Mozzarella a favorite of pizza lovers everywhere and often a draw for new cheesemakers but it is not a beginner cheese. There are multiple ways to make Mozzarella, from the 30 minute no flavor version to the extended day cultured version. The key is getting to the right pH so it will stretch. I have been experimenting with Kefir. I have had good luck with the quick acid development needed for Mozzarella by using Kefir in my Cheddar recipe.
These are the steps I used for a Cultured Mozzarella using Kefir and Raw milk. This is the first time making this way (2/14/21) so look for more notes as re-make.
Ingredients:
2 Gallons of Milk
1/2 cup Kefir Culture
1/2 tsp Single Strength Rennet
Heavy rubber gloves
Salt
Bowl of ice water
Process:
1. Sterilize equipment
2. Heat Milk to 70° – heading to 90°
3. Add Kefir and stir in slowly
4. Continue Heating Milk to 90° over a 15 minute window, stir occasionally.
5. Add just under 1/2 tsp Rennet mixed in distilled water, mix carefully
6. Clean Break should be at 30 minutes (adjust rennet accordingly next time)
7. Cut Curd to Walnut size 3/4-1 inch cubes
8. Rest curd for 10 minutes
9. Begin to stir slowly and Occasionally for the next 15 minutes @ 90°.
10. Let curd sink and rest for 45 minutes
11. Remove whey to the top of the curd, rest for additional 45 minutes
12. Pour off whey and check pH – We are looking for a pH of 5.3
13. By now you should have a good solid curd mass that can be flipped – Flip
14. Keep curd warm & check pH, Wait – We are looking for a pH of 5.3
This is where it can get time consuming waiting for the pH to drop, it may happen in 1-6 hours. Keep looking for the pH drop. If you stop watching and it gets to 5.0 it is too late and the curd won’t stretch.
15. While waiting, heat a pot of clean (distilled) water to 145° A gallon or so.
Another step to pass the time while waiting for the pH drop is to prepare a pot of water or whey or combination of that. Add 2.5% salt by weight and heat to 170°. The last prep step is to prepare a large bowl of ice water for the curds ice bath.
16. Once curd reaches 5.3 rip curd into 4 pieces and start pouring 145° water over the curd to raise curd temp to 130° to stop pH from falling more.
17. After a few minutes take one of the hunks of curd and put in the brine bath.
18. Within a few minutes it will be pliable enough to start stretching. Stretch curd almost the way you knead sourdough. Dunk it in the brine often to keep warm as you stretch. (Heavy Rubber Gloves are a Must for This Step!)
19. Keep stretching until you feel like the curd has been worked and you can get a shiny ball of curd. It helps to stretch into long piece and the roll it up tightly like a cinnamon roll and stretch the last edge around the whole ball. It will take practice and you can keep dunking and stretching many times to get it right.
20. When ball is right, plunge into bowl of ice water for 20 minutes.
21. Complete the other 3 balls of curd.
22. Once curd are chilled in ice water then can be placed on a tray to dry and lightly dry salted for additional flavor.
