Creamy Homemade Yogurt (Printable)

Rich, tangy cultured yogurt made from scratch with just milk and active starter cultures.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 1 quart 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 boil.
02 - Remove the saucepan from heat and let the milk cool to approximately 110–113°F.
03 - In a small bowl, combine the yogurt starter with a few tablespoons of the cooled milk and whisk until smooth.
04 - Fold the starter mixture back into the remaining cooled milk and stir thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
05 - Pour the mixture into a clean container or divide among individual jars. Cover loosely with lids.
06 - Place the containers in a warm environment—such as a turned-off oven with the interior light on or a dedicated yogurt maker—and allow the yogurt to incubate for 8 to 12 hours, or until it reaches your preferred consistency and level of tanginess.
07 - Transfer the set yogurt to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
08 - Keep refrigerated. The yogurt will maintain best quality for up to 1 week.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Once you taste homemade yogurt you will wonder why you ever settled for the store bought stuff that sits in plastic tubs for weeks.
  • It costs a fraction of what premium yogurt costs and you control every single ingredient that goes into it.
  • The incubation process feels like a tiny science experiment happening right on your counter and kids love checking on it.
02 -
  • If your milk gets too hot when you add the starter the cultures die instantly and you end up with sweet milk instead of yogurt.
  • The incubation spot must stay consistently warm because drafts or cold surfaces will stop the fermentation in its tracks.
  • Save a few tablespoons from each batch to use as your starter for the next one and you may never need to buy yogurt again.
03 -
  • Use the freshest milk you can find because older milk close to its expiration date tends to produce thinner, weaker yogurt.
  • Your starter yogurt should be as plain and unsweetened as possible since flavored starters add unpredictable variables to the fermentation.

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