Quick Homemade Mozzarella
Small-Batch, Weekday Friendly
This is the kind of cheese that makes you feel slightly powerful.
You can turn milk into mozzarella in under an hour. No aging cave. No press. No drama.
Ingredients
• 1 gallon whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
• 1½ teaspoons citric acid
• ¼ teaspoon liquid rennet (or ¼ rennet tablet dissolved)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup cool, non-chlorinated water (for dissolving rennet)
Instructions
Dissolve the citric acid in 1 cup cool water. Stir into cold milk in a large pot.
Heat milk slowly to 90°F, stirring gently.
Remove from heat and stir in dissolved rennet. Stir gently for 30 seconds, then stop.
Cover and let sit undisturbed 5–10 minutes until curd forms and pulls slightly from the sides.
Cut the curd into 1-inch cubes.
Return to low heat and slowly warm to 105°F, stirring gently.
Remove from heat and let curds settle 5 minutes.
Pour off whey.
Microwave curds 1 minute. Drain whey again. Fold curds gently.
Microwave in 30-second intervals until curds reach 135°F and become stretchy.
Add salt and stretch until smooth and glossy.
Form into a ball and place in cold water to set.
Store in fridge up to 5 days.
Slice thick for your sourdough sandwich and try not to feel triumphant.
