Tempering Chocolate - Melting

Melt - Pour - Scrape - Mush - Return - Stir - Heat - Test

Step 1: Completely untemper the chocolate by melting to 125-130 degrees. A warming box at 120-125 for a day is sufficient, otherwise 130 degrees is a more useful number. You can use a double boiler or a microwave for melting. If using a microwave zap for fifteen seconds at a time, stirring between each time. When you are down to small lumps stop microwaving and just stir until it melts completely.

If using a double boiler I find that having the water touching the bottom of the pan is easier to control that using a small amount of water as they often call for. I have a burner and my water frequently boils. In this case you are using very hot steam to melt your chocolate and the temperature rises very quickly. Be careful to keep steam and water from getting in your chocolate. It can cause it to seize up or stiffen. (If that happens make fudge.)

Set the pot of liquid chocolate over a bowl (touching) of 70 degree water and stir until the temperature goes down to 94 degrees.

Melted cocoa butter being cooled.