A step-by-step guide to making traditional delicious soft cheese at home. This recipe uses whole unhomogenized milk and culturing agents and rennet from a cheese-making kit. The finished product yields approximately 1 kilogram (35 ounces) of fresh soft cheese, with optional flavoring variations.
Cheese culture starterIn ice cube form, or 1/8 teaspoon powder form added directly to milk2
Rennet powderVegetarian rennet1 tsp
Cheese salt1 tsp
Dried chives2 tsp
PaprikaOptional, for flavor variation½ tsp
Chili powderOptional, for flavor variation½ tsp
Garlic granulesOptional, for flavor variation½ tsp
Steps
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1
Sterilize all cheese-making equipment using boiling water.
2
Pour 4 liters of whole unhomogenized milk into the sterilized pot, cover with a lid, and clip a thermometer to the side of the pot.
3
Heat the milk to 90°C (195°F) over medium heat, stirring occasionally, which takes approximately 20 minutes. Once heated, turn off the heat and stir gently.
4
Cool the milk as quickly as possible by placing the pot in a sink of cold water and adding a jug of ice cubes. Cool the milk to approximately 20-22°C (68-70°F), which takes about 30 minutes.
5
Once the milk has cooled to room temperature, add two cheese culture ice cubes to the milk (or 1/8 teaspoon powder directly), and stir gently until the ice cubes have melted.
6
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of rennet powder over the surface of the milk and stir gently and slowly for about 30 seconds. This will help the milk set and form cheese curds.
7
Let the milk sit at room temperature for 24 hours to allow the culture and rennet to fully set the milk into curds.
8
After 24 hours, check that the milk has set. Prepare a large bowl, place a colander inside it, and line the colander with clean sterilized cheesecloth.
9
Slowly spoon all of the curds and whey into the cheesecloth-lined colander.
10
Gather the four corners of the cheesecloth together and tie them off to form a hanging bag for draining.
11
Hang the tied cheesecloth in a place where it won't be disturbed (for example, using a kitchen stand and wooden spoon). Ensure the bowl for collecting whey is large enough. Let it drain for 24 hours.
12
After 24 hours, transfer the drained cheese to a clean bowl, untie the cheesecloth, and lay it out.
13
Use a spatula to thoroughly mix the cheese into a smooth, creamy soft cheese texture.
14
Season with cheese salt to taste, starting with 1 teaspoon. Add gradually in small amounts and taste, as you can always add more but cannot remove it.
15
Add 2 teaspoons of dried chives to the cheese and mix well.
16
Divide the cheese among five 200-gram ramekins for a total of approximately 1 kilogram. Sprinkle chives on top for garnish as desired.
17
Optional: Mix remaining cheese with 0.5 teaspoon each of paprika, chili powder, and garlic granules for flavor variations. Fill two additional ramekins with this mixture and sprinkle paprika on top.
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