Creamy Homemade Yogurt (Printable)

Thick, tangy yogurt made with just milk and active cultures. Ready overnight with minimal effort.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 4 cups whole milk (low-fat milk may be substituted)
02 - 2 tablespoons plain yogurt with live active cultures (starter)

# Steps:

01 - Pour the milk into a saucepan and warm gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 185°F. Do not allow the milk to come to a boil.
02 - Remove the saucepan from heat and let the milk cool to between 110°F and 113°F. Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the temperature accurately.
03 - In a small bowl, combine the yogurt starter with a few tablespoons of the cooled milk. Whisk until smooth and fully blended.
04 - Pour the starter mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cooled milk. Stir thoroughly to ensure even distribution of the cultures.
05 - Pour the inoculated milk into a clean container or divide among individual jars. Cover loosely with lids.
06 - Place the containers in a warm, draft-free spot — such as a turned-off oven with the interior light on or a dedicated yogurt maker. Let incubate for 8 to 12 hours, or until the yogurt has set to your preferred consistency and level of tanginess.
07 - Transfer the set yogurt to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Store refrigerated for up to 1 week.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You only need two ingredients and about ten minutes of actual hands on work to make something that tastes exponentially better than anything from a plastic tub.
  • Once you nail the rhythm, you can keep reusing a spoonful from each batch to make the next one, which means this recipe basically pays for itself.
02 -
  • If your milk gets too hot above 85 degrees Celsius the proteins denature differently and you end up with a grainy texture that no amount of stirring can fix.
  • The incubation temperature must stay between 38 and 46 degrees Celsius or the cultures go dormant and nothing sets, which I discovered after leaving a batch next to a drafty window in January.
03 -
  • Clean every container and utensil with boiling water before you start because stray bacteria compete with your cultures and can create off flavors or spoilage that wastes the whole batch.
  • The fattiest milk you can find makes the thickest, creamiest yogurt without any extra effort, so spring for the whole milk or even half and half if you want something truly decadent.

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