Step 1

Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.

Step 2

Microwave in short bursts, stirring vigorously between bursts until 75% of the chocolate is melted. The exact amount of time the chocolate needs to be in the microwave will depend on your particular microwave. In my microwave, I do it for a minute at half power, then microwave for thirty more seconds at half power for the next interval.

Step 3

Mix the melted chocolate with the unmelted chocolate already in your bowl until completely smooth.

Step 4

Wait until the chocolate cools slightly before using it. If you have a candy thermometer (recommended), check to make sure it has cooled to 90 F (for dark, semisweet, and bittersweet chocolate) or 86 F (for milk and white chocolate) before using it.