Making homemade yogurt with just two ingredients is simple and requires minimal effort. Here’s a basic recipe:
Ingredients:
- Milk: 4 cups (1 liter) of whole milk (or any milk of your choice, but whole milk yields a creamier yogurt).
- Yogurt Starter: 2 tablespoons of plain, unsweetened yogurt with live active cultures (store-bought or from a previous batch).
Instructions:
- Heat the Milk:
- Pour the milk into a clean pot and heat it over medium heat until it reaches 180°F (82°C). Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Heating the milk helps denature the proteins, resulting in a thicker yogurt.
- Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching.
- Cool the Milk:
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the milk cool to 110°F (43°C). This is the ideal temperature for the yogurt cultures to thrive. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the pot in a cold water bath.
- Add the Yogurt Starter:
- Once the milk has cooled to 110°F, whisk in the 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt until fully combined. This introduces the live cultures needed to ferment the milk into yogurt.
- Incubate:
- Pour the mixture into a clean container or jar(s). Cover it with a lid or plastic wrap.
- Keep the mixture warm (around 110°F) for 6–12 hours to allow the yogurt to set. You can use a yogurt maker, an oven with the light on, or a warm spot in your kitchen. The longer it incubates, the tangier and thicker the yogurt will become.
- Chill:
- Once the yogurt has set, refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to stop the fermentation process and thicken it further.
- Enjoy:
- Your homemade yogurt is ready! You can enjoy it plain or add sweeteners, fruits, or granola.
Tips:
- Use a clean spoon each time you scoop yogurt to prevent contamination.
- Save 2 tablespoons of your homemade yogurt to use as a starter for the next batch.
- If the yogurt is too thin, you can strain it through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to make Greek-style yogurt.
Enjoy your fresh, homemade yogurt! 🥛😊
