Blooming gelatin

Culinary school texts give a simple rule for powdered gelatin: bloom it in cool water first, then warm it to dissolve the granules before adding it to the stock or other mixture. Gelatin comes as powder or as sheets, also called leaves, and both are dissolved in cold water before use and then added to a cold or simmering liquid.

Skipping the soak makes powdered gelatin clump, so the cool-water step comes first. Once dissolved, the gelatin begins to gel as the mixture cools, around 100 degrees F (40 degrees C), and it will not melt again until it reaches about 185 degrees F (85 degrees C).

A general guide is about 1 percent gelatin in the finished mixture. Many bakers favor leaf gelatin because its strength is more reliable. Bloomed gelatin is used for mousses, panna cotta, and other chilled desserts.