Working with Chocolate Baure
Melting Chocolate
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Chocolate has to be melted at bain-marie. This method allows chocolate to slowly get to the right temperature and avoid being overheated.
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To melt it uniformly, chocolate has to be chunked into small parts to allow the temperature uniformly melt every piece.
As chocolate is incompatible with water and humidity, have in mind that steam or water must, under no circumstances be in contact with the chocolate. If it does, the chocolate will be damaged.
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Tempering Chocolate
Real chocolate needs to be tempered before working with it.
The tempering process is a temperature shock where chocolate is subjected to a higher temperature which will allow cacao butter crystals to completely melt (separately) and later to be regrouped under a lower temperature.
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Melting in bain-marie chocolate has to raise its temperature uniformly until 45ºC (113ºF). Once the temperature is achieved, pour 3/4s of the liquid chocolate at a clean and dry stone table or at any cold and dry surface and keep the rest of the chocolate warm in the original bowl.
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The poured chocolate must be mixed in a homogeneous way cooling it down to 28ºC / 29ºC, depending on dark or milk chocolate respectively. Straight after achieving this temperature, the warm chocolate has to be blended with the cool chocolate and both parts must be mixed together, again, homogeneously until the whole chocolate gets to 32ºC.
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Thanks to the described process you will enjoy a glossy and consistent final product featured by the characteristic snap.
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It is also possible to temper chocolate using a Microwave.
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