
- A mixing, griding, and heating machine is used to make the chocolate as smooth and uniform as possible, as well as to temper it. This is machine is called a conche.
- The chocolate is then packaged and stored.
The Numbers on Chocolate:
- When you buy chocolate, there is a percentage number on it; that is the percentage of cocoa components in it. The remaining percentage is filled with sugar, lecithin, vanilla, and or flavors.
85% dark chocolate is not necessarily more bitter than 70% dark chocolate.
- The amount of fat (cocoa butter) is what decides how bitter chocolate is.
Example 1:
a. 70% Dark Chocolate
- 20% cocoa butter
- 50% cocoa mass
- 30% sugar
VS
b. 85% Dark Chocolate
- 50% cocoa butter
- 35% cocoa mass
- 15% sugar
Result: Chocolate a. with 70% Dark chocolate is more bitter because it has a higher percentage of cocoa mass and a lower percentage of fat (cocoa butter) than chocolate b. Yes, there is more sugar, but the bitterness of the chocolate really comes down to the amount of fat in the chocolate, not the amount of sugar.
Example 2:
a. 85% Dark Chocolate:
- 50% cocoa butter
- 35% cocoa mass
- 15% sugar
VS.
b. 85% Dark Chocolate
- 35% cocoa butter
- 50% cocoa mass
- 15% sugar
Result: chocolate b. is more bitter due to the lower percentage of fat (cocoa butter) and higher percentage of cocoa mass.
Chemical Composition of Chocolate:
50.1 % - Fat (cocoa butter)
18.6 % - Carbohydrates (aka energy)
12.1 % - Protein
6.1 % - Starch
4.8 % - Water
3.3 % - Ash
2.6 % - Cellulose (shell)
2 % - Theobromine (an aromatic substance)
0.4 % - Caffeine
Tempering Chocolate
Tip: Whenever you are tempering chocolate, always have about 10% more chocolate ready to use than you plan on using; this can be very helpful when you are trying to get the temperature down to the tempering temperature but it is not quite there when you anticipated.
Why Chocolate Tempers:
- What causes a chocolate to be tempered is the formation of Beta crystals all throughout the chocolate.
- Beta crystals: triglyceride that interlock and result in a more heat resistant chocolate.
- Beta crystals melt at 35 *C or 95 *F. Once they are melted, they are (more or less) ruined and cannot be recreated without the addition of more beta crystals.
*There is a temperature where beta crystals form, but it is only in the tabling method that will be explained later on.
There are 3 well known methods for tempering chocolate: Microwave, seeding, and tabling.
Tempering Temperatures
Dark Chocolate:
31 - 33 *C or 87.8 - 91.4 *F
Milk Chocolate:
29 - 30 *C or 84.2 - 86 *F
White Chocolate:
27 - 29 *C or 80.6 - 84.2 *F
Microwave Method:
- The fastest way to temper chocolate.
1. Cut the chocolate into small pieces (if you are using a bar, otherwise, using small drops are fine).
2. Place the chocolate pieces in a plastic bowl that is microwavable.
3. In intervals of 10-15 seconds, heat the chocolate, stirring with a rubber spatual in between.
4. Continue this until the chocolate is mostly melted and it is just slightly clumpy.
5. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the chocolate to make sure it never gets above 35 *C (95 *F) and ruins the beta crystals.
6. If the chocolate is below the tempering temperature, put it in the microwave for up to 5 seconds at a time.
7. Stir it while also checking that the temperature never exceeds 35 *C (95 *F) to ensure that the beta crystals do not get destoryed.
8. When it is completely smooth and is at the tempering temperature, listed above, it is ready to be tested for being tempered and is ready to use.
Seeding Method:
- The most time convenient and consistent way to temper chocolate.
* I recommend doing this method in a metal bowl.
1. Cut the chocolate into small pieces (if you are using a bar, otherwise, using small drops are fine).
2. Using a water bath (aka bain-marie) or a microwave, heat/melt 80% of the amount of chocolate you are using to about 40-45 *C (104 -113 *F).
3. Removing the bowl of chocolate from any heat, add the majority of the 20% of chocolate pieces you reserved to the melted chocolate and stir together thoroughly.
4. Continue to stir until the chocolate is completely smooth, then check the temperature.
5. If the temperature is still above 35 *C (95 *F), add a bit more chocolate pieces and continue to stir until the chocolate is completly smooth.
* If the melted chocolate is below 35 *C (95 *F) and you add more chocolate pieces, the chocolate pieces will not melt fully and you will have lumpy tempered chocolate.
6. If the chocolate is below 35 *C (95 *F), do not add any more chocolate but just continue to mix it well while checking the tempereature until it reaches the tempering temperature as listed above.
7. Now you can check to see if the chocolate is tempered and use the tempered chocolate.
*8. You can also set the bowl of chocolate next to a heat lamp, heat it periodically with a heat gun, or put it into a bath of water that is between your tempering temperature to help it stay tempered for longer.
Tabling Method:
- The most difficult way to temper chocolate.
*This is typically performed on a granite or metal countertop
1. Cut the chocolate into small pieces (if you are using a bar, otherwise, using small drops are fine).
2. Using a water bath (aka: bain-marie) or a microwave, heat/melt the chocolate you are using to about 40-45 *C (104 -113 *F).
3. On a granite countertop, pour 65% of the melted chocolate onto the countertop and work it back and forth with a metal spatuala (spreading it out thin, then pushing it into a pile from side to side).
4. Continue to work it until the chocolate reaches 27-28 *C (80.6-82.4 *F).
*At this temperature, the beta crystals begin to form.
5. Add the remaining 35% of the melted chocolate to the chocolate on the countertop and work it all thoroughly together.
6. Check to see if the chocolate is at the tempering temperature, perform a tempering test, then use the chocolate.
* 7. At this point, you can also pour the chocolate into a metal bowl and place it next to a heat lamp, heat it periodically with a heat gun, or put it into a bath of water that is between your tempering temperature to help it stay tempered for longer.
Tempered Chocolate Test
When you believe you have tempered your chocolate, there are ways to test to see if it is tempered.
1. You can pour a blob or line of chocolate on a piece of parchment paper that is placed on your counter top.
2. You can pour a blob or line of chocolate onto a metal spalula.
3. You can pour a blob or line of chocolate onto your counter top, if it is metal or granite.
Tempered chocolate will set up within a matter or minutes.
After about a minute or so, you can usually see and/or feel if the chocolate is tempered.
The characteristics of tempered chocolate are:
- It can easily be removed from any surface.
- It will not melt quickly when touched by your hand.
- It is shiny
- It snaps when broken or bitten into
- It shrinks by 5% when it is set up.
The characteristics of not tempered chocolate are:
- It melts instantly when touched with your hand.
- It sticks to surfaces and cannot be easily removed without breaking into pieces or needing to be scraped off.
- It may have visible grey-ish or white-ish streaks on the surface of it.
- It may have white-ish or grey-ish dots on the surface of it.
- It has a mat/dull finish.
- It does not snap when broken but usually has a soft break
- It does not shrink.
*Many American chocolate bars use non-tempered chocolate.
Damage to Chocolate:
As mentioned above, chocolate that has not been tempered properly may have white or grey streaks or dots; these have names and are caused by different reasons.
Sugar Bloom:
What is it?
- The sugar in the chocolate crystalizes.
- When the chocolate comes into contact with any sort of humidity or water, the sugar will begin to dissolve and it will leave markings.
What does it look like?
- The look is grey and rough with matted and dusty looking markings.
How do you know?
- If you are unsure if the chocolate has experienced sugar bloom, simply put some water on the surface of the set chocolate and watch what happens. - Tempered chocolate will not react to water and it will act as a non-stick-type surface (the water droplets will stay whole and simply stay on the chocolates surface).
Why does it happen?
- Sugar bloom occurs due to temperature fluctuations.
- This can happen even after the chocolate has been properly tempered, during storage.
Example:
- If you store chocolate in the fridge, sugar bloom often will happen due to the temperature fluctuations from going in and out of the fridge. A standard fridge also has a large amount of humidity/condensation which makes it especially a bad place to store chocolate.
* The solution would be to store the chocolate in a place that is dry and the temperature does not fluctuate very much.
Fat Bloom:
What is it?
- The fat in the chocolate separates from the rest of the chocolate, this happens when you are heating it up.
What does it look like?
-Grey/white stripes or streaks.
Why does it happen?
- Fat bloom occurs due to poor tempering and typically happens when the chocolate cools down to tempering temperature too slowly. - When tempering chocolate, it should not take more than a couple of minutes (when you begin to start cooling it down after heating it up) before the chocolate reaches the correct tempering temperature.
Example:
- If you use the seeding method to temper your chocolate and need a little bit more than the 20% of chocolate you planned on using to cool it down to the correct temperature. More detailed example: You plan to temper 1000g of chocolate. You take 800g and melt it to 45 *C. Thereafter, you add the remaining 20% of chocolate and within 2 minutes the chocolate is smooth but is only down to 38 *C. You do not have any more chocolate to add to the melted chocolate, so you just continue to stir the chocolate away from any heat. It takes an additional 10 minutes for the chocolate to get down to the correct tempering temperature. This will often cause fat bloom and the chocolate will not be tempered.
*The solution to this problem would be to make sure you always have 10% more chocolate than you plan on and be ready to add more... In the case that you have added the remaining 20% chocolate you have, the chocolate becomes smooth, but the temperature is still above 35 *C, you should add a little bit more chocolate and stir until the chocolate is smooth and the temperature is below 35 *C. Once the melted chocolate is below 35 *C, that is when you must not add any more chocolate and just continue to mix it until it reaches the correct tempering temperature.
Once again, feel free to type a comment or send a message with any questions or concerns! Chocolate is just one of the many things I have had the priveledge of learning about in Danish baking and patisserie school. I look forward to being able to share more knowledge as time moves forward!
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