Description
This fresh homemade mozzarella is soft, milky, and delicately creamy—made with just four ingredients and ready in under an hour. It’s a beginner-friendly recipe for creating artisan-quality cheese at home, perfect for salads, sandwiches, and appetizers.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon (3.8 L) non-homogenized, low-temperature-pasteurized whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet, diluted in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) filtered or distilled water
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) kosher salt
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a large stainless steel pot and whisk to evenly distribute the butterfat. Add citric acid and stir for 15–30 seconds until dissolved.
- Heat the milk over medium-low to 88°F (31°C), stirring occasionally. Add diluted rennet, stir for 30 seconds, then continue heating to 105°F (41°C). Remove from heat and let rest 5–10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer curds to a strainer over a bowl. Gently press to release whey and let drain for 10–15 minutes. Slice drained curds into 1-inch cubes and divide into three portions.
- Add kosher salt to the whey in the pot and stir to dissolve. Transfer one-third of the salted whey to a bowl and reserve for resting the mozzarella later.
- Heat remaining whey to 180°F (82°C). Place one portion of curds in a bowl and cover with hot whey. Let sit 15–20 seconds to soften.
- With heat-resistant gloves, lift and gently stretch the curd until smooth and elastic. Reheat as needed in hot whey. Repeat with remaining portions.
- Shape each portion into a ball by folding and smoothing it into a round shape. Pinch off any excess curd.
- Place mozzarella balls into reserved room-temperature salted whey and let rest 20–30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use whole milk that is not ultra-pasteurized for best results.
- Add herbs like basil or oregano before stretching for flavored mozzarella.
- Store in salted water or whey to maintain texture.
- Don’t over-stretch to avoid rubbery texture.
- Microwaving is an alternative to hot whey for softening curds.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cheese
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
