CHOCOLATE FAQS —
BEST WAYS TO work with chocolate

DISCOVER some of the best practices & Tips
for working with chocolate - from DALLAS CHOCOLATE CLASSES

CHOCOLATE FAQS

What is the best way to melt chocolate?

Chocolate is very sensitive to high temperatures, and the maximum temperature it can reach without burning or developing off-flavors varies depending on the type of chocolate you are melting. Dark chocolate can withstand slightly higher melting temperatures than milk or white chocolate, which contain more sugar and dairy. As a general rule, the maximum temperature range for dark chocolate is 131°F (55°C) and 110°F (43°C) for milk and white chocolate. It is important to note that chocolate melts in your hand because the cocoa butter it contains melts just below body temperature, a good reminder that you don't need high heat to melt chocolate! It is always better to use low heat and melt the chocolate slowly rather than rushing and trying to melt it over high heat. Never melt chocolate directly in a dry saucepan on the stovetop, as it can quickly overheat and burn, even when set on low heat. Instead, use a double boiler with gently simmering water or a water bath with only hot water. Watch and stir the chocolate often. When about 75% of it has melted, remove it from the heat source and continue stirring it until completely melted, briefly returning it to the heat source as needed. Stirring helps ensure that chocolate melts evenly. Typically, there is enough residual heat in the bowl off the heat to finish melting the chocolate.

Leaving chocolate unattended on a double boiler or in a water bath can lead to overheating. Dark, milk, and white chocolate can reach temperatures up to 190°F (88°C) when not monitored while on these heat sources, which is too hot for it. Although they will not burn when melted in this way, they can develop sour smells and off-flavors at too high a temperature.

Using the microwave to melt chocolate is a convenient and acceptable option, but this is where the chocolate’s temperature can quickly escalate far beyond its maximum temperatures, burning the cocoa solids and the sugars and destroying the chocolate. For melting chocolate in the microwave, use a clean, microwave-safe plastic bowl (glass will work, too, but will retain heat more easily, which is a risk). To melt efficiently, chop the chocolate into evenly sized small pieces. Use short bursts of heat, starting around 30 seconds then decreasing the time each time you place it back in the microwave, and stir each time you remove it. Test the temperature by dabbing a small amount of chocolate on the center spot just below the rim of your bottom lip. Make sure the chocolate does not feel hotter than hot bath water. Or take its exact temperature using an infrared thermometer.

What happens if you get water into your melting chocolate?

One of the biggest lessons you learn when working with chocolate is to never allow even the smallest drop of water to come into contact with melting chocolate; otherwise, the chocolate will seize. Seizing means that the chocolate thickens while you stir, ultimately becoming grainy and taking on a texture that might make you think the chocolate is ruined. Many cookbooks even warn against getting steam near melting chocolate as it can condense onto the sides of the bowl and into the chocolate. Although it is important to keep water away from melting chocolate in some cases—such as when tempering chocolate—there is more to the story. For instance, if just a few accidental drops from a double boiler or water bath make it into your melting chocolate, the chocolate may not seize. I have conducted tests that support this. What’s more, when learning to make chocolate ganaches, you discover that you actually need to add water to melted chocolate. Ganaches are emulsions of chocolate with a liquid (a source of water). Without water, there is no ganache! However, the key is to add the correct amount of water. Too little water may cause the chocolate to seize, but as you continue to add more liquid (aka water source), the mixture transforms into something smooth, creamy, and delightful. This is the science of an emulsion! In sum, water does not ruin chocolate, but water needs to be added in the correct quantity to chocolate for a successful mixture.

So, what should you do if you accidentally introduce water into your melting chocolate and it seizes as you stir it? Simply add more liquid, briskly stirring it until you achieve an emulsion (a smooth and creamy mixture). Once the mixture becomes smooth and creamy, set it aside for another use. You can refrigerate it for a few days or freeze it for long-term storage, using it later for chocolate truffles, cake filling, ganache glaze, or other delicious items, depending on its consistency. There is never a need to throw it away!

How should you melt chocolate on the stovetop?

For stovetop chocolate melting, we typically turn to heated water sources, as the water provides a degree of insulation to make the melting process more gentle. Never place the chocolate directly in a saucepan to melt it, even on a low setting, as it is very easy to burn it when melted in this way. Instead, choose between two options for melting dark, milk, or white chocolate on the stovetop: a double boiler (where one pan sits atop another without touching the simmering water contained in the bottom pan) or a water bath (aka bain marie) in which a bowl of chocolate sits down in a shallow quantity (about 1 inch/3 cm) of hot water. You can purchase a double boiler, designed to insulate the mixture in the top pan from the simmering water below, or simply make your own by placing your chocolate in a bowl (glass or stainless steel) and placing it over a saucepan set over low heat with about 1 inch (3 cm) of barely simmering water. For a water bath, simply make your own by filling a large heatproof pan (such as a rondeau pan) or skillet with about 1 inch (3 cm) of water and placing it over low heat. The water should feel hot when touched with your fingers but not burning. Set the bowl containing the chopped chocolate directly into the water and stir frequently to distribute the heat evenly.

A water bath is a gentler method because the water is much less hot and, therefore, what I prefer because of a lower risk of overheating and because it doesn’t require as much “babysitting” when you’re multitasking in the kitchen (especially when you keep the water temperature at a low setting). For either method, however, make sure you chop the chocolate into small, evenly sized pieces, stir the chocolate frequently, and test the temperature of the chocolate on occasion by dabbing a small amount on the center spot just below the rim of your bottom lip; it should never feel hotter than hot bath water, but it will melt at temperatures even lower than this. When the chocolate is nearly melted, remove it from the heat source and continue stirring until it’s melted, returning to the heat source briefly as needed.

Remember that whichever option you choose, chocolate needs very low heat and frequent stirring. On a double boiler or in a water bath, dark, milk, or white chocolate will not get hot enough to burn the sugar or cocoa solids in the chocolate, but its highest temperature will reach about 190°F (88°C) if left for too long unattended, potentially altering the flavor of the chocolate.

How should you melt chocolate in the microwave?

A microwave is a perfectly acceptable method for melting small amounts of dark, milk, or white chocolate. Use a microwave-safe bowl, preferably a dedicated plastic bowl, because it is less likely to retain as much heat as a glass bowl. Each microwave has different power levels. You can set the power level on your microwave to low or half power if you like, but it is unnecessary if you are watching the chocolate closely and stirring it frequently. Just remember to heat the chocolate in short durations, such as 15 to 20 seconds at a time.

Remove the bowl and stir the chocolate at the end of each duration to ensure it heats evenly and is not overheating. It is best to melt the chocolate only halfway and finish melting it outside of the microwave using the residual heat in the bowl to finish melting it. Chocolates are formulated differently and therefore each one will melt more or less quickly than the other, so it’s best to be conservative and go slowly to ensure the chocolate doesn’t overheat. Chocolate tends to hold its shape when it is heated but not stirred, even when it’s getting very hot, so be sure to stir it frequently to keep track of how quickly it is melting. Milk chocolate and white chocolate melt at lower temperatures and are more temperature-sensitive, so be especially careful when melting them in the microwave.

Can couverture chocolate be used for baking?

Yes, it can. Couverture chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa butter (cacao’s natural fat) than lower quality baking chocolates and some eating bars. What you have to remember is that each chocolate is its own little “package” of ingredients, offering fat, carbohydrate (sweeteners), and dry solids to your mixture. Recipes for layer cakes, sponge cakes, mousses, ganaches, and other baked items can be formulated to work with couverture chocolates if you take its ingredients and performance into consideration. Couverture chocolate is typically more expensive than noncouverture chocolate, but often the flavor and textures it offers are worth the few extra dollars, in most cases. It’s a matter of economics when you consider the cost of your ingredients versus what your baked good is intended for and what you want to achieve with it. Once a baked item is formulated for a specific chocolate, I recommends always using that same chocolate for that baked item to ensure consistent results.

Does couverture chocolate need to be tempered?

Yes, it does. Couverture (meaning to “coat” or “cover”) chocolate has a high percentage of cocoa butter, the natural vegetable fat from cacao (Its ideal application is for enrobing or molding because the additional fat makes it more fluid.) Cocoa butter is crystalline, containing several crystal forms that melt at different temperatures (referred to as “polymorphic”). In order to get the crystal forms to set properly after being melted, the chocolate must be tempered, which is a process of controlling the heating and cooling temperatures until certain crystal forms are present, causing the chocolate to harden properly with a shine and snap. Just melting the chocolate without paying attention to the process of tempering will result in “fat bloom,” and the chocolate will be more unstable with an undesirable texture and appearance.

Is white chocolate “real” chocolate?

Yes, it is! Why? Because the FDA has a legal definition of the product called “white chocolate.” To be labeled “white chocolate,” the product has certain minimum requirements it must meet (just like “sweet” and “milk” chocolates). White chocolate gets a bum rap because there are many low-quality off-the-shelf bulk confections that are available that resemble white chocolate but are not. These products are often overly sweet, chalky, and/or pasty in texture and do not contain flavorful dairy products that make them interesting. A real white chocolate (made by a good chocolate maker who pays close attention to quality and processes) can be delicious, with a buttery creaminess, balanced milky sweetness, and distinct flavor of cocoa butter. It’s quite satisfying when you have a craving for something sweeter! To learn more about the FDA’s definition of white chocolate read here.

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