To make 1 litre of homemade yogurt, heat 1 litre of whole milk to 85°C (185°F), cool it to 43°C to 46°C (110°F to 115°F), and stir in 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live cultures. Keep it warm and undisturbed for 6 to 12 hours until set, then chill it.
You need nothing more than a pot, a thermometer, a 1-litre jar and somewhere warm: an oven with only the light on, a yogurt maker, an electric pressure cooker’s yogurt setting, or a towel-wrapped cooler.
Ingredients for 1 Litre
- 1 litre (about 4 cups) whole milk (pasteurised or UHT)
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt with live, active cultures, at room temperature
- Optional, for a thicker set: 2 to 3 tablespoons skim milk powder
Instructions
- Heat the milk. Heat the milk (and milk powder, if using) in a heavy pot over medium heat, stirring often, until it reaches 85°C (185°F). Hold it there for about 5 minutes, but do not let it boil over. This changes the milk proteins so the yogurt sets thicker.
- Cool. Cool the milk to 43°C to 46°C (110°F to 115°F). A sink of cold water speeds this up. Above 50°C (122°F) the cultures die, and below about 38°C (100°F) they work slowly.
- Add the starter. Whisk the 2 tablespoons of yogurt with a ladle of the warm milk until smooth, then stir it back into the pot.
- Incubate. Pour into a clean 1-litre jar, cover, and keep at 40°C to 45°C (104°F to 113°F) for 6 to 12 hours without moving it. Six hours gives a mild yogurt, 10 to 12 hours a tangier and firmer one.
- Check. It is ready when it has set like soft custard and pulls away cleanly when you tilt the jar. Some thin yellowish whey on top is normal.
- Chill. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. It thickens further as it chills.
For Greek-Style Yogurt
Spoon the chilled yogurt into a sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth set over a bowl, and strain it in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours. One litre of yogurt gives roughly 400 to 500 grams of thick strained yogurt. Use the drained whey in bread dough or smoothies.
Troubleshooting
- It did not set: the milk was too hot when the starter went in, the starter had no live cultures, or the incubation spot was too cool.
- Thin and stringy: it was incubated too long or the starter was old. Use fresh store-bought yogurt as starter again.
- Pink, orange or fuzzy spots, or an off smell: it is contaminated. Discard it and sterilise the jar.
Storage and Your Next Batch
Keep homemade yogurt covered in the fridge and eat it within 1 to 2 weeks. Set aside 2 tablespoons from each batch as the starter for the next. After several generations, start again from fresh store-bought yogurt.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use skimmed milk? Yes. The yogurt is thinner; adding milk powder helps.
- Can I use more starter? More is not better. Too much starter can make the yogurt sour and runny.
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