How to melt chocolate in a water bath

Knowing how to melt chocolate in a water bath, at home you can get not only a shiny, smooth glaze for glazing a cake, donuts or pastries, but also beautiful confectionery figured decorations. And our instructions and useful tips will help you do everything quickly and correctly.

What kind of chocolate is suitable for melting?
How to make a water bath for melting chocolate
Melting rules
How to properly melt chocolate in a water bath so that it is liquid Pure: milky, bitter, white
With cake butter
How to melt with milk

Pastry recipes and secrets

Chocolate glaze for honey cake

How to dissolve chocolate in a fondue bath

What chocolate to melt for cake figures

Is it possible to make a “bath” in a slow cooker?

How to choose chocolate to melt

You can buy any chocolate to melt and then decorate dishes, but there are rules for choosing. Some types are not suitable for a particular case at all. Chocolate bars with the following features are preferred.

Chocolate “Dining”.
No additives: nuts, raisins, jam.
Sufficient amount of cocoa, from 55%.
Porous chocolate is excluded for melting.
Dessert chocolate is not suitable for icings.
Poor quality tiles are also unsuitable.

So the choice of chocolate also depends on the type of dessert: pour over ice cream or prepare strawberries in glaze. The shape can be any, not just tiled.

Mousse recipe

With melted chocolate you can cook whatever your heart desires.

Ingredients:

eggs – 4 pcs.;
sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon;
chocolate – 100 grams.

Mousse preparation technology:

Melt the product in a bathhouse, add the required amount of sugar.
Remove the resulting mass from the stove and beat with four yolks.
Then beat the whites to form a stable and strong foam. Stir into chocolate mixture.
Prepare portioned bowls, glasses, and spread out the mousse. Then you can refrigerate for an hour.

Serve garnished with fruit, whipped cream and a sprig of mint.

How to melt correctly

In order not to spoil the dessert and chocolate, you need to melt it correctly. In liquid form, the mass should be quite thick, shiny and tasty-smelling. The principles for making hot melted chocolate are as follows.

How to make a water bath? Place a small saucepan in a larger one, filled with water to the bottom of the inner container, heat to a boil.
Break the tiles into small pieces and place them in a smaller container.
When melting, do not be distracted from the container, stirring all the time, every 40 seconds.
You should not cover it with a lid, as condensation will get into the mass, which should not be allowed. It will lose thickness and taste.
Add cream or butter, not water.
It is necessary to prevent steam from entering from the lower pan.
It is better to take a spoon made of wood or silicone.
The melting temperature for dark chocolate is 55 degrees C, and for white chocolate – 45. The heat should be extremely low.

The higher the grade of chocolate, the better the dessert will be. To add shine to the cake coating, add butter. The biggest disappointment will arise if the chocolate mass burns. When melting in a water bath, melting occurs slowly, but uniformity and quality are guaranteed. This is a popular way to make tiles liquid.

Melting rules

First of all, during the process it is advisable to control the temperature of the melting product using a pyrometer. This will help avoid overheating. This is especially important for white chocolate, whose melting point is 43-45°C, which is lower than that of dark chocolate (45-50°C). If the thermometer shows that these values are exceeded, then the chocolate mass is removed from the bath and continues to be stirred without heating.

Other rules that must be followed when melting in a “bath”:

Water should not get into the product, otherwise lumps will form in the mass and it will be spoiled. For the same reason, the dishes for the fire must be dry.
Do not forget about constant stirring; do not leave the bath unattended until the very end of the melting process.
It is important to ensure that water from the lower container does not enter the upper one.
You should not cover the melting mass with a lid, as the collected drops of steam will easily fall into it and spoil the result.

You can remove the bowl from the bath as soon as most of the product has melted. The unmelted pieces will disperse on their own in the total mass.

How to make a water bath

A water bath at home is easy to do. To melt chocolate on it, you need two saucepans (or sauté pans). One container must be larger than the other in order to fit the first one. The most suitable container in which chocolate melts well is enameled. The small saucepan should not touch the bottom of the large one.

The following steps explain how to make a water bath.

Pour water into a larger saucepan and bring to a boil.
Place a smaller container with finely broken chocolate in a pan of boiling water. Set the fire to low.
Stir the chocolate as it melts. If necessary, add additives - heavy cream or butter.
Turn off the fire and let it cool to about 36 degrees C.

Now the prepared mass can be used in a brownie pie, for a cake or for frosting fruits. Now we know how to melt chocolate in a water bath.

Recommendations for the melting process - do not overheat the mass, as bitterness may appear in it, and after hardening it will be excessively hard, avoid getting steam or droplets of water into the molten mass.

Oven

If you don’t have a microwave and need to melt the chocolate faster, use the oven: it will take you a maximum of 10 minutes.

Melt the chocolate

You will need a heat-resistant container - a metal or glass bowl, a thick-walled saucepan. Chocolate at room temperature should be broken into small pieces or grated, then placed in a container.

Turn on the oven to a maximum of 60-65 degrees or to low heat, place the container with chocolate on the highest compartment of the oven. After 3-4 minutes, remove the container and mix the chocolate well. 100 grams of chocolate will melt in about 10 minutes, during which time you need to stir it 2-3 times so that the heat spreads more evenly.

Using a slow cooker to melt chocolate

There are various methods of melting, for example using electronic kitchen appliances. How to melt chocolate in a water bath in a slow cooker? Those who have this unit can easily melt the mass in it. More precisely, here the mass melts in a steam bath. But so much the better for chocolate, which will retain its properties from overheating.

We take the following steps.

Break the tile into pieces.
Pour water into the bowl to the minimum level.
Place the pieces in the steamer tray.
On the remote control we set: “steaming”.
Stir occasionally until melted.

The multicooker does everything automatically according to the program; you just need to monitor the process.

Frappe with banana

Ingredients for a delicious drink:

ice cream – 220 grams;
milk – 300 milliliters;
banana – 1-2 pcs.;
white chocolate – 30 grams.

Frappe can be prepared as follows:

Melt white chocolate in the microwave or in a water bath.
Heat the milk and add to the melted sweetness. Continue heating and stirring until they become one.
When the consistency is smooth, pour it into a blender, adding chopped banana and ice cream. Whisk all ingredients thoroughly.

Pour the resulting cocktail into glasses and garnish as desired.

How to melt chocolate in the microwave

The microwave can also be used instead of a water bath to melt chocolate. You will need a glass container that will not heat up very quickly. If the glass bowl gets too hot after a few minutes in the microwave, it could be bad for the chocolate. Therefore, you need to transfer the chocolate mass to another cold bowl and add a few pieces of unmelted chocolate. Mix everything thoroughly.

It is very good when the microwave supports the set temperature function. When melting chocolate, it is better to choose a low temperature so that the mass does not burn. You should periodically remove the container from the oven and stir the mixture. If the microwave does not have a turntable, then you should turn the bowl of chocolate yourself from time to time.

It is quite difficult to say how long it will take to melt chocolate in the microwave. This depends on the amount of cocoa butter in the chocolate, the volume of the chocolate mass and the power of the microwave oven. It takes approximately 3 minutes to make 240 g of chocolate, and in 4 minutes you can melt almost a whole kg. The correct thing to do is remove the chocolate every 30 seconds and mix well. This way you won't miss the right moment. The chocolate mass should be smooth and shiny, and the chocolate pieces should be completely dissolved.

Chocolate chips or pieces are placed in an appropriate container and placed in the microwave. Heating is carried out at a power of 800-1000 W, monitoring the process every 15 s. or more often, so as not to overheat.
Take out the chocolate when almost all the chips are melted.
“Add” the contents until smooth.
Now add cold tempered chocolate and cool to operating temperature.

Useful tips

Before you start melting, consider the following tips:

The product must be at room temperature, otherwise it may become covered with a white coating or separate.
Butter will add shine to the mixture. But cream, butter and other liquids must be warm or hot so that the sweet mixture does not harden after adding them.
Use a kitchen thermometer or pyrometer to monitor the temperature during cooking.
Provide gradual heating. Avoid sudden changes in temperature.
Do not melt bars from different brands or with different cocoa content at the same time.
If there is too much product, divide it into several parts and melt gradually - this will make it easier to control the process and prevent overheating.

Method 1/3+2/3

The method is similar to the combine method, only the process is performed manually.

2/30 of the total mass of chocolate is subject to melting.
Then add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate in bars or coins with constant stirring.
If the chocolate is not melting well (a common occurrence with this tempering method), use an immersion blender and beat the chocolate until completely melted.

The resulting chocolate will be thicker than when tempered on marble and will not be suitable for making sweets or thin-walled products. But it is ideal for creating sculptures or decoration.

Methods regarding how to properly melt chocolate in a water bath will be useful for preparing a wide variety of desserts, simple and complex. The mass will not overheat, which will have a positive effect on its taste. It is not necessary to use chocolate for frosting cakes and making decorations. It will be very tasty just to drink it or dip pieces of fruit. It is also possible to melt the mass using an oven or microwave. Everyone uses their own method, which they like best.

Melting Features

For hot drinks

Lovers of a sweet drink can use regular chocolate bars, bulk confectionery or cocoa powder to prepare it (this option is the most budget-friendly, but the drink will not be as rich and aromatic).

A product without dyes and confectionery fat with a cocoa content of 60-70% is ideal.

For filling the cake and decorating

The frosting for filling the cake can be made from any chocolate, depending on your taste preferences. But dark and bitter ones retain their shine and shape better in desserts.

Couverture is ideal for creating patterns, figures and inscriptions - it is melted in a water bath, and then dessert decor is formed. If it is not possible to use couverture, then it is preferable to use bitter or dark couverture with a cocoa content of 70% or higher to decorate the cake. It must first be tempered - first heated to a temperature of 50 degrees, then quickly cooled to 27 degrees.

For chocolate covered fruits

Almost any type will do, including those containing natural dyes. The best combination with fruit is chocolate that contrasts with the color of the fruit itself. That is, fruits or berries of light shades are decorated with a dark coating and vice versa.

For fondue

The classic options for preparing this dessert are dark or white chocolate. To give the fondue a more delicate and creamy taste, heavy cream is sometimes added in a ratio of 1:1 or ghee with milk in a ratio of 1.5:1 and 1:2, respectively. For flavor, you can add fruit syrup or liqueur to the mixture.

Which chocolate is better?

The easiest way to prepare glaze is to bring the finished chocolate bar to a liquid state. The main thing here is the correct choice of source material. After all, stores often sell sweet bars with minimal cocoa content, but with the presence of chemical and other additives, under the guise of chocolate. When melting such a product, even if you fully comply with the technology, you can get the most unexpected results, not to mention harm to health.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, you need to choose high-quality milk or dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa powder and cocoa butter. In such cases, these ingredients appear in the first lines of the product composition.

It is necessary to avoid confectionery bars saturated with trans fats and sugar. In addition, even from high-quality chocolates, it is better not to take for melting those that contain nuts, raisins and other flavoring additives - unless as an experiment.

It must be taken into account that milk chocolate, when melted, will give the most flexible and manageable glaze. The dark chocolate mixture will harden extremely quickly and give a very dense surface. This is also convenient for molding decorative elements.

If this option does not suit you, add a couple of tablespoons of milk or cream to the chocolate when melting. A small piece of butter will also add softness and shine and prevent the glaze from burning, especially if you grease the bottom of the cooking vessel with it.

Useful recommendations from confectioners

Impeccable chocolate glaze looks very impressive even without additional decor: smooth, shiny, silky, eye-catching. It gives the surface of cakes and other baked goods perfect smoothness. This consistency can be achieved if a number of conditions are met.

Cream and butter must be added if your goal is a glossy shine to the glaze.
During the preparation process, the glaze should not be covered with a lid: droplets of condensation falling from the lid will disrupt the chocolate idyll.
Do not overheat the chocolate, otherwise the icing will be dull, dry, crumbly or lumpy. When melting the tiles, it is better to remove the mass from the heat a little earlier rather than later, even if there are small unmelted pieces in it - they will quickly dissolve with further stirring.
High-quality white chocolate can also be melted and used for enrobing purposes. But you should remember that it is more capricious than usual, so in this case it is better to abandon the stove and use a water bath. It must be remembered that white chocolate glaze hardens very quickly and forms a fragile surface, but the important advantage of this product is its mild taste and the ability to be painted in any color.
If you add pre-soaked gelatin (10 g per 100 g of mass) to a freshly brewed glaze that has not yet cooled down and mix thoroughly, you will get an incomparably shiny, mirror-like coating. Ideally, it should be applied to a frozen surface.

Making liquid chocolate for fondue

Fondue or chocolate fountains can decorate any celebration. The dessert turns out delicious and quite unusual. Making liquid chocolate is not difficult.

Ingredients needed:

chocolate (it is better to choose milk) – 300 g;
cinnamon – 10 g;
cream or full-fat milk – 60 g;
strong brewed coffee – 25 g.

Preparation:

Prepare a water bath.
Send the chocolate to melt.
As soon as the mixture begins to melt, add the remaining ingredients.
At the last moment, sprinkle the chocolate with cinnamon, bring to a smooth mass, remove from heat.

Chefs often add whiskey or strong brandy to fondue chocolate. These drinks give the mass not only interesting flavor notes, but also a special aroma.

There are many ways to melt chocolate. We have presented the most popular and proven recipes. Use our tips, and the chocolate desserts you prepare will turn out delicious and beautiful.

Chocolate glaze is the perfect “coating”

The taste of chocolate goes well with the vast majority of ingredients used in the production of desserts:

nuts;
ice cream;
fruits and berries, including dried;
coconut flakes,
marmalade;
different types of creams;
condensed milk, etc.

With such a variety of options, calling on your design skills to help, you will certainly create an inimitable chocolate miracle even from an ordinary gingerbread.

With milk

Milk-based chocolate glaze is considered the most delicate in taste. To prepare it you will need for one bar of chocolate: a quarter of a glass of milk, a tablespoon of sugar and a little butter to rub the bottom of the dish.

Pour milk into this bowl, add granulated sugar and gradually heat on a not too hot stove for 3-4 minutes until the sugar grains dissolve completely. When this happens, remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in the chocolate melted in the microwave or water bath.

All that remains is to cool the resulting mass and use it for its intended purpose.

With sour cream

The glaze with the addition of sour cream is very plastic, creamy, with a barely noticeable sourness. The fattier the sour cream, the richer the taste, aroma and texture of the finished product.

Take 100 g of 20% sour cream, 100 g of dark chocolate, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 35 g of cow butter.

We will chop the tiles into small pieces in advance. Place the cream and powder in a container, bring to a boil and remove from the stove. Now you need to pour in the chopped chocolate, wait for it to dissolve for three minutes, add the butter and mix well again. Then cool and apply in an even layer to the surface of the confectionery product.

With cream

Creamy chocolate glaze is respected by many culinary masters for the fact that it allows them to achieve the formation of spectacular drips on the surface of the dessert. It is prepared from 80 g of dark chocolate pieces, 40 g of heavy cream and the same amount of butter from them. All this needs to be melted in a water bath, stirring, until completely homogeneous.

We offer to add to your home culinary collection with recipes for chocolate glaze made with cream, butter, milk and sour cream.

With milk

Ingredients:

two bars of dark chocolate;
milk - 7 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

Chop the chocolates into small pieces and pour milk at room temperature.
Place the bowl in a steam bath.
Stirring continuously, completely dissolve the product in the milk.

Place the cake or pastries in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before pouring. Cool the melted glaze for a minute and pour it over the baked goods.

With cream

Components:

cream - 70 ml;
dark chocolate - 200 g;
powdered sugar - 3 tbsp. l.;
liqueur or cognac - 2 tsp.

Preparation:

Chop the chocolate, pour in the cream and melt in a convenient way.
Add powdered sugar and whisk the icing.
At the last stage, pour in the liqueur and stir.

This glaze is perfect for drizzling over a chocolate sponge cake.

With butter

Ingredients:

butter - 80 g;
chocolate - 200 g.

Preparation:

Remove the butter from the refrigerator and wait until it becomes soft.
Mix it with chocolate chips and melt in a “bath”, stirring.

Never add chilled butter to hot or warm chocolate. Heat the products together and try to ensure that their temperature is the same before sending for smelting (18-25°).

With sour cream

Components:

sour cream with a fat content of 20-25% - 100 g;
cow butter - 40 g;
dark chocolate - 150 g;
powdered sugar - 3 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

Mix the cream with sugar and bring to a boil in a water bath.
Melt the chocolate and butter separately from the cream, as in the previous recipe.
When the sweet creamy mass has cooled to 40-43°C, mix it with the melted butter-chocolate mixture.
Cool slightly and you can pour over the cake.

Sour cream frosting can also be made with white chocolate. It is good to pour over cottage cheese pastries, sour cream, cakes with custard or creme brulee.

General tips for choosing chocolate

Before melting chocolate, experts recommend taking into account the rules for choosing products of this type. You need to know the following:

Different types (from white to bitter) can be used to decorate confectionery products. The products must be of high quality; good types are represented by Alenka, Rot Front tiles, etc. Inexpensive products produce a heterogeneous mass with lumps.
It is unacceptable to contain confectionery fats in the tiles.
The optimal concentration of cocoa in chocolate products should be at least 50%.
It is not recommended to use porous products for preparing glaze.
Products filled with crushed nuts, balloons, raisins and other ingredients are not allowed for use in a chocolate fountain or fondue.
Products with coloring substances, aromatic additives (fruit liqueur, coffee, etc.) are not suitable for melting.
It is optimal to use table chocolate for melting; confectioners do not recommend using dessert bars for glazing.
Products with a cocoa butter concentration of 33% or more melt better.
For fountains, it is recommended to buy specialized products with a high concentration of cocoa butter. The mass has a low melting point and, when melted, has a glossy sheen and good spreadability.
It is not recommended to use products in the form of tiles for the fountain, because... this may lead to malfunctions in the unit.
When purchasing tiles, the shelf life of the product is taken into account. High-quality products are stored for no more than 1 year.
The list of components according to the standards does not allow the presence of palm, soy and coconut fats.