Chocolate
Fat bloom: grey streaky film that smears when rubbed
2 likely causes, sorted by where the problem lives. Work down the list and change one variable at a time.
Likely causes
- techniqueUntempered or de-tempered chocolate.
- environmentWarm storage let the cocoa butter migrate and recrystallise into unstable forms.
What to change
- Re-temper to seed the stable form of cocoa butter crystal.
- Store cool and steady, around 60 to 65 °F (16 to 18 °C).
- Note the diagnostic: fat bloom smears under your thumb. Sugar bloom does not.
Read it with the four domains in mind
FormulaThe recipe itself: ratios, quantities, and ingredient choice.
TechniqueWhat you did: mixing, shaping, timing, handling.
EnvironmentThe room: temperature, humidity, altitude, storage.
EquipmentThe gear: oven calibration, pans, mixer, tools.
Adapted from the master symptom matrices in Environmental Variables & Troubleshooting. General sourcing across these tables: Figoni (2011); Gisslen (2016); Corriher (2008); McGee (2004); Modernist Bread (2017); King Arthur Baking technical guides; BAKERpedia.
Other chocolate symptoms
Sugar bloom: gritty dry surface that does not smear
Streaky, dull, or soft set
Seized into a grainy stiff mass
Too thick to coat
Chocolate & Confectionery · The full troubleshooting method · All 50 symptoms