Bean To Bar Dark Chocolate Recipe and Formula

Dark Bean-To-Bar Chocolate Recipe & Formula

This is a simple straightforward recipe for any single-origin or blend bean-to-bar dark chocolate. This recipe is intended for small counter-top refiners.

I include a simple formula to use as well to determine how much sugar you need to achieve the percentage you wish to produce.

Ingredients

Cocoa Nibs

Dry Crystalline Sugar

Directions

Step 1

**WARM UP REFINER & COCOA NIBS**
Ensure the shells have been removed from your cocoa beans.
Warm your nibs in the oven at the lowest temperature or in a warmer. They should be warm to the touch.
Warm the metal and stone parts of your refiner using a heat gun/hair dryer or as per the manufacturers instructions.
**Always follow the instructions of the refiner’s manufacturer.**

Step 2

**ADD COCOA NIBS**
Always add the nibs in small portions to start. Add the nibs in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of warm nibs at a time.
Add another portion every 5-10 minutes.
As the nibs start to form a paste, you can add more. Continue to add the same amount until about 1-2” of paste forms on the bottom. Then, you may start to add more nibs at a time.
As the mass grows and liquifies, you can add more nibs. If the machine strains when you add nibs, allow more time for the nibs to release fat before adding more.

Step 3

**REFINE A FEW HOURS**
Once all the nibs are added, allow the mixture to refine for at least a few hours, or 6-12 before adding the sugar ideally. This will allow more fat to release which will help coat the sugar and put less strain on the refiner gears.

Step 4

**ADD SUGAR**
Add sugar in4-5 portions at a time, allowing the mixture to mix for 20-30 minutes in between each addition. This will put less strain on the machine.

Step 5

**REFINE FOR 24-72 HOURS**
If you are making a few kilos of chocolate (including nibs and sugar) then you should refine from 48-72 hours if you wish to have a very smooth texture. Less time will result in a less refined texture. If only refining 1 kilo or less, then 24-48 hours should suffice.
The time depends really on your personal preference for the flavour and for the texture.
**Be sure to read the instructions in the manual of your refiner to ensure you don’t leave it on for longer than suggested.**

Step 6

**STRAIN**
When the chocolate reaches it’s ideal flavour profile and texture, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh metal strainer and into a metal bowl or hotel pan.

Step 7

**ALLOW TO SET**
Allow the chocolate to set. It can set in the container it was strained through. You may also pour it into a tray lined with parchment and allow it to set this way. This would allow the chocolate to be more manageable later when breaking it apart to use and/or temper.

Step 8

**Learn More**
If you would like more detail into making your own bean-to-bar dark chocolate, check out the Chocolate Making 101 page.

Formula To Determine Percentage

Normally, one will have a specific amount of nibs and your goal is to make a certain percentage of chocolate, such as 72%. Remember that the percentage on a chocolate bar reflects the percentage of cocoa nib within the recipe. Therefore, one will need to know how much sugar to add in order to reach the percentage desired.

If your nibs are a round number, or you don’t mind fiddling on your calculator, you can easily figure this out. However, normally the nibs are a very random number, and you have a very specific percentage in mind. So how does one quickly figure out how much sugar is needed? Follow these steps.

1. determine what the final weight will be.

Below is the simple formula you will use in the first step when you decide on a percentage.

In the top left, you enter the percentage of dark chocolate you wish to create divided by 100. In the top right of the equation, you enter the amount of nibs in grams you have that you wish to use. It can be 430g as in this example, or it can be 728g, or 3422g, or… well you get my point.

So here, we are trying to achieve a 72% dark chocolate, and we have 430 grams of cocoa nibs. “X” is going to be the final weight of the total chocolate. We need to determine X before we can figure out how much sugar we will require.

Cross multiply these.

After we cross multiply, we end up with the percentage and “X” on one side of the equation, and your amount of nibs multiplied by the 100.

Now we need to solve for X. Therefore, divide both sides by the percentage amount. In this case it is 72. If you were making 65% dark chocolate, you would be dividing both sides by 65.

Now you have X on it’s own, and the total weight of the chocolate. In this case, you will have 597g of chocolate if we wish to turn our 430 grams of nibs into 72% dark chocolate.

So how much sugar do we need? See step 2.

2. Determine how much sugar you will need.

Now, all you have to do is subtract the answer from above (X) by the total weight of your nibs. In this case, you simply subtract 597-430 which equals 167. Therefore, you will need 167 grams of sugar to add to your 430 grams of nibs if you wish to create a 72% dark chocolate.

Now you can check this just to be sure. Divide 430 by 597 which will equal 72%. Remember, the percentage on the bar is a reflection of how much cocoa bean there is in relation to all the other ingredients (in this case, only sugar).

Bean To Bar MakingGeosephJanuary 8, 2023champagne, alcohol, ganache, soft ganache