Step Two: Melting the Chocolate

Once you have have 75 percent of the chopped chocolate in the glass bowl, you have two options for melting: microwave or double boiler.

Microwave Method
This is my preferred method of melting chocolate, because it is practical and time efficient. Place the glass bowl in the microwave and heat at 60-second intervals with the power set on medium (50 percent). Keep in mind that microwaves vary in power from brand to brand, so pick a power level that is roughly half of full power. The amount of time you will need to melt the chocolate will depend on the strength of your microwave and the amount of chocolate in the bowl. Open the microwave door and stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula between each 60- second heating
Heat the chocolate to between 115 F and 120 F (46 C and 49 C). As soon as the chocolate has reached the proper temperature range, remove it from the microwave. Be careful not to overheat it; you do not want to burn the chocolate. At this point the melted chocolate should be fairly smooth with few, if any, lumps. Stir the melted chocolate very well and set the bowl aside for about 10 minutes. If you do overheat the chocolate and it burns, you will need to throw that batch away and start over. You will be able to tell the chocolate has burned by its scorched smell!

Double-Boiler Method
This method seem to be preferred by most home bakers as it offers a bit more control over temperature fluctuations. I rarely use a double boiler when tempering chocolate, as i do not like to have hot water around when working with chocolate - it increased the chances of accidentally mixing water or steam into the melting chocolate. As i have said before, water is the enemy of chocolate. The addition of water in the form of steam at this stage of the tempering process will cause the chocolate to seize. You will know this has happened if the melted chocolate goes from smooth to grainy and stiff within seconds. If this happens, you will need to start over with a clean, dry bowl and fresh chocolate. The size of the glass bowl holding the chopped chocolate will dictate what size saucepot to use as the bottom part of the double boiler. Use a saucepot whose lip comes about halfway up the side of the glass bowl and allows the glass bowl to sit suspended, without its bottom touching the water in the pot.

Fill the saucepot with enough water to create heat and steam, yet not enough to touch the bottom of the glass bowl. Bring the water to a rolling boil, uncovered. Remove the saucepot from the stovetop and set it on the counter or another heatproof surface. Place the glass bowl of chopped chocolate on top of the steaming water and let sit. The indirect heat of the steam will melt the chocolate. Stir the chocolate occasionally as it melts. If the water cools down too much, set the glass bowl aside and reheat the wate before proceeding. Melt the chocolate until it registers a temperature between 115F  and 120F (46C and 49C) as specified in the microwave method section and set the bowl aside for 10 minutes.