Mozzarella (Cultured)

CULTURED MOZZARELLA

(from Tim Smith’s Making Artisan Cheese)

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon (3.8 L) milk (you can use low-fat or skim, but the flavor is best when made with whole milk)
8 ounces (220 g) thermophilic mother culture, or 1/8  teaspoon (about 1 ml) direct-set thermophilic culture
½ teaspoon (about 3 ml) liquid rennet or
¼ tablet dry rennet dissolved in ¼ cup (60 ml) cold water
Brine solution

PROCEDURE

1. Heat the milk to 90°F (33°C), then add the starter culture. Let the milk ripen for forty-five minutes.

2. Add the rennet to the milk, and stir for five minutes. Let the milk sit at the target temperature (90°F [33°C]) for one hour. Insert a curd knife, and make one cut through the curds to check for a clean break. Once you have a clean break, cut the curds into ½" (about 1 cm) cubes.

3. Reheat the milk to 90°F (33°C), and maintain this temperature for thirty minutes. Next, slowly raise the temperature to 105°F (41°C); this will take thirty minutes. Once you reach the target temperature, allow the curds to cook for another five to ten minutes.

4. Drain off the whey by pouring the mixture though a cheese cloth–lined colander with a catch bowl underneath. Place the curds into a double boiler; the water in the bottom pot needs to be at a constant 105°F (41°C). You will have to drain off some additional whey periodically as the curds continue to cook. As the curds are heated at the bottom of the double boiler, additional whey will continue to be expelled from the curds. Periodically drain off the whey. Cook the curds at 105°F (41°C) for two to three hours, flipping them occasionally so that they are evenly heated. They will form a paste at the bottom of the pan. After two hours, test the pH of the curds; it should be in the range of 5.0 to 5.3. If it is not in this range, the curds need to be cooked a little longer.

5. Once you achieve the proper pH, cut the curd mass into ½" (about 1 cm) cubes, drain off any excess whey, and place the curds into 4 cups (450 ml) of water that is heated to 170°F (77°C). Using wooden spoons, work the curds into balls by pressing them together. Once you have a ball the size you want (typically, about the size of a tangerine), take it out and work it with your hands, stretching the curds apart and folding them over themselves. The curds are going to be hot, so you may want to wear latex or rubber gloves during this step.

6. You’ll want to knead the cheese several times to get a full, soft texture. If you need to, put the cheese back into the water to warm it up so that it can be stretched further. Once you are satisfied with the size, shape, and texture of your cheese, immediately dunk it into cold brine solution. Be certain that your brine solution is cold, because you want to cool off the cheese as fast as possible; the longer the cheese stays warm, the tougher it becomes. Let the cheese soak in the brine solution for one hour. After soaking, it’s ready!